We Are Consumer

Beware of Fake Egg in the market

2011-06-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

The Consumers’ Association of Penang has received a complained from a housewife that she has been sold fake eggs. Fake eggs apparently nothing new around us in China eggs can be modulated by chemical materials. The fake eggs are created from a range of ingredients, including gelatin, benzoic acid, coagulating material, alum and 'magic water'. It also warns that eating the fake eggs could eventually cause dementia because of the alum used in their manufacture. According to a Xinhua News Agency article published on December 28, 2004, a mobile street vendor sold a Handan resident an egg that turned out to be 'man-made'. Examination revealed that the fake egg was made from calcium carbonate, starch, resin, gelatin and other chemical products. More...

Biofuel From Tapioca

2011-06-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, the rising of oil prices has encourage a research team from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (Utar) Faculty of Engineering and Science is studying the use of cassava, better known as tapioca, and sweet potato in the production of biofuels.

All around the world scientist work hard to find an alternative energy sources to reduce the Linkreliance on crude oil, and this has opened up a lot of opportunities worldwide. Biofuels are renewable energy sources, which can not only reduce air pollution and greenhouse effects caused by burning of fossil fuels, but also enable sustainable development that provides employment and improves economy.
more...

Organic Foods Great for Toddlers

2009-02-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

Are you the parent of a toddler who is looking to make sure that your child is eating right? If so, healthy foods are likely what you are searching for. With that in mind, it is important to know that healthy foods come in a number of different formats. To provide your toddler with the best healthy foods possible, organic foods should be examined.

After a close look, you will see that there are a number of benefits to eating organic foods. These benefits include natural foods, as opposed to foods that are filled with sugars and other additives. Eating organically can also help to improve one’s health, as well as the environment. It has been said that the longer you eat organic foods, the better your health is likely to be. That is why you should encourage your toddler to eat organically.

One of the biggest concerns of parents is that their children will not like organic foods. Chances are, your toddler will not be able to tell the difference. Of course, you do not want to lie or withhold the truth from your child, but you may not want to let him or her know that they are eating organic foods right away. For toddlers and preschoolers, organic isn’t necessarily a word that is associated with “yummy,” foods, even though it can and is. After your child has developed a liking for organic foods, then let them know.

Another concern that many parents have is what they can feed their children. Many toddlers and preschoolers are able to eat table food with adults. This is easy if the rest of your family eats organic foods as well. Your child can simply just enjoy a meal with you. With that said, there are many parents who also want to provide their children with kid friendly foods. This may include foods that have fun character shapes or characters on the boxes. Parents also want foods that are convenient and easy to prepare for certain occasions. The good news is that you can still get these foods organically.

When looking to buy organic toddler food, you will find that you have a number of different options. There are a number of organic food companies that specialize in selling food designed for toddlers. Of course, Earth’s Best Organic is not the only company that you have to choose from, but they are one of the most popular. Earth’s Best Organic comes highly rated and recommend by many parents, teachers, and even some healthcare professionals. For that reason, we will be examining their line of organic food for toddlers so that you can get a good idea as to what types of food your toddler can eat when on an organic diet.

Earth’s Best Organic, as well as number of other organic food companies, have a line of foods that are ideal for breakfast. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it is important that your child is able to eat a food that they love. The good news is that you do have a number of different options. Three popular options for toddlers are organic waffles, organic O shaped cereal, which tends to resemble cheerios, and organic instant oatmeal.

As previously stated, many parents want to have organic foods on hand for their toddlers that are healthy, but also fun to eat and easy to prepare. Earth’s Best Organic, as well a number of other natural food companies, have a number of products for you to choose from. Just a sample of what you may find can include frozen whole grain pizzas or organic soups. As for snacks, which many toddlers consume before lunch and after dinner, there are a number of different options as well; however, organic crackers, organic cookies, and organic fruit bars are recommended and kid approved.

As you can see, you have a number of different options when looking to feed your toddler organic foods. As a reminder, you do not necessarily have to purchase foods that are designed for toddlers, as many toddlers can eat the same organic foods that adults, like you, do.

How to Find an Organic Food Delivery Company

2009-02-16T08:48:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for any easy way to buy organic foods? If you are, you may be interested in buying your foods from an organic food delivery company. Unfortunately, many new organic food eaters do not even know that there is such a thing or even know how to find one. If that the case, please continue reading on, as a few of the many ways that you can go about finding organic food delivery companies are touched on below.

The internet is a great way to find organic food delivery companies. What is nice about using the internet is that online shopping can technically be considered arranging an organic food delivery. This is because the food that you order online is delivered right to your door. The delivery of food that is purchased online is often quick too, as organic food companies what to ensure that their food arrives to you fresh. That is why a large number of online organic food stores rely on next day or two day shipping.

If you decide to shop online for organic foods, you will find that you have a number of different options, in terms of purchase points. For example, there are organic food stores, which sell a number of different organic food brands. On the other hand, there are organic food manufacturers that choose only to sell their products online. Whichever method you choose to get your organic food delivered directly to your door, be sure to compare prices, shipping costs, and product selections. This can help to ensure that you get the largest selection of organic foods, but at affordable prices.

In addition to arranging an organic food delivery online, you can also do so locally. In fact, this is how many individuals prefer to have their organic foods delivered to them. When looking to do so locally, you will also have a number of different options. If you are shopping at a local organic food store, but if you are in a hurry or if you will be unable to go home right way, you may be able to have your purchases delivered to your home later in the day or even the following day. Many small organic food stores have this type of delivery service available to their customers.

There are also many local organic food stores that are starting to offer combination online and local delivery services. This means that you could visit the online website of one of your local organic food stores, shop, place your order, and then pay for your order. If a delivery service is available, your food can then be delivered, often within a few hours. This approach is similar to shopping online, but many local stores tend to limit the radius in which they are willing to provide delivery to. If your local natural food stores have online websites, visit them to see if a local delivery service is available. If not, you may want to consider suggesting it to store managers or owners.

As highlighted above, there are a number of different ways that you can go about finding an organic food delivery service. Having organic food delivered directly to your home is a great option for those who are disabled, do not have adequate transportation, or for those who are pressed for time.

Organic Baby Food: A Buying Guide

2009-02-15T00:35:00.001-08:00

As you may already know, there are a number of benefits to eating organic foods. To reap the most benefits, organic food should be consumed for as long as possible. What does this mean for parents? It means that organic food consumption should start with baby food.

If you just recently made the decision to integrate organic foods into your family meals, you may be looking for more information on organic foods for babies. If so, you will want to continue reading on. A few tips to help you get started with feeding your baby organic foods are highlighted below.

As previously stated, there are a number of benefits to eating organic foods. These benefits include pesticide and chemical free foods. These types of foods are important for babies and other small children. In fact, there are now some professional healthcare providers who recommend to their patients that they feed their babies organic baby foods. Although there are no scientific studies which prove this, most think that eliminating potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides can help to promote healthy growth and good behavior in small children.

When it comes to buying organic baby food, you will find that you can shop both locally and online. Regardless of where you shop, it is important to look for certified organic foods. These foods often have a specific label, which should be the same for all organic foods, no matter what the brand. The United States does not allow a manufacturer to claim that their products are completely organic, unless they truly are. That is why you should look for certificate organic labels before making an organic baby food purchase.

As previously stated, organic baby food can be purchased both locally and online. For many parents, they prefer to shop locally, as it is convenient to do. Many supermarkets carry a small selection of organic baby foods. This means that parents can buy food for their babies while doing the rest of their shopping. This is very convenient for many parents. With that being said, you are often only presented with a limited selection of organic baby foods. This can be difficult when looking to “spice,” up the foods that your child eats. Also, examine stores that specialize in the selling of natural, organic foods.

As for shopping online for organic baby food, it can also be convenient to do so. As organic foods steadily increase in popularity, there are a number of online stores that sell organic foods, including organic baby food. These websites can be found with a standard internet search. To help get you started, Earth’s Best Organic, Diamond Organics, and Sweatpea Baby Foods all sell organic baby food. Additional online stores and product manufacturers can be found with a standard internet search. When looking to shop online, you may find it easier to search for the best prices. As an important note, a credit or debit card that can be proceed as a credit card is often needed to shop online

When looking to purchase organic baby foods, especially online, look for foods that are convenient. For example, there is a company that is known as Baby Cubes. They sell cubes of frozen vegetables and fruits that are certified organic. This is ideal if you must do your shopping online. The ability to freeze organic baby foods and in safe containers can reduce the number of online orders that you have to make on a weekly or biweekly basis.

In addition to buying organic baby food, many parents wonder about making their own. There are a number of books and online websites that highlight ways that baby food can easily be made at home. When following these recipes, just be sure to use organic fruits and vegetables. As a reminder many supermarkets, specialty stores, and some farmer’s markets sell organic fruits and vegetables. When using organic foods this way, you are essentially providing your baby with homemade organic baby food, which many claim is the best type of food to feed babies.

5 Reasons Why You Should Buy a High End Home Air Purifier

2009-02-14T02:07:00.000-08:00

Are you looking to buy an air purifier for your home? If you are, you will soon see that you have a number of different options. There are a number of brands to choose from, as well as a number of price ranges. One type of home purifier that you will want to examine is that of a high end air purifier. Did you know that there are a number of benefits to owning high end air purifiers? There are and a few of these reasons are highlighted below.

1 – Better Brands

Most the makers of high end home air purifiers are well known. Since you do have a number of different options when looking to buy high end home air purifiers, you may be wondering how you can go about finding the best. You may find the best luck with doing research online, as it can be done quickly and easily. You can also get a number of good ideas, in terms of quality, yet affordable brands. To get started, perform a standard internet search with phrase such as “best air purifiers,” “top ten air purifiers,” or “high end air purifiers.”

2 – Better Results

High end home air purifiers are known for producing better results. These results include cleaner air. Unfortunately, many individuals wonder how you can tell that an air purifier will produce better results. The good news is that you do have a number of different options. For starters, check ratings and reviews online. This can be done by visiting online stores that allow ratings or reviews or websites that are based solely on rating products. Both of these website types can be found with a standard internet search.

Another great and relatively easy way to tell if a high end air purifier can produce better results is by examining the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). This is the rate in which an air filter can deliver clean air. Most times, high end air filters and purifiers have high CADRs.

3 – Last Longer

High end air purifiers are known for their strength and durability. This means that many are able to last longer, especially when compared to the cheaper alternatives. In fact, a large number of high end air purifiers come with warranties or you should have the option to purchase an extended warranty plan. This can help to give you comfort in knowing that you are purchasing an air purifier that will be able to keep your home’s air clean for years to come.

4 – Come In a Number of Different Formats

All air purifiers, including those that are considered high end air purifiers come in a number of different formats. In addition to different makes and models, there are also different sizes. Another common difference or choice that many have involves filter or filter-free air purifiers. They both have their own pros and cons.

Filtered air purifiers are preferred by many buyers. One of the reasons for that is because they can actually see that the air is being cleaned. Many like to see the dirt, toxins, and other pollutants that have accumulated on their air filter. For many, this serves as proof that they did make the right purchase decision. As for filter-free air purifiers, they are convenient and they can help to save money overtime, even though they do cost more upfront.

5 – They Are Easy to Find and Buy

The ease of buying air purifiers, including high end air purifiers for the home, are another reason why they should be purchased. High end air purifiers are available for sale both locally and online. Due to their increased cost, many discount stores and department stores do not sell high end home air purifiers, but most home improvement stores do. If you are looking for the largest selection of affordable, high end air purifiers, the internet should be examined. As previously stated, you can use the internet to compare prices. You can also use it to make your purchase as well.

Buying Organic Foods Online: The Pros and Cons

2009-02-09T04:46:00.001-08:00

Have you just recently made the decision to start eating healthier with organic foods? If you have, you may be looking for ways to improve your shopping. If that is the case, you may want to consider buying your organic foods online.

When it comes to buying organic foods online, many individuals first wonder if they can do so. If you are one of those individuals, it is important to know that you can. Next, many wonder if it is worth it to shop online for organic foods. As for that answer, you will find that it all depends. A great way to determine if buying organic foods online is right for you is to examine the pros and cons of doing so.

One of the many pros or plus sides to buying organic foods online is the convenience of doing so. If you have ever shopped online before, you should already know just how easy it is to do so. A standard interenet search can help you find a number of online organic food stores. When performing a standard internet search, you can search with a generalized phrase, such as “organic food stores,” or you can search for something in particular, such as “organic frozen meals.” Many also like the fact that their foods can be delivered directly to their doors.

In addition to saving you time, buying organic foods online can also save you money. This is because you have the ability to compare organic food sellers online. Not only can you compare their prices, but you can also compare their product selection and you can do so in just a few minutes worth of time. This is something that you cannot do when shopping locally. The ability to quickly and easily compare online organic food stores, products, and prices makes it easy for you to save money when shopping online.

The organic foods that you can find available for sale online are another one of the many pros or plus sides to buying organic foods online. There are many individuals who are surprised with just how many foods they can buy online. Popular foods that sell online include packaged organic foods, such as organic crackers or organic cookies. With that being said, there is so much more that is available for sale. Organic frozen foods and fresh organic fruits and vegetables can also be ordered online and delivered directly to your door.

Although there are a number of pros or plus sides to buying organic foods online, it is also important to focus on the cons or downsides to doing so. One of those downsides is that you must have internet access. Yes, most homes have internet access and a computer, but not all do. In addition to having internet access, most shoppers need to have an ideal way to pay online. For example, many online organic food stores only accept credit or debit cards, which must be processed as credit cards, as payment.

As it was previously stated, you have the ability to save money when looking to buy organic foods online. This is mostly due to the fact that you can easily and quickly compare prices, looking for the best deals. As nice as this is, it is important to proceed with caution where shipping is concerned. If you are not careful, the cost of shipping can add up or be too high. That is another one of the cons or downsides to shopping for organic foods online. With that said, you can eliminate this con by simply being aware and by never paying more for shipping than you need to.

Buying organic foods online is convenient for many, but some individuals can benefit the most from doing so. You may be one of those individuals if you do not have a specialty organic food store located near by your home. Also, if you do, but are unimpressed with the prices or selection of foods, you can and should consider buying your organic foods online.

Children Traveling alone for the Holidays

2009-02-06T07:28:00.001-08:00

Due to the number of non-traditional families in our society, it is common for custody agreements to require children to travel over the holidays to be with the other parent. This is an issue that many parents have to deal with in the best way possible. If the parents live in close proximity they can easily drive them to the agreed upon destination. If the divorce is amicable it may even be possible for each parent to drive half way for the exchange of the children.

However, it isn’t always possible for parents to be able to do this for one reason or another and that means that children will end up traveling alone for the holidays. You want to make this as smooth of a process for them as you possibly can. Make sure you talk to your child about the process and they know exactly what will be taking place. It is important that you talk to them about not going with strangers for any reason while they are traveling alone for the holidays.

Make sure you pack your child plenty of activities for them to entertain themselves during the flight. It is a good idea to pack them drinks and snacks too in case they get hungry. Never leave your child until they have boarded the type of transportation they are taking. If there is a layover or a cancellation they will be left alone.

If possible send your child with a cell phone they can use in the case of emergencies. You should also pack a list of contact phone numbers with them and any medical information that could be useful in the event of an accident. Avoid placing children who are flying alone for the holidays on those flights that have layovers if you can help it. In the event that it is necessary make sure a flight attendant will be escorting them to that location.

The safest mode of transportation for you child if they are traveling alone to visit the other parent for the holidays is to book them a flight. It may be more expensive but you will be more confident about them going alone. If possible don’t send your child alone on a flight if they have never been on an airplane before. The stress of it can be too much for them to handle.

Let the airline know at the time of booking that your child will be traveling alone. They will keep a close eye on the child during the flight and find out who they have to be delivered to at the airport. This person will need to have their photo ID with them even if the child knows them in order to follow safety procedures. Most airlines consider a minor to be traveling alone for the holidays if they are between 5 and 15 years of age. Younger children aren’t allowed to travel alone.

It is against the rules for children under 8 years of age to travel alone on Amtrak. Those between the ages of 8 and 15 may travel alone as long as it is not an overnight trip. They must reach their destination no later than 9 pm. The child isn’t allowed to transfer trains either or to get off at any locations other than the one printed on their ticket.

The child will be interviewed by a staff member when they are brought to the train station. If the child doesn’t appear to be mature enough to travel alone they will not be allowed on the train and the ticket price will be refunded. If they are allowed to board the parent must sign a waiver releasing Amtrak from all liability. The child will be issued a wristband so that all staff members will know they are traveling alone.

Greyhound doesn’t allow children under 8 years of age to travel alone either. This isn’t an option at all of the bus ride is more than 250 miles at Greyhound has that limit on the number of miles a child can be on the bus. To get off for any reason at a rest area or bus stop the child must be accompanied by the bus driver. They are also required to sit in the seat immediately behind the bus driver.

Avoid Conflicts when you Travel for the Holidays

2009-01-15T02:16:00.000-08:00

It can be great fun to spend the holidays with your family and friends, but there always seems to be a few people that you wish to avoid as well. Planning ahead can help you to avoid conflicts when you travel for the holidays. Remember that each person is entitled to their own thoughts and opinions. Agree to disagree on issues that pertain to politics and various types of controversial issues.

Everyone should take care of their own children during a gathering for the holidays. This is to prevent issues that arise when different parenting styles are in play. Make sure your children understand before you travel for the holidays that you expect them to follow the same rules they have at home regardless of what other children there will be allowed to do. This will help to prevent confusion and frustration for everyone involved in the gathering for the holidays.

In order to ensure everyone has a great time let those that will be in attendance help to place the events. Make sure someone is in charge of activities for the children to enjoy too. Take a look at the span of age groups that will be present at the event and either come up with activities for all of them to enjoy together or break them up into groups based on age.

Make sure everyone gets to take on a role for the holiday gathering that they will enjoy. This way the overall event will be a success and everyone will look forward to attending. Don’t leave certain people to clean up from the dinner or the activities just because you assume that is what they want to do. Knowing what your role is before you travel for the holidays allows you to be prepared for it.

Food is a common part of any holiday gathering but it can be a problem for some people. Before you travel for the holidays make sure the host is aware of any special foods you will need to have or to avoid. They can even offer dishes without meat for those that are on a vegetarian diet. Some people have an allergy to peanut oil or other foods though that need to be taken into consideration. Don’t wait until you arrive to tell them as it can mean foods they spent time preparing will have to be thrown out.

If you have an unresolved issue with someone that will be at the family gathering you should attempt to contact them prior to the event. This will help both of you to relieve the tension and anxiety over the situation. If it is something that can’t be resolved then ask them to agree to put your differences aside for the sake of everyone else that will be in attendance.

It doesn’t mean you have to become best friends at the event but don’t waste your energy being in conflict with the individual. Focus on the good memories that you can create for your family during the holidays instead. Too many families end up with parties missing for the gathering because they don’t want to attend if someone else is. Taking the high road so that everyone can enjoy their holiday more is an amazing gift you can give to them.

Organic Foods: Why You Should Buy Directly From Farmers

2009-01-11T00:54:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in improving the way that you eat? If you are, you will want to examine natural, organic foods. After a close examination, you will see that there are a number of benefits to eating organic.

As previously stated, there are a number of benefits to eating organic foods. One of those benefits is your ability to shop at a wide range of locations. Organic foods are available for sale at supermarkets, organic food stores, and online. With that said, organic foods are also commonly sold directly by the farmers who grew them. If you have local farmers who sell organic foods, you should consider doing your shopping directly through them.

When it comes to buying many organic food products, such as fruits and vegetables, directly from organic farmers, many individuals wonder why they should do so. In all honesty, there are a number of reasons, as well as benefits to buying organic foods directly from the source. One of those benefits is the assistance that you will be providing to local farmers. It is no secret that many farmers find it difficult to stay afloat financially. In fact, hundreds of small farms shut down each year. Instead of shutting down, many farmers are now making the switch to organic foods.

As previously stated, a large number of farmers, all across the United States, are now making the decision to go organic. Unfortunately, this decision isn’t always easy. It can be costly in the beginning, as well as very risky. Although you may not necessarily think about it at the time, you can provide financial relief and assistance to organic farmers by buying their products directly from them. When you buy organic fruits and vegetables directly from the farmer or farmers who made them, they are able to receive all profits, not just a portion of them. In this aspect, you can consider buying organic fruits and vegetables directly from farmers your good deed for the week or month.

As nice as it is to hear that you should purchase some organic foods directly from the farmers who grow them, you may be curious as to how you can go about doing so. For starters, farmer’s markets should be examined. Farmer’s markets typically involve the setup of stands and booths. Many farmer’s markets in the United States allow a large number of farmers to attend and set up booths. Depending on your local farmer’s markets, its size, and who is present, you may be able to find organic food sold.

In addition to visiting one of your local farmer’s markets to see if organic foods are for sale, you can also visit local farms in person. To help you decide which farms should be visited look for signs or advertisements in local newspapers. It is also usually easy to spot farms where organic foods are being sold. This is because many set up roadside booths or have a storefront building on their property, which is usually easy to see from the road. If you do make the decision to shop with a local farmer, be sure to bring cash, as many small operations are not equipped to accept checks, debit cards, or credit cards.

As highlighted above, there are a number of reasons why you should buy your organic foods directly from the source, farmers. With a number of different buying options, you are encouraged to support your local organic farmers.

4 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Home Air Purifier

2009-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

If you use the internet, read magazines, or watch television, there is a good chance that you have heard of air purifiers before. This is due in part to the fact that air purifiers have increased in popularity over the past few years. Despite the increase in popularity, you may be wondering if you really need to buy an air purifier. Even if you do not really need to have one, there are still a number of benefits to making a purchase. In fact, four reasons why you should buy an air purifier are outlined below.

1 – Air Purifiers Produce Clean Air

Air purifiers are designed to clean the air by removing harmful toxins and other pollutants. These pollutants, if left in the air, can be dangerous. For example, cigarette smoke that lingers in the air has a number of dangers, including an increased risk of lung cancer. An air purifier can help to keep a home’s air clean.

As sited as an example above, many air purifiers eliminate harmful and potentially dangerous toxins and pollutants from secondhand cigarette smoke. Did you know though that there is so much more that air purifiers can clean as well? Air purifiers also clean pollen, mold and mildew, and animal dander.

2 – Air Purifiers Make Your Home More Healthy

As it was previously stated, air purifiers work to capture and eliminate many harmful pollutants and toxins from the air, including pet dander, secondhand tobacco smoke, pollen, mold, and mildew. The presence of these harmful and potentially dangerous toxins and pollutants can make a home a dangerous place to be. For example, pet dander can be dangerous for those who have pet allergies. As for secondhand tobacco smoke, it is dangerous for everyone.

In addition to making your home much healthier, air purifiers can also make your home a happier place to be, for all residents and even guests. In fact, that is another one of the many reasons why you should buy an air purifier for your home.

3 – Air Purifiers Help Those with Allergies and Asthma

As previously stated, there are many toxins and pollutants that fill most homes. In fact, did you know that some homes have more pollutants indoors than there is outdoors? This is true in many cases, largely due to the fact that are windows are closed in the summertime due to the use of air conditioners and they are closed in the wintertime due to coldness. This doesn’t allow much opportunity for fresh air to enter the home or for polluted air to leave.

Long-term exposure to household pollutants and toxins isn’t good for anyone, but it can be harmful or even deadly for those suffering from a number of medical conditions. Two of these conditions include allergies or asthma. If you suffer from asthma or allergies or if you have a family member who does, you are encouraged to use air purifiers as a way to seek relief.

4 – Air Purifiers Are Easy to Find and Buy

As it was previously stated, air purifiers have increased in popularity. This is because many individuals are becoming more concerned with their health and many see air purifiers as a step in the right direction. This means that there are more air purifiers for sale and more retailers are starting to offer them for sale. In addition to having a number of air purifier makes and models to choose from, you also have a number of purchase points to choose from. Air purifiers are sold online, at local home improvement stores, as well as in many department stores.

As you can see, there are a number of benefits to buying and using an air purifier in your home. Four of those reasons where outlined above. As a reminder, you have a number of different air purifiers to choose from, so be sure to read ratings and reviews online. This can help to ensure that you choose the air purifier that is best for you and your needs.

How to Buy HEPA Air Purifiers

2008-12-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

Are you looking to improve the air quality in your home? If so, you may be looking to buy a high end home air purifier. Although you do have a number of different options, you will want to examine high end home air purifiers that use HEPA technology. After a close examination, you will see that air purifiers that use HEPA technology come highly rated and recommended.

As you likely already know, an air purifier is that a machine that cleans the air. It does so by capturing air particles that may be harmful in large quantities or air particles that can pollute the air. As for what these air purifiers collect, most capture and collect pet dander, secondhand tobacco smoke, mold, mildew, dust mites, and pollen. Although these are all things that all different types of air purifiers should capture and collect, those that use HEPA technology, namely HEPA air filters, often produce the best results. In fact, did you know that most HEPA filters collect around an average of 90% of air particles? This is a pretty amazing figure.

Since there are a number of benefits to owning and using air purifiers that rely on HEPA technology, especially for those who suffer from asthma and allergies, you may be interested in making a purchase. If you are looking to do so locally, your best option is to shop at your local home improvement store. Home improvement stores tend to focus more on quality than they do price. This means that you are likely to see a large selection of high end home air purifiers, including those that rely on the use of HEPA technology.

In addition to shopping for a high end home air purifier that relies on HEPA technology at a home improvement store, you may have a number of other options. Home décor stores, department stores, and health stores are also known to carry air purifiers. Their selection may not be as great as what you will find at a home improvement store, but many like the prices, especially at department stores. When making a home air purifier purchase from a department store, just make sure that you are purchasing a quality, high end product.

As previously stated, you will likely find the largest selection of high end home air purifiers that rely on the use of HEPA technology at home improvement stores. Although this is true, there are often many more air purifiers that are available for sale. For the largest selection of air purifiers, you are encouraged to shop online. In fact, did you know that there are a number of benefits to doing so?

When looking to buy a high end home air purifier online, you have the ability to easily and quickly compare prices. You also gain access to hundreds of retailers, all within a few minutes worth of time. You can visit the online websites of retailers that you know offer online shopping, but you can also perform a standard internet search. This may help you find smaller companies that sell HEPA air purifiers online.

As you can see, you have a number of different options when looking to buy a high end home air purifier. As a reminder, there are a number of benefits to buying air purifiers that use HEPA technology. The greatest benefit is the better results that you are likely to see.

Automatic Drip Coffee Makers

2008-12-16T09:16:00.001-08:00

The most common type of coffee maker available is the automatic drip coffee maker. Everyone has had one of these at one time or another and they are the most frequently purchased coffee makers ever made. They are simple to use, the coffee tastes good, and they come with all sorts of options. The automatic drip coffee maker ranges in price from as low as $15.00 to as much as $300.00 depending on brand, options, and what their specific purpose will be. A standard 10 cup automatic drip coffee maker will cost a lot less than a larger or smaller automatic drip coffee maker as those are specialized units that serve a more specific purpose.

The automatic drip coffee maker works by putting water into the designated spot (usually on the back or side of the machine), adding a coffee filter, then dumping coffee grounds into the filter. All that's left is to push the ON button and wait. This ease of use is what makes the automatic drip coffee maker so popular. Everyone can use it and it is also very easy to maintain.

Many automatic coffee makers come with a wide assortment of extra features. The most common feature is a timer. You can fill your automatic drip coffee maker with water and coffee grounds then specify what time you want your coffee maker to start brewing your coffee. This is useful for people who work every day at 7 am and want to have coffee waiting for them right when they wake up. It can be hard to get the motivation to prep your coffee every morning and it is easy to do it the night before. Some models will reheat old pots, connect to a water line so you don't have to fill them, and have many other options you may like.

Automatic drip coffee makers can be found in every type of store you can imagine. From supermarkets, to retail stores, to thrift shops, you are bound to see a vast selection to choose from. There are many on line stores and websites that specialize in only automatic drip coffee makers so if you are comfortable shopping on line, that might be an option. The great thing about on line shopping is that you are usually presented with many different deals. You may receive a supply of coffee, get a free coffee of the month membership, or maybe have the ability to upgrade your coffee maker at a reduced price later on.

The coffee that you use in your automatic drip coffee maker is what will make all the difference in taste. If you don't care about that and just want a cup of coffee, you can use any brand you like. For those that have a particular love of coffee, they might try grinding their own beans or using a grinding device at a supermarket. There are many kinds of coffee you can try with your automatic drip coffee maker.

Air Purifiers and Air Filters for Travelers: Are They Worth the Money?

2008-12-14T17:41:00.001-08:00

Do you do a lot of traveling? If you do, you may be concerned about the air that you are breathing inside your hotel room. This may especially be the case if you suffer from asthma or allergies. If you do, you may be curious about air purifiers and air filters that are designed for travelers. As nice as a concept as they do sound, you may be curious as to whether or not they work or if they are worth the money.

When it comes to determining if travel sized air purifiers are worth the money, you will find that it depends. With that said, typically, most are encouraged to save their money. For more information on why, please continue reading on.

When examining air purifiers, especially those that are considered high end home air purifiers, you will find that most are relatively large in size. Although air purifiers and filters are becoming more compact, you will find that most are still a decent size. For example, tower shaped air purifiers are thin, but they are still somewhat small. Desktop air purifiers are the same way, unless flat, so they do still take up a considerable amount of space. On the other hand, travel size air purifiers are extremely small in size. This impacts the size filter that can be used. Smaller filters can easily become clogged or not capture all particles in the air.

Despite the fact that air purifiers are on average a decent size, that hasn’t stopped some companies from selling small travel sized purifiers. As for what you will find, it will vary. For example, some are much smaller versions of desktop air purifiers that are lightweight and easy to transport. Also, did you know that you can actually wear some travel sized air purifiers like a necklace? You can, as there are some versions available for sale.

As for travel sized air purifiers that can be worn like a necklace, it does should like a pretty neat idea, although some say that there are dangers associated with certain brands, especially when they are worn too close. You can see this by reading reviews of these necklace-like air purifiers online. There are cases where some consumers felt ill after wearing them for extend periods of time. This is something that should cause you to be concerned.

Smaller, travel sized air purifiers that resemble desktop air purifiers are nice, but most cannot be considered high end. Typically, it depends on the brand and whether or not HEPA air filters are used. In all honesty, if you truly need to have cleaner air, it may be best to bring a high end compact air purifier from home with you. Of course, be cautious when doing so; be sure to pack well. Since high end home air purifiers are expensive, you will not want damage yours.

A great alternative to investing in travel sized air purifiers that may not work is by carefully choosing your hotel. First, ask if air purifiers are used in the hotel rooms. Some hotels do now use them, especially after being wished for by guest. If you cannot find a hotel that uses an air purifier, be sure to choose a room where pets and smoking are not allowed, as this often means that the room’s air is much more cleaner.

How to Buy HEPA Air Filters

2008-11-16T08:07:00.001-08:00

Do you want to improve the air quality in your home? If you do, you may be interested in buying an air purifier. If you do, you will want to examine those that rely on the use of HEPA technology, namely HEPA air filters. After a close look, you will see that HEPA air filters, when used in conjunction with air purifiers, have a number of benefits.

An air purifier, as you likely already know, is a system that works to clean the air. When an air filter is used, it captures and traps air particles that would otherwise stay in the air. Air purifiers are known for collecting mold, mildew, dust mites, pet dander, secondhand smoke, and pollen. Despite the fact that all air purifiers and all filters capture these particles, HEPA filters do a better job of doing so. In fact, around 90% of air particles are captured with the use of a HEPA air filters. Many other cheaper, lower quality filters do not capture this much.

As previously stated, it is advised that you first purchase an air purifier that has a HEPA filter. When doing so, you will likely need to purchase replacement filters. When doing this, you may find that you have a number of different options. There are usually a number of replacement filter brands for you to choose from, especially those that are for common air purifier makes and models. When possible, choose HEPA replacement filters that are considered high end. By doing so, you often get the best results, as well as replacement filters that should last longer. This can help to save you a considerable amount of money overtime.

As for where you can buy high end home air filters that are considered HEPA filters, you have a number of different options when looking to shop locally. For the best chance of success, you will want to visit your local home improvement stores. Home improvement stores are known for the best selection of air purifiers and air filters that can be considered high end products on the local level. In addition to shopping with a local home improvement store, home décor stores, medical stores, and department stores can also be examined. When taking these approaches though, just makes sure that you are purchasing a quality brand that can be considered high end.

In addition to shopping for replacement high end home air filters that are considered HEPA filters, you can also do so online. When looking to do so, you may want to perform a standard internet search with the type of air purifier you are looking for or the make and model of your air purifier. A standard internet search often gives you access to a large number of online retailers, including those that are somewhat small in size. If you know the websites of online home improvement stores, you should also examine them online. While you are online, read reviews and examine ratings to make sure that you are going to purchase a HEPA air filter that can be considered a quality, high end product.

As outlined above, you a have a number of different options when looking to buy HEPA high end home air filters for your air purifier. As a reminder, HEPA technology is available on a number of other products that you may benefit from owning and using as well, including a large number of vacuum cleaners.

Navigation Systems you can use for Holiday Travel

2008-11-07T07:10:00.001-08:00

Nothing is more frustrating that trying to travel for the holidays and not be able to figure out how to get there. Even if you have a plan when you leave home, things can get turned around quickly if you don’t have a good sense of direction. Stopping for directions isn’t always effective because people don’t always have the information you need to get to your destination.

There are plenty of amazing navigation systems you can use to help take the frustration out of holiday travel though. Advances in technology offer us a great way to have these tools at our fingertips. Many people travel with their laptop computers and you can access travel routes either online or with various types of computer software programs.

Even a simple compass in your vehicle can assist you when you least expect it. I was recently driving along when there was a detour due to road construction. I followed everyone else and then came to some signs. It said 5 miles East and then 11 Miles North to get to my destination. The problem was there were no arrows and I didn’t know which way I was headed on that road. Luckily my car has a built in compass so I was able to figure it out. If you vehicle doesn’t have one then you need to purchase one. It will come in handy as you travel for the holidays.

This information will allow you to find the fastest route as well as the shortest route to get to your holiday destination. You can also find the route that has access to hotels, restaurants, and rest areas. This is great information if you are traveling with children because you will find you have to stop more often in order to keep everyone happy.

Having a laptop can also keep you up to date with the weather conditions during your holiday travel. This is important because if roads are closed or there are delays due to an accident you can easily find yourself an alternate route. Many people have similar types of navigation systems on their cell phones. The most high tech gadget is the very popular iPhone. If offers access to the internet and has a 3 ½ inch monitor for you to view the information on.

Many vehicles feature a Global Positioning System known as GPS. There are some models you can purchase separately and then add them to any model of vehicle that you have. This is a very good tool that you will always have when you are operating your vehicle. Even if you don’t know exactly where you are, a satellite system does and it send that information to the GPS system. You can then enter the information for your travel destination and it will give you the directions you need to get there.

Don’t spend your time traveling for the holidays caught up in traffic or bad weather. You also don’t want to drive for hours and then realize you have been going the wrong direction. The landscaping of the area can change over the years leaving you unfamiliar with the way to get there on your own. These types of navigational tools will definitely help you to get your barrings and to arrive for the holidays on time.

What Are The Disadvantages to Eating Organic Foods?

2008-11-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in making the switch to organic foods? If you are, you may want to first verify that you are making the right decision. You likely already know the many benefits to eating organic foods, as these benefits are often prominently displayed and advertised. With that being said, we rarely hear the disadvantages to eating organic foods.

One of the few disadvantages to eating organic foods is the cost. Do you know how much most organic foods costs? If not, you may first want to examine those costs before you make the decision to switch to organic foods. There is nothing worse than being blindsided or surprised with the cost of organic foods. After a close look, you will see that organic foods do cost a little bit more money, but that increase in cost can add up overtime.

Although the cost of organic food may turn you and other hopeful eaters away, it is also important to know that there are multiple ways in which you can go about saving money. For example, you can search for organic food sales at your local natural food stores or supermarkets. You stock up when you see those sales or choose to shop at a store that is know for their everyday low prices on organic foods. Organic food coupons can also be used. These coupons can be found online, with a standard internet search, in many stores, as well as in weekend newspapers.

In addition to costs, another disadvantage to eating organically is the limited selection of products that some individuals are faced with. Luckily, not everyone is faced with this organic food eating disadvantage. Often times, those who live in small cities and towns find it the hardest to buy organic foods. With that being said, it doesn’t matter whether you live in a small town or a huge city, there are still a number of different ways that you can go about buying organic foods.

A great way to buy organic foods if you live in a small town is by going directly to the source, organic farmers. This is great way to get your organic fruits and vegetables, as many small towns now have organic farmers. You can also search for specialty organic food stores by using online business directories, your local phone book, or by asking those that you know for recommendations. The internet can also be used to shop online.

As previously stated, you can shop online to buy organic foods, but it is also important to know that there are a number of cons or downsides to doing so. This is mostly due in part to the requirements of shopping online. For example, a computer and internet connection is required to shop online. Many online shoppers also need to pay for shipping costs. Speaking of payments, most online food stores only accept credit or specific debit cards, namely those that can be processed as credit cards.

Although there are a number of disadvantages to eating organic foods, it is also important to remember the benefits or advantages to doing so as well. For starters, organic foods are all natural and safe to eat. There is no having to worry about potentially harmful chemicals, additives, and pesticides. Organic foods are also helping the environment and the economy.

How to Save Money When Buying High End Home Air Purifiers

2008-10-11T17:21:00.001-07:00

Are you interested in buying a home purifier? If you are looking to improve the quality of the air inside your home, as well as your health, you may be interested in doing so. If this is your first time looking to buy an air purifier, you will want to go with air purifiers that are considered high end. This is because they often produce the best results and last much longer. Unfortunately, many individuals are turned off by the costs of high end air purifiers. Although these quality air purifiers are more than worth their costs, you should know that there are a number of steps that you can take to help you save money.

One of the best ways to save money on the purchase of a high end home air purifier is to know that you do have a number of different options. This is important, as it enables you to compare prices, brands, and quality. In fact, comparing prices is another one of the ways that you can go about saving money on air purifiers. What you can do is visit a number of your local home improvement stores to compare air purifiers and their prices. If this approach is too time consuming for you, the internet can also be used to compare prices, but at a much quicker rate.

When using the internet to compare prices on air purifiers, it is best if you know what you are looking for, especially if you are looking to save yourself time. With that being said, the internet is also a great way to research, examine, and compare different high end air purifiers. If you do already know what make or model air purifier you want to purchase, incorporate your wants and needs into your standard internet search. This can help to give you targeted results. These results should be links to online stores that sell the air purifier that you want more information on or that you want to buy.

In addition to using the internet to compare prices on high end air purifiers, you can also use the internet to make your purchase or purchases. When doing so, a great way to save money is to examine manufacturer websites. Although air purifiers are commonly sold in traditional retail stores, many product manufacturers also sell their products online themselves. Many shoppers find it much cheaper to shop directly with the source, as the middleman and other expenses are eliminated. Although the savings may not be huge, they can still help if you are shopping for a high end air purifier on a budget.

If you would prefer to shop for a high end purifier locally, there are still easy ways that you can save money. As for comparing prices, consider calling a few local stores, like home improvement stores, to ask about available high end air purifiers and their prices. This approach is a great way to compare prices, but without having to make multiple trips to different home improvement stores. In addition to home improvement stores, air purifiers are also sold at many department stores and discounts stores. Although these types of stores are known for their affordable prices, they may not have a large selection of high end or high quality air purifiers, if any at all.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many ways that you can go about saving money on the purchase of a high end air purifier both on and offline. As for extra ways that you can save money, be sure to search for sales. Many stores advertise their sales on air purifiers online or in local newspaper inserts. Coupons are also a great way to save money. Some home improvement stores place moneysaving coupons in their weekly newspaper inserts. Although hit or miss, there are some product manufacturers that have moneysaving coupons available for printing on their websites. These coupons, if you are able to find them are another great way to save money.

How to Find Organic Food Recipes

2008-10-09T05:07:00.001-07:00

Are you interested in eating organic foods? If you are, you may be looking for organic food recipes. Unfortunately, there are many new organic food eaters who do not know where to look. The good news is that you do have a number of different options, a few of which are outlined below.

The internet is a great way to find organic food recipes. When using the internet to do so, a standard internet search should be performed. If you are looking for something in particular, incorporate that into your search. For example, if you are looking for recipes for breakfast, your search phrase could be “organic food breakfast recipes.” The internet, as you can see, is one of the quickest and easiest ways to search for organic food recipes.

As for what you will find online, you will see that it varies. Your standard internet search is likely to produce a number of different results. You may find websites that specialize in organic food recipes, websites that specialize in recipes in general, as well as online message boards where organic foods are being discussed and where recipes are traded. In fact, there are a number of benefits to joining an online community or an online message board if you are looking to learn more about eating organically.

You can also use the internet to examine the online websites of organic food stores and organic food makers. These websites can easily be found with a standard internet search. In addition to special offers, recipes are also commonly found online. This is great if you actually use the products from the company in question, as most of their products are what is featured in an organic food recipe.

You can also find and learn more organic food recipes by speaking with those that you do. Do you know of any organic food eaters? If you do, ask them for recipes. In fact, if you have already developed a small collection of your own organic food recipes, ask to trade. If you do not know any other organic food eaters, consider meeting some. You may be surprised just how easy it is to do so. Did you know that some cities and towns have groups that are designed for natural and organic food eaters? Many have meetings where they talk about organic foods, trade recipes, try out those recipes, and do so much more.

Printed recipe books are another great way to find organic food recipes. Although most recipe books are for “traditional,” foods, organic foods are increasing in popularity, as more people become concerned with their health and the foods that they consume. For that reason, more organic food books are hitting the market. If you are interested in buying an organic food recipe book, you will find that you have a number of different options.

When looking to buy an organic food book, many book stores carry a limited selection of books. With that being said, you are likely to find the best success locally when shopping with an organic food store. Although most specialize in selling food products only, recipe books are also commonly offered for sale. The internet can also be used to find organic recipes in the form of cookbooks. What is nice about using the internet to shop is that it is easy to compare prices and books. In fact, you are provided with the largest selection of all when using the internet. As a reminder, free organic food recipes can also be found online.

As outlined above, there are a number of different ways that you can go about finding organic food recipes to cook for yourself or your family. Although using the internet to find free recipes is a nice approach, you may also want to purchase your own organic recipe cookbooks. This is because cookbooks are filled with a large number of recipes, some of which readers may have never though of making before.

Tips for Choosing a Coffee Maker

2008-10-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Coffee makers have come a long way. From yesterday's cowboy pots boiling coffee over the coals to today's sleek gourmet brewers, there's a coffee maker to fit every taste, every lifestyle, every budget and every counter space. So where do you begin finding the coffee maker of your dreams?

Before you head for the appliance aisle at your favorite store, do a little homework. Consider what kind of coffee you prefer, how often you drink coffee, how much space you have for a coffee maker, how much you can afford to spend on a coffee maker. These are the issues involved in deciding whether to purchase an espresso or a non-espresso coffee maker.
Choosing a Coffee Maker: Espresso or No Espresso

Espresso coffee makers are fancy. They cost more than other coffee makers (some cost thousands of dollars) and make a variety of coffee types including cappuccino and lattes. Espresso machines often make only one cup of coffee at a time and require cleaning after each cup. The coffee is stronger than that brewed by other means.

True coffee aficionados often prefer to use the espresso coffee maker, especially the super automated models that do everything from grinding the coffee to pouring it into the cup.

Typical coffee drinkers who prefer to have a pot of coffee available at all times and aren't interested in lattes or other versions of coffee tend to prefer non-espresso coffee makers. Non-espresso coffee makers work well for people who like to start the coffee brewing and go on about their usual activities while it brews. They buy coffee already ground and don't bother with beans or grinding.

For coffee drinkers needing large quantities of coffee, non-espresso is the way to go. Large percolator type coffee urns can be used to make more than a hundred cups of coffee at one time.

They also prefer returning to the coffee pot time after time and refilling their coffee cup over making only a cup at a time. Non-espresso type coffee makers are much less expensive than espresso machines.

Choosing a Coffee Maker: Non-Espresso

These coffee makers are available in drip, French press and combination models. Drip machines often make 6 to 10 cups of coffee at a time. For those who need a lesser quantity, it's better to buy a model that makes 4 cups (or less) at a time. Drip coffee makers are inexpensive and easy to use.

There are pod coffee makers available which use single serving pods to brew coffee. Pod coffee makers can be inexpensive but the coffee itself costs more than standard cans of pre-ground coffee.
French Press coffee makers are great for a few cups of coffee at a time. Combination coffee makes featuring both espresso and non-espresso coffee makers in one machine are also available. These machines give coffee drinkers the best of both worlds.

Choosing a Coffee Maker: Espresso

Espresso coffee makers come in semi-automatic, fully automatic and super automatic models. These machines make fewer cups at a time and may require more time and attention that a standard drip coffee maker.

The more automated an espresso coffee maker is, the more features it will offer. Some take care of everything from grinding the coffee beans to filling the cup with coffee and ejecting the used coffee grounds.

The more features the espresso coffee maker offers, the higher the price tag attached to it. These coffee makers can cost anywhere from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

The first decision to be made in choosing a coffee maker is the need to determine whether an espresso coffee maker or a non-espresso coffee maker is needed. Coffee preferences, budget and quantity of coffee to be made are factors that affect the decision making process.

Air Purifiers: When to Replace the Filters

2008-10-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

Are you using an air purifier to help keep the air in your home clean or to help reduce the symptoms of allergies or asthma? If you are, does your air purifier operate with an air filter? If does, do you know when your air filter needs to be replaced? Unfortunately, many people do not. Did you know, however, that a dirty air filter can impact the way that a high end home air purifier is able to do its job? It can and that is why it is important to know when your air filters need to be replaced.

If you haven’t already bought an air purifier for your home or if you are looking to upgrade your current system, consider buying one with an automatic sensor. This will automatically let you know when the air filter should either be replaced or cleaned. Air filters that can be cleaned are commonly referred to as washable air filters. Depending on the make or model, a light should turn on or an alarm-like noise will sound when the air filter needs to be replaced.

Another easy way that you can tell that your air purifier needs a replacement filter is by following the manufacturer’s guidelines. If you are still using the original air filter, refer to your air purifier owner’s manual. This should tell you how often the air filter should be replaced. There are a number of benefits to this approach, as it can also help to ensure that your air is being properly cleaned, per the guidelines set by the manufacturer. If you cannot find your owner’s manual, you may be able to find a copy online. You can try this by performing a standard internet search with the make and model.

If you are already using a replacement air filter, refer to the information on that filter. This information is often right on the package. Some will list an estimated time frame in which the high end air filter in question is likely to produce the best results. If your air filter is a different brand then the air purifier that you use, you may notice a difference from what was listed in your owner’s manual. Many find the best results when following the directions and time frames listed on replacement air filters and their packages.

Checking the air filter is another way that you can decide if it should be cleaned or if a replacement filter is needed. This should be easy, as most air filters are easy to find and remove, as well as put back in. When checking an air filter, it is important to make sure that it is clean or at least semi-clean. If there is no room for toxins and other particulates to attach to the filter, chances are a replacement is needed.

If you or someone else notices that the air quality is decreasing in your home, a high end replacement filter may be needed. Although anyone may be able to notice a decrease in air quality, especially home occupants, those who suffer from asthma or allergies are the best at determining whether or not an air filter replacement is needed. This is because air filters working with air purifiers to the best of their capabilities are known to reduce the symptoms and outbreaks of allergies and asthma. When a sufferer starts displaying symptoms again, the air filter should be examined and possibly replaced.

As highlighted above, there are a number of different ways that you can go about determining if you need to change the high end air filter on your air purifier. As a reminder, the easiest way to do so is to purchase a high end air purifier that automatically lets you know when a change as needed. As for why air filter replacements are important, they help to keep the air truly cleaned. If an air purifier cannot work, you are essentially losing money.

Comparison Shopping when Online Shopping

2008-09-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

One of the conveniences of online shopping which is enjoyed by many is the ease of comparison shopping. The ability to compare items quickly and accurate is ideal to shoppers who are looking to purchase items which offer the best features as well as to shoppers who are looking to find the best bargain on a particular item. This article will discuss a few of the ways in which comparison shopping takes place during online shopping including manual comparisons by the consumer and using comparison charts. This article will also discuss how items which are not readily available in traditional stores can be compared quickly and accurately when shopping for these items online.

Conducting Your Own Comparisons

Online shoppers often perform comparisons of items online in much the same way they would compare items available in traditional stores. However, the comparison process is greatly simplified when the consumer is doing the comparison online. When comparing two items a consumer may look at a variety of different aspects. Some of these aspects may include available features, durability, aesthetic appearance and even price. However, when comparing these items in traditional stores the process can be rather difficult. Consumers can often compare similar items in one store to determine which model of the item they prefer. However, once this comparison is complete the consumer also typically wishes to compare this chosen item with others available in terms of the cost of the item.

This financial comparison typically involves traveling from one store to another and comparing the price of the item at each store to determine which store is offering the item at the most favorable price. Online shoppers may also be interested in comparing the features and prices associated with a particular item but they have the advantage of being able to conduct these comparisons from the convenience of their home. Consumers can simply sit at their home computer and visit websites for retailers offering items of interest. With this information the consumer can determine which item they wish to purchase and which retailer they wish to patronize. The online shopper can also make this purchase from the convenience of his home rather than having to travel to the selected store to purchase a chosen item.

Using Comparison Charts Available Online

Another great advantage of shopping online is the ability to generate comparison charts of similar items almost instantly. Many online retailers who offer products from a number of different manufacturers also offer the ability to compare these items easily. In fact many online retailers will enable the online shopper to select several items they are interested in learning more about and then generates a chart outlining the essential features of each product as well as the price for which the product is being offered.

Comparing Items Not Readily Available

Another way in which online shopping is very convenient for comparison shopping is it gives the consumer the opportunity to compare items which are not readily available. This may include items which are new and popular as well as items which are older and rarer. Making these comparisons in traditional stores can be quite difficult because the consumer may not be able to find stores which are currently stocking a particular item. However, when shopping online it is far easier to find online retailers who offer products which are otherwise hard to fine. Therefore, it is much easier to compare these items online. This is because the comparison can take place even if the online retailer does not have the product available for sale. The online retailer likely has enough of a product description stored to provide readers with a wealth of information about the products which may not currently be available. Conversely shoppers who rely on traditional stores may spend days, weeks, months or even years waiting for a particular product to become available for comparison purposes.

Using PayPal as a Payment Method on Ebay

2008-09-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ebay auctions are more likely to be successful if the seller offers a variety of payment methods. It’s always a good idea to give buyers every possible chance to make a purchase. Checks and money orders work fine, but the preferred payment method for Ebay auctions is, and always has been, PayPal. If your auctions don’t list PayPal as a payment method, you might be turning away a lot of business. Here’s why:

PayPal was purchased by Ebay, and the two services work seamlessly together. PayPal is like an online bank account. Users can deposit and withdraw money to and from their offline accounts, or they can make online purchases using their PayPal balance directly. Users like PayPal’s security and convenience. PayPal can also be used as a way to accept credit card payments from buyers, which is increasingly vital these days.

To sign up for PayPal, go to www.paypal.com. You can create a free account and start accepting payments immediately. Your PayPal account must be linked to an actual bank account or credit card. Note that Ebay pros recommend that you create a bank account specifically to use with PayPal. That way, if one of your transactions gets hit with a chargeback, your main bank account won’t be in danger of going negative.

PayPal will verify your account by sending two small auto-deposits of different amounts. Don’t get too excited, though. These deposits are just a few pennies. They take a couple of days to show up in your bank account. Once you see them, log back into PayPal to verify your account by entering the exact monetary amount of these deposits. Once your account is verified in this way, you can start withdrawing money to your offline account. You can accept payments into your PayPal account from the moment you open it, though.

Now that you’ve signed up for a PayPal account, you need to add Paypal as a payment option. This is a simple way to get more bidders and more money from your Ebay auctions. To add PayPal as a payment choice, go to your “Sell Your Item” details and check the box next to “PayPal”. Then you will need to enter the e-mail address you used to open your PayPal account. Once this is done, buyers will be able to pay you immediately via PayPal whenever an auction ends.

If you want to be able to deal with unlimited amounts of money each month in your PayPal account (which is recommended for high volume sellers), you should upgrade your account. Upgrading is free, and also gives you the option of accepting payment by credit card. To upgrade your PayPal account, simply log into PayPal and click “Enhance Account”. There will be a small fee taken from each transaction after you upgrade, but it is nominal when compared to the benefits of using PayPal.

Take a lesson from Ebay’s top sellers: give buyers as many payment choices as you can. This includes PayPal, Ebay’s number one preferred choice for payments.

5 House Flipping Do's

2008-08-30T19:25:00.001-07:00

While many people have very specific dreams of enjoying the bountiful profits that can be made from flipping houses very few people put too terribly much thought into the process or any formulas that might be pertinent to success when it comes to flipping houses as a real estate investment venture or for the sake of building a nice comfortable lifestyle or retirement. You will hear a lot about the things not to do when it comes to flipping houses but very few people take the time to mention the things you absolutely must do in order to successfully flip a house and thus begin your ride on the road to real estate investment riches.

1) Do put everything to pen and paper and plan it out carefully before you begin. If you are going to enter into this to make money you need to treat it like a business. This means you need to have a plan of action and make every effort to work towards carrying out that plan.

2) Do establish a budget for the entire project. You need to have a plan for how much money you are willing to invest in the property itself, how much for renovations, and how much money you need to make in order to be a worthy investment for your time and labor. A house flip is a lot of work in order to pull it off successfully. You want to have a good idea of how much homes in the neighborhood are worth, the value of your property as is and the estimated value of the property once improvements are made. In addition you should also have a pretty firm grasp of the costs involved in making the repairs in order to create a realistic budget for the entire project.

3) Do have an inspection. This is the single most important detail that can save you a great deal of time, money, and heartache when everything is said and done. Be prepared to walk away if the inspection determines that there is more work needing to be done than simple cosmetic repairs. You want to make changes that people can see because those are generally the changes that drive up the cost of the house. You want to avoid needing to make changes and improvements that aren't visible but are very necessary. If you need to invest a lot of money and labor into the house you need to seriously consider the realistic profit potential the property offers. If it isn't significant then you need to walk away before the property becomes a real estate investment money pit.

4) Do know the neighborhood and plan your flip according to the needs of the area rather than your personal tastes and needs in a home. This is another thing that many first time flippers forget. This is not a personal project it is a business project and you need to treat it as such. Keep costs down and feelings out.

5) Do remember that you are in the market to make money not waste money when it comes to establishing an asking price for the property. You've poured blood, sweat, and probably more than a few tears into your flip but you cannot set the value of the property by the effort you've placed into it. Have realistic expectations of how much you stand to earn from your efforts and how much you are willing to go down on the price in order to walk away with some profit in your pocket.

You should also take a moment to reflect upon the fact that many first time flippers actually lose money on their first flip. If you turn a profit at all, even a small profit you have learned many valuable lessons that you can carry with you into future flips and make more money. More importantly the lessons you learn from your first flip are lessons that money really cannot buy so it is worth a lower profit or even taking a slight hit if your experience makes you even more money in the future as you continue along your real estate investment path.

Dealing with Defective Items When Online Shopping

2008-08-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

One of the most frustrating aspects of online shopping is definitely dealing with receiving defective items. This is a rare problem which may happen regardless of whether the shopper patronizes an online retailer or a traditional store. However, dealing with the problem can be more difficult during online shopping endeavors. Dealing with this problem may be somewhat more difficult when the consumer purchases an item online but there are some useful tips which can make dealing with defective items significantly less stressful and failure to follow these tips can make it difficult for online shoppers to have a defective item replaced. This article will discuss some of these useful tips namely the importance of testing items immediately, contacting online retailers and dealing with unresponsiveness from online retailers to help online shoppers deal with this dilemma.

Testing Items Immediately after They Arrive

One very important tip for online shoppers is to always test items immediately after they arrive from the online retailer. This means the shopper should open and test the item as soon as possible after it is delivered. Doing this is important for a couple of very important reasons. One of these reasons is testing the item for functionality immediately will help to ensure the online shopper is able to return the item within the limitations of the online retailers return policy. Online retailers often have specific policies pertaining to returns and failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in the shopper not being able to return the item for a refund or exchange. These policies can vary significantly from one online retailer to the next and some policies may be more liberal than others. However, consumers who determine an item is defective within a couple of days after the item is received will likely still be within the period in which returns are still accepted even with online retailers who offer the stingiest return policies.

Another reason why it is important to test an item purchased online for functionality immediately after receiving the item is it helps to ensure the consumer will not lose the original packaging or receipt. This is important because most online retailers will require the item be returned with an original receipt and in the original packaging. It is certainly still possibly for online shoppers to lose the receipt but they are less likely to do so if they realized immediately that the item was defective.

Contacting the Online Retailer

Once an online shopper realizes an item is defective, the first step he takes should be to contact the online retailers. This should be done immediately because the online retailer will likely document the claim of defectiveness during this initial call and this documentation will serve as evidence of when the item was reported to be defective. This proof will come in handy if the online retailer gives the customer problems with returning the item and there is a need to pursue legal actions.

In most cases, the receipt will list a contact phone number which will put the consumer in contact with a customer service representative. However, if the receipt does not have this information the consumer may return to the website of the online retailer to find the necessary contact information. The consumer should then contact a customer service representative and describe the problem with the item as accurately as possible. In most cases the customer service representative will be able to provide the consumer with information on how to return the item for an exchange or a refund.

When the Online Retailer is Unresponsive

As with any retailer, it is always possible that the online shopper will not be satisfied with the response to the complaint offered by the online retailer. The buyer may be dissatisfied with the response offered by the online retailer or may be dissatisfied by a lack of a response from the online retailer. Regardless of the reason for the dissatisfaction the consumer will likely have to pursue other methods of obtaining a response to his complaint. The consumer may wish to elevate his complaint by asking to speak to a supervisor. If this does not rectify the situation it may be necessary to file a complaint with an agency such as the Better Business Bureau. They can than contact the retailer on behalf of the disgruntled consumer and attempt to rectify the situation.

Correcting Mistakes When Online Shopping

2008-08-24T02:16:00.001-07:00

As with any type of shopping it is possible to make mistakes during the process of online shopping. These mistakes may include ordering the wrong item, ordering the correct item in the wrong size or color, providing the wrong shipping address, providing inaccurate billing information, purchasing the wrong quantity of an item and even dealing with mistakes made by the online retailer. This article will discuss some effective strategies for dealing with mistakes made when online shopping and will also provide some tips for avoiding mistakes when online shopping in the first place.

Contacting Customer Service Immediately

Mistakes made when online shopping are typically realized either immediately after the purchase is made or else they are not realized until the order arrives. However, regardless of when the mistake is realized the first step for correcting the problem is the same. As soon as an online shopper realizes a mistake was made with his order, he should contact customer service immediately. In situations in which the mistake is realized immediately after the order is placed, correcting the mistake may be fairly simple as long as the online shopper contacts customer service to describe the problem immediately. If the order has not yet been processed, the customer service representative may be able to make the corrections before the order proceeds. However, many online retailers have their online shopping process completely automated which can make it difficult to make changes to the order even when it is recognized immediately. This may occur because the order has already been transferred to the shipper and the online retailer no longer has the ability to the files.

Even when a consumer does not realize a mistake has been made until the item arrives, he should still contact customer service immediately to report the problem. This is useful because this first call to customer service will start a record of the problem which will be useful in getting the problem resolved. The customer service representative can provide valuable information the consumer can use to rectify the problem as quickly as possible.

Making Returns when Necessary

When mistakes are made with an online purchase, it is often necessary to return the items to the online retailer. Online retailers who also have traditional stores may allow the online shopper to return the items purchased online to a traditional store. The other option for making returns is to ship the item back to the online retailer directly.

Depending on the cause of the mistake there may be different options available for returning the item to the online retailer. If the online retailer is at fault they may assume the responsibility for the cost of the shipping and may even make arrangements to have the shipper pick up the item from the shopper’s home. This is both cost effective and convenient for the shopper. However, when the shopper is returning the item because he made a mistake or simply did not like the item the consumer will likely be responsible for the cost of shipping the item back to the online retailer.

Tips for Avoiding Mistakes when Online Shopping

Although correcting mistakes made during online shopping is not always difficult it is far better to try to avoid these mistakes in the first place. The best way to avoid mistakes when placing an order online is to carefully review the purchase before submitting the order. Most online retailers provide shoppers with the opportunity to verify information such as the items being purchased, shipping address and billing information before the purchase is submitted to the online retailer. Online shoppers should carefully review all of the information provided on this verification screen to help avoid making mistakes which can be costly in terms of time or money.

Mistakes when online shopping can also be avoided by placing the order through a customer service representative as opposed to through the online retailer’s website. This method can help to limit the potential for mistakes because the consumer has the opportunity to converse directly with a representative who can answer any questions the consumer has about the product. Therefore, mistakes which often result from the consumer misreading the product description can be avoided.

5 House Flipping Don'ts

2008-08-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

When it comes to making money in the business of flipping houses and other real estate investments you will find all kinds of do's and don'ts along the way. The truth of the matter is that these are extremely useful whether this is your first house flip or you have been flipping houses for years. In fact you might just find that you can learn something new on occasion by reading lists such as this even if you've been flipping houses for years and have many successful flips under your belt.

1) Don't forget to check out the neighborhood before you buy. You will want to make sure that the property you are considering is a good fit for the neighborhood. You should also take the time to make sure that the plan you have in mind for the property will match well with the other neighborhood residents in order to guarantee a quicker sale.

2) Don't blow your budget without just cause. Your budget is what you used to determine whether or not the house would be a profitable venture. If you blow your budget and cannot recover the extra money you've spent in the selling price on the house you will have seriously cut into your profits if not eliminated them all together. The goal in property flipping is to get in and out quickly and spend as little money as possible in order to make as much money as possible.

3) Don't forget to set daily goals and hold yourself accountable to those goals. If you don't reach your goals for the day it can set the entire project back by as much as a month depending on the goals and what has to be rearranged as a result. Stick to your timeline and your daily schedule in order to avoid potentially costly delays in time and money.

4) Don't neglect the exterior. Curb appeal is what brings buyers into the property. If you spend all your money, time, and effort making improvements to the exterior of the home you will have little left to make the outside appealing to potential buyers. A homebuyer is in the market for the entire package. A home that looks run down on the outside leaves the impression of being neglected on the inside and many potential buyers will never walk inside if the outside looks forlorn.

5) Don't spend money you don't need to spend. While it would be great to put in granite countertops and gourmet kitchens into every home it isn't always practical and this is often money that will not be recovered, particularly in homes that are in marginal neighborhoods. If you want to get the most for your money avoid costly expenses that aren't exactly necessary for the successful completion of the flip. Resurface bathroom fixtures rather than replacing them if possible and use new cabinet doors or hardware rather than adding new cabinets all together to cut down on expenses. In other words, salvage what you can, fix what needs to be fixed, and add a few cosmetic touches before moving on.

The market for real estate is a very fickle market. Avoid risking too much time and money on a property that isn't going to recover those added touches and expenses. Instead hold onto those ideas for higher end flips once you have a few successful flips under your belt.

How to Buy Organic Foods

2008-08-21T20:08:00.001-07:00

Are you looking to improve your health? If you are, you may want to start with organic foods. Organic foods are known for being all natural. Organic foods are not like many of the other foods available for sale in grocery stores, as there are no artificial additives added to natural, organic foods. That is why many believe that eating organic foods can help to improve their health.

If this is your first time looking to eat organic foods or if you are looking to make a full switch to eating organically, you may be unsure as to where you can purchase your foods from. After a close examination, you will see that you have a number of different options. In fact, many individuals are surprised when they see just how easy it is to find and buy all natural organic foods.

Before covering a few of the many places where organic foods can be found available for sale, it is first important that you know what to look for. For one hundred percent natural, organic foods, it is important to search for the certified organic label or sticker. These labels and stickers are often prominently displayed on organic foods. When you see these certified organic stickers or labels, you know that what are buying is “truly,” organic. In fact, manufacturers cannot claim that their foods are organic unless they meet specific standards.

As for where you can find organic foods for sale, one of the most common places that organic foods are purchased from is locally. When looking to shop locally for organic foods, you should have a number of different options. One of those options is supermarkets or grocery stores. Most have an organic food section. Depending on the supermarket in question, this organic food section can be quite small, but a large number of products are often featured. You just may not have as many organic food product brands to choose from.

Another way that you can go about finding organic foods for sale locally is by visiting an organic food store, also commonly referred to as a natural food store. These are stores that specialize solely in the selling of all natural, organic foods. Although many individuals find it easier to shop for organic foods at a grocery store or supermarket, as it can sometimes be more convenient to do so, specialty food stores are increasing popularity. Now, many large cities and towns have them. If you do have access to a specialty organic food store, consider shopping there, as you are likely to find the largest selection of products with reasonable prices.

As nice as it is to shop locally, you may not have a specialty organic food store to shop at or you may be unimpressed with the selection of organic foods at your local grocery stores. If that is the case, you can also shop online. There are a number of organic food stores that can be found online, with a standard internet search. These food stores often sell organic foods from a number of different companies or brands. There are also a number of organic food manufacturers that sell their own brands online.

In keeping with shopping online for organic foods, you may be surprised with what you can find available for sale. In fact, many individuals mistakenly believe that shopping online for organic foods limits their selection of products, but it doesn’t have to. For example, Earth’s Best Organic specials in selling food designed for babies and small children. They sell organic baby formula, organic first foods, and organic meals and snacks for toddlers and preschoolers. Diamond Organic, which is based out of California, sells a wide range of organic foods, including fresh vegetables. It is also possible to find and buy frozen organic dinners online as well.

As highlighted above, there are a number of different ways that you can go about buying organic foods, both on and offline. To help provide you with the best product selection, as well as the best prices, consider giving each method of shopping a try.

Commercial Real Estate Investing

2008-08-11T10:49:00.001-07:00

The financial industry greats will be the first to tell you that real estate investing has the potential to bring in serious profits. They will also gleefully inform you that the risks in some cases far outweigh the potential, especially if they are among the more cautious investors in the industry. Those who have made their fortunes in real estate however will tell you that investing in real estate is worth every ounce of risk when you manage to work through the rough patches and find your way to real estate investing fortunes.

Commercial real estate is somewhat unique among real estate investment types. This is the type of real estate that requires a high investment to get into the game, much higher than most residential property and poses equally great risks depending on what you plan to do with your commercial real estate investment. Of course you will also find more than a few options for your commercial real estate investment that many investors find appealing.

Most investors find leasing office or building space to be the safest route to take when it comes to real estate investing is the path of leasing office space or warehouse space to businesses. They feel that this is a relatively steady source of income because most businesses prefer to keep their locations as long as possible. Smart business owners are well aware that customers, clients, and vendors need to be able to find them in order to do business with them and for this reason, prefer to keep their business in the same location whenever possible rather than reestablishing themselves in different locations year after year.

Commercial real estate investing is a bit of a different animal than traditional residential real estate that many of us are more familiar or comfortable with. You will need to do a lot of research before jumping in with both feet with this particular sort of real estate investment. Commercial real estate investments can take on many forms. From strip malls and outright shopping malls to business and industrial complexes to sky scrapers and high rise condos you will find all manner of commercial real estate interests. Whether your interests lie in business or personal types of commercial real estate there are significant profits that stand to be made.

Unfortunately, beginners often find the path to commercial real estate investing laden with thorns. You will need a massive contribution to fund your commercial real estate pursuits and it is probably best if you can find a group of investors in order to share some of the risks. Real estate, in and of itself, is a high-risk venture. Commercial real estate bears a little more of the risks in the beginning however once you're established and people, particularly investors, know your name you will find that path to real estate wealth is much easier obtained through commercial real estate, if you play your cards right than many other types of real estate investing.

To create even bigger profits it is often best to work as part of a team of investors when it comes to commercial real estate investing. Not only does this approach spread out the risks to some degree but also helps find the good buys, spreads the labor pool, creates an environment of ideas, and allows you to bounce those ideas off one another seeking temperance and enthusiasm for members of your investment group in like measures. It is a great idea for those who are looking to build a prosperous future in the field of commercial real estate investing and can be extremely profitable for all involved.

Commercial real estate investing can be extremely intimidating if you allow it to be. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you feel out of control or completely uncomfortable for your first commercial real estate investment but if you have the means, the price is right, the deal appears to be solid, and you feel you are ready for the challenge, commercial real estate profits can be a serious motivation.

Critics on the new iPod video

2008-08-07T08:21:00.001-07:00

The new iPod video has a wide range of new qualities and among these, the most important is, without any doubt, the video feature. Due to the fact that the market already had a small and portable device which basically played games, but also played videos, the new iPod video was released with some suspicions of the critics. The video iPod is hardly the first portable video player on the market, as the device belonging to Sony claims to be the number 1 portable video player in the world, but it is principally used to play video games. Even so, the sales of this new product turned out to be surprisingly high, a fact which was obvious shortly after the first semester.

The main concern regarding the product was the fact that due to the small screen, the people willing to watch a serious movie on it would be limited. In fact, studies show that most people prefer to feel the actual movie, while watching it in front of a big screen, like the one in the movie theatres. Even more, the new cell phone with a video feature which was so famous in Asia was used for watching movies only for a few minutes, considering the fact that it had a small screen which couldn’t allow catching all the quality details of the movie. The critics even mentioned the fact that, while being on a bus, in a cab or waiting in line at some office, the video iPod with its tiny screen might be a good solution, after all. This is due to the fact that this activity is considered a great snack or a great break. Based on this, the analysts mentioned that if Apple wanted to really hit the market, they should opt for an iPod with a bigger screen, so that customers would be eager to watch even the long movies on this device.

Another aspect which was highly debated was the fact that the battery life of this new device lasts less than expected. While the play station portable has a battery which lasts up to 8 hours while watching a movie, the iPod video only provides 2 hours of battery life, which is a big disturbance, when trying to watch a full length movie on this small digital device. Another thing that the critics attacked was the fact that the iPod takes too long time to download various movies. If for the play station portable, this task is doable in less than 3 hours, while the QuickTime 7 Pro took almost 12 hours to encode the video in an iPod-friendly format.

The sales of the new iPod video show the fact that the public accepts and wants this new product with a lot of interest, due to the fact that it can play music, store pictures and play movies at the same time, a fact which makes it a multifunctional device. Even if the new item received many criticism, the shirt-pocket-size new video iPod, seems to be one of the most preferred objects of the teens of today, as they use it to store and listen to thousands of music and other audio files downloaded straight from the Internet or from DVD’s, cameras and from the computer files.

How to Know You Are Buying Organic Foods

2008-08-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in making the switch to organic foods? If you are, you may start shopping organically soon. When it comes to doing so, there are many new eaters who wonder how they tell if they are buying organic foods. Although this question is commonly asked, it is relatively easy to make sure that you are buying truly organic foods.

One important point that many do not take into consideration is the strict standards that are associated with the making and selling of organic foods. Companies claming to sell fully organic foods should do so with the backing of Quality Assurance International (QAI) or the USDA. When shopping, be sure to look for certified organic labels. All food that meets industry standards should be labeled properly. This is one of the best and easiest ways to make sure that you are buying organic food.

Another easy way that you can make sure that you are buying organic foods is by carefully choosing the stores that you shop at. If you have access to a specialty organic or natural food store, you are urged to shop there. Locally owned and operated stores are often smaller in size; therefore, you should be able to ask any question or speak with a manager if you have any concerns, which is a nice option for many to have. With that being said, you shouldn’t have any problems, as most specialty stores go out of their way to ensure that they are only selling one hundred percent natural, organic foods.

The internet can also be used to shop for organic foods, but you will want to be cautious of online grocery stores that sell a wide range of foods. This can sometimes make it more difficult for you to find and buy organic foods. For that reason, you may want to stick with specialty online organic food stores. You can also examine many organic product manufacturers, as some, like Earth’s Best Organic, have online stores where their products are sold. These online websites and stores can easily be found with a standard internet search.

As previously stated, a nice and safe way to shop for organic food locally is by visiting a specialty organic or natural food store. If you do not have access to one of those stores and if you do not want to shop online, you can examine your local supermarkets or grocery stores. Most do sell organic foods, but usually only a limited number. What you will want to do is look for an organic food section. This can help to make sure that you are buying organic foods. With that in mind, be cautious of your surroundings and be on the lookout for out of place foods, as they may not be organic, just dropped by a customer who no longer wanted the item in question.

The above mentioned steps are just a few of the many that you can take to make sure that you are buying one hundred percent organic foods. The good news is that these steps are all easy to implement. As previously stated, make sure that you are buying one hundred percent natural foods. For that reason, be on the lookout of foods that only claim to have some organic ingredients, as they may not be considered truly organic products.

How to Buy an Allergy Purifier

2008-08-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Are you suffering from allergies? If you are, you may be interested in buying an allergy purifier. Allergy purifiers are known to reduce the number of symptoms that most allergy sufferers have. If this is the first time that you are interested in buying an allergy air purifier, you may be wondering how you can go about doing so.

When looking to buy an allergy purifier, it is first important to know that you do have a number of different buying options. This is important to know, as it can give you more manufacturers to choose from, as well as prevent you from overpaying. A few of your options, in terms of purchase points for air purifiers, are outlined below.

As a side note, it is also important to note that not all air purifiers are marketed as being “allergy purifiers.” With that being said, it is does not mean that they will not reduce allergy symptoms. Most air purifiers do remove potentially harmful particles from the air, including mold, mildew, dust mites, secondhand tobacco smoke, and pet dander. The removal of these particles is what provides relief to those suffering from allergies.

As it was previously stated, you do have a number of different options when looking to buy an allergy purifier. If you are interested in shopping locally, you will want to visit your local home improvement stores. They often have the largest selection of air purifiers, as well as the best selection of high end purifiers. These high end air purifiers are known to last longer, as well as produce the better results.

Other places that you may want to check, locally, include health stores, home stores, and department stores. Health stores often carry a limited selection of air purifiers, as they are known to improve the health of those suffering from allergies and asthma. Home stores and department stores do carry air purifiers as well, but their selection tends to be of lower end air purifiers, which are usually more affordable to buy.

In addition to shopping locally, the internet can also be used to shop for air purifiers. When using the internet to do so, you will find that you have a number of different options. As previously stated, home improvement stores, home stores, medical stores, and department stores often sell air purifiers. Many of the well known retailers have online websites. You can visit these websites. Sometimes retailers have a larger selection of products, including purifiers, online than they do in their locally operated stores.

As nice as it is to do business with a retailer that you know, you also shouldn’t discount smaller run operations, especially online. That is why you may want to perform a standard internet search. When doing so, you can search with phrases such as “air purifiers for sale,” “allergy purifiers,” or “allergy air purifiers for sale.” A standard internet search can help you find online retailers that you may have not heard of before. You may also, however, be directed to the online websites of an air purifier manufacturer. If so, you may be provided with a link to stores that sell their purifiers or you may find that a manufacturer has an online store where you can make your purchase directly through them.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many steps that you can take to go about buying an air purifier. As a reminder, air purifiers are made and sold by a number of different manufacturers and retailers. To help ensure that you choose the best high end air purifier, namely one that will provide you with the best results, you may first want to do a little bit of research online. Many websites allow internet users to rate products that they have used, including air purifiers. This can help you get the best results, as well as save money by not buying a cheap or poor quality allergy air purifier.

Organic Foods and the Environmental and Economic Impacts

2008-07-27T07:11:00.001-07:00

If you are interested in switching to organic foods, you may first do a little bit of research. If so, you are likely looking to find more information on the benefits of eating organically. When doing so, you will see that there are a number of health benefits to eating organically, but did you know that organic foods can also help to improve the environment and the economy? They can and for more information on how so, please continue reading on.

It is no secret that many farmers use pesticides and other chemicals when growing many fruits and vegetables. Although many of these pesticides are “technically,’ considered safe, many still have concerns. After all, if the chemicals can be used to kills bugs and bacteria, what can they do to our bodies? This is a huge concern for many individuals, especially those who are concerned with their health and exactly what it is they are putting in their bodies. Also, does simply just rinsing a vegetable make the food any safer? What about the impact on the environment? These are all common questions that many have.

Speaking of the environment, did you know that many soils become contaminated when pesticides and other similar chemicals are used? Contamination is more than possible. In fact, did you know that many of the farmers who wish to switch to growing organic foods need to overhaul their fields or wait a specific period of time until their soils can be considered clean again? This is true in many cases. This just goes to show the impact that unnatural foods an have on the environment.

Another one of the many ways that organic foods can help to improve the environment and the economy is with the survival of quality food manufacturers. All organic food should be certified by the QAI (Quality Assurance International). This certification process is not easy to pass, as there are a number of strict rules that must be followed and certain qualifications must be met. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to meet these standards. This means that only the quality and dependable organic food makers are likely to survive. Although many do not look at it from this point of view, it can be good for the economy.

In keeping with the economy, many farmers are getting a second chance with organic foods. Now, it is costly to run a farm. In fact, that is why many farms are shutting down. Although some farmers are choosing to give up their operations, others are choosing to make the switch to organic foods. Although it does take a lot of hard work, determination, and a large investment to make the switch to organic, many farmers are finding big payoffs. There are also many economists who believe that switching to growing organic foods is the only way that many farms, especially those that are small in size, will be able to survive.

As you can see, there are a number of ways that organic foods can impact the environment and the economy. Fortunately, these ways are all positive in nature. As a reminder, organic foods are also safe, healthy, and natural to eat. What does this mean for you? It means that there are a number of benefits to eating organically. For that reason, if you are interested in making the switch to organic foods, you should go ahead and do so.

Carpet Cleaning Tips

2008-07-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

Tip 1
Make sure that you get a deep cleaning of the carpet as often as it is needed. To achieve a clean carpet, you'll need to have it cleaned by a professional or you'll need to use a deep cleaning machine. There are advantages and disadvantages to this method, although a thorough cleaning is needed every six months or so.

Tip 2
Keep your eye out for spills and take care of them in a quick manner to keep your carpet clean. Simply using water on a spill will help most of them. If that doesn't work, simply expand your search. You'll find several products out there on the market that can help you get rid of spills quick.

The products range in use and can be helpful when matching them with the different types of spills. You can also use a mixture of water and vinegar to help you keep stains out. By taking immediate action you can prevent spills from becoming stains that leave you with a dirty and messy carpet.

Tip 3
A clean carpet is a carpet that has been taken care of very well. You should always take the time to vacuum your carpet often and make sure you do a good job. This means going over the floor in several directions to allow the vaccum time to pick up all it can. High quality vacuums are the best choice, as they get up the most debris.

Tip 4
The proper use of entrance will greatly help to clean off people's shoes and keep most of the tracked soils off the surface of the carpet. You should always use entrance mats outside of your doors and make sure that anyone who enters your home use the mats to help get debris and dirt off of their shoes before they enter. You can also take off your shoes and request that guests do the same, prior to entering your home.

Around 80% of the soils that enter a building or home are dry. The remaining 20% are greases, oils, and starches. The dry soil types are easily removed by vacuuming. As long as they are removed on a daily basis, it will help to minimize the damage to the carpet.

Maintaining and keeping a clean carpet is more than just healthy, as it can also help to prolong the life of the carpet. If you have just laid the carpet, you are already aware of the expenses involved with doing so.

Even if you haven't had this done, you probably know the benefits of keeping a clean carpet. A clean carpet will add value to the home if it is maintained well. It will also help to keep the home free from odors as well. Also, it will help to make a comfortable living area for your friends and your family.

Finding a Five Star Daycare Provider

2008-07-18T23:00:00.001-07:00

Years ago, simply asking a friend who “sat” for them was as easy as picking up the phone. Or you might find an advertisement in the local newspaper. But with daycare centers springing up like daisies, the choices are far and wide. But finding the right day care provider to suit you need not be an insurmountable task. References from friends are still a great way to locate one that has been proven to be reputable. The internet is also a great resource, there are web sites posted by entrepreneurial daycare providers which will have information on their qualifications and licensing, etc. Local newspaper classifieds will have ads run by smaller family type childcare providers, and your local chapter of CCR&R (Child Care Resource and Referral) is a free service that provides counselors you can speak with who will assist you in locating a childcare provider, based on your zip code.

After you determine what type of daycare you need, be it in-home, drop-in or full time daycare center supervision, there are several guidelines to follow. A checklist should include the following information, as well as obtaining references and visiting the facility.

Does the provider or center have enough supervision; are the children supervised even when they are sleeping How many caregivers are there at all times (For babies, there should ideally be a two to one ratio.) Are the providers trained in first aid and rescue breathing Are the children within a caregiver’s sight when they are with another caregiver Have the caregivers had background checks

Is the director and teachers qualified to run a daycare facility with bachelor’s degrees in a child related field Has the staff worked in child care for at least one year (for teachers) or longer (two years for directors) Is the licensing up to date Does the staff show a genuine love for children or is this just a job

Is there a common bathroom available for older children to use to wash their hands, before and after toileting and before meals Are the diapering areas clean and the diapers disposed of in a proper manner Are the other children kept up to date on their immunizations and are these records available as proof Are toxic materials locked away and poison information posted Are medications kept safely out of reach of children

There should be an emergency plan in place if a child gets hurt or lost; is there a first aid kit on the premises Do they practice fire drills and is there a program in place for disasters such as earthquake and tornado

Lastly, are the playgrounds and play areas kept clean and in good repair Is the sandbox clean, the playground surrounded by a fence Are the toys age-appropriate

This list may seem excessive at first, but a visit to the daycare center or family home can give you a quick overview of the surroundings, and the general questions you would ask would not make you the first parent to inquire of such. A concerned parent does whatever is necessary to ensure the safety and well being of their child, even if it means giving the daycare provider what seems like the third degree.

Advantages and Disadvantages of All-Inclusive Cruise Ships

2008-07-12T07:34:00.001-07:00

Vacationing is a pastime that is enjoyed by many. While vacations are nice, needed, and important, they can become costly. This cost is often associated with additional expenses such as food, beverages, and entertainment. If you are interested in vacationing aboard a cruise ship, but you are worried about the cost, you don’t necessarily have to be.

All-inclusive cruise ships are cruise ships where just about everything is included. The cost of your drinks, food, and entertainment are often taken care of. If you are wondering whether or not you should book reservations aboard a traditional cruise ship or an all-inclusive cruise ship, you are not alone. A large number of travels wonder the same thing.

When it comes in all-inclusive cruise ships, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages. To determine whether you could benefit from an all-inclusive cruise ship, you are encouraged to weight the advantages and disadvantages each. After you have considered each, you are encouraged to make a decision. If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages then an all-inclusive cruise ship may be just what you need and visa versa.

The biggest advantage of all-inclusive cruise ships is that most of your needs are taken care of. As previously mentioned, most all-inclusive cruises cover food, drinks, and entertainment. If you are interested in drinking a large amount of alcohol or feasting on the amazing onboard food, you may be able to do so free of charge. You may also be granted exclusive admittance into movie theatres and video arcades.

To many, having foods, drinks, and entertainment provided free of charge sounds too good to be true. In some cases, it may be. While many of your food and drinks are included in an all-inclusive package, not all are. It is possible that you may be required to pay for your alcoholic beverages. There are some cruise ships where alcohol beverages are included in the package, but on others it is not.

When it comes to food, your food at a sit-down restaurant may be provided free of charge, but your snacks are typically not covered. This often includes snacks or small meals purchased at onboard specialty shops and vending machines. If your snacks and small meals are not covered, you can prevent the extra expenses by eating a large meal. You may also be able to save money by brining your own snacks onboard, if the cruise ship allows it.

As mentioned above, entertainment is often included in an all-inclusive cruise ship package. As with food and drinks, the entertainment is often limited. It is likely that you will gain free admission into a dance or ball, but you will not be able to gamble free of charge. If you are interested in gambling aboard the ship’s casino, you will have to come up with your own funds.

When it comes to the cost of an all-inclusive cruise, there are many travelers who get confused. The cost of an all-inclusive cruise may seem high, but it is often that way to cover the cruise line’s expenses. For many individuals, the cost of an all-inclusive cruise is a great value. To determine whether or not you will save money aboard an all-inclusive cruise, you need to estimate your cost of food, drinks, and entertainment aboard a traditional cruise. Simply by comparing the two, you can easily determine which cruise package offers the better deal.

The advantages and disadvantages of all-inclusive cruise ship vacations are important. By examining each and comparing them to what you want and need out of your cruise, you can easily determine which cruise ship vacation package is right for you.

FOMCA declares 'Buy Nothing Day' on July 16

2008-07-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

DON’T go shopping on July 16.

Why? That day has been declared the “Buy Nothing Day” by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).

Fomca, with the cooperation of its partners, wants the Buy Nothing Day to be a day for consumers to review and reflect their personal values, especially in relation to consumerism.

Creating consumer awareness: Marimuthu (right) chatting with (from left) Cuepacs deputy president Husain Mohd Yasin, NCWO deputy president Datuk Ramani Gurusamy and NCWO economy and poverty committee chairman June Yeoh at the launch of ‘Buy Nothing Day’.

It is also a time for consumers to think of their spending patterns, and about their values in relation to the importance given to family and friends, and the goods they acquire.

The Buy Nothing Day is organised in conjunction with the National Consumer Campaign (NCC), which is on from June this year till June 2012 under the theme of Change Begins With Me.

“The focus of the NCC is for Malaysian consumers to change their consumer behaviour and to take greater responsibility to face challenges that have an impact on their lifestyle,” Fomca president Datuk N. Marimuthu said at the launch of the Buy Nothing Day.

“The time for cheaper fuel and foodstuff is over. Malaysians need to re-examine their lifestyle and make changes to the way they live to adapt to global challenges like increasing fuel prices,” he said.

Also present at the launch were representatives from the campaign partners – Cuepacs, National Council of Women’s Organisation (NCWO) and the Malaysian Youth Council.

Meanwhile, following are some of the positive measures consumers can do:

· Packing lunches/snacks at home and having them at the office;

· Having more meals at home and eating out less;

· Reducing electricity consumption, such as reducing the amount of time the air-conditioner is switched on or using the fan more often;

· Planning travel in advance;

· Using public transport more often;

· Buying only when necessary, and evaluating the needs versus the wants;

· Using energy-efficient equipment, like a front-loading washing machine rather than a top-loading one;

· Stop using credit cards; and

· Buying house brand goods instead of branded goods.

Bad Habits Related to Health

2008-07-04T01:04:00.000-07:00

Bad habits can often damage your health. They can make you feel unwell. They can have long-term affects on your physical condition. If you want to live a long life and healthy life, there may be some bad habits you need to overcome.

Many of the bad habits that make you feel poorly are related to eating. A growing number of people in the US are obese. This is mainly due to the fact that they have developed the bad habit of overeating.

This can lead to numerous conditions and diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, bone and joint distress, and many other physical conditions can result. Even some forms of cancer occur more often in obese people. What is more, very obese people are often bedridden and cannot care for themselves.

Some people do not have the habit of overeating in general. They just eat the wrong things when they do eat. They may eat fast food at every meal. This can literally make you sick. The high quantities of fats, sugars, and starches in fast foods make them very unhealthy.

Other foods can be bad habits to eat as well. Other fried foods cause health problems. Foods that are low in fiber lack a substance the body needs to function well. It is a bad habit to avoid this. Foods high in sugar are bad habits, if not addictions. They affect the metabolism in drastic ways, causing an imbalance in energy and insulin.

People have trouble knowing what kinds of electrolytes they need. Some people have bad habits when it comes to salt. They will salt all the food on their plate as soon as they sit down. They will not taste any of it first. Too much salt can lead to hypertension.

Even if you eat right, you will be weak if you do not exercise. Living a sedentary lifestyle is a bad habit. You may not have much choice about how much movement is allowed at your job. That does not mean that you cannot get out and get your heart beating before or after work.

In fact, if you do not have time to exercise outside of work, you probably have another bad habit in the health area. Overworking is a cause for several illnesses. High blood pressure, heart disease, and others can plague you if you do not stop and take time to relax at home.

A discussion of bad health habits would not be complete without reference to smoking, drinking, and drugs. Each of these has dire health risks that are known by most people. If you smoke, you might get lung cancer. You might also get COPD, another breathing disorder. If you drink, you might have liver failure. Drugs can do all kinds of damage, including damage to your brain.

Others care about your health, as you should care, too. It may be difficult, but kicking your bad habits and making yourself healthy again is a worthy goal to aspire to. Why not start today?

A Guide to Buying Wholesale Cubic Zirconia Jewelry

2008-07-04T01:01:00.001-07:00

Cubic zirconia jewelry is increasing in popularity because of the improvement in the quality and the variety of jewelry styles it can be found in. If you want to make your own jewelry, you may want to look into buying your stones in bulk and at wholesale prices rather than retail. You are still able to find the shape and cut of the stones you want and in the colors you want.

Cubic zirconia is a made in a laboratory to have the same features of a diamond, so it could be used as a replacement for the diamond. Even though the hardness of the cubic zirconia is not equally to the hardness of a diamond, the cubic zirconia is still increasing in popularity because of its harness and brilliant shine. It has become of the more popular choices for a diamond replacement in jewelry. Because cubic zirconia is available in the different shapes and the variety of colors, they can be found in the most fashionable styles in all types of jewelry such as rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

All of the gemstones made in the laboratory carry the same traits and feature of their natural counterpart. They have become more popular for their beauty and less as a replacement of the original stone. The synthetic gemstones creating in the laboratory have the same mineral in their make up as the natural stones. The cubic zirconia however is different because its composition is to simulate a diamond. It is made with the same crystal system found in a diamond. Unlike it synthetic relatives the cubic zirconia was only found once in its natural setting and has never been found again.

The synthetic gemstones are made to emulate all types of stones, such as coral, diamond, alexandrite, emerald, sapphire, ruby, garnet, quartz, and turquoise. They can also be found in the same fashionable shapes their natural counterparts. They are available in, such as round, oval, pear, heart, and baguettes.

Even though the cubic zirconia is a diamond replacement stone in jewelry. They can also come in a large variety of colors. They are available as oval-shaped champagne stones, heart-shaped pink stones, or pear-shaped blue stones. Each colored stone is available in every shape the diamond can be found no matter the color of the cubic zirconia.

When buying wholesale stones, you want to find the high quality stone. Make sure to look at their samples for the quality of the cut, the smoothness, the hardness, and the weight. If you are unable to detect a high quality stone, enlist the assistance of a good gemologist you can trust. Even though you are trying to find the best prices in stones when looking at wholesale, do not buy second hand stones. You want the jewelry you make to wear to look like it a high quality piece of jewelry. Cubic zirconias are available in different grades such as Grade A, Grade AAA and Grade AAAAA. The Grade AAAAA offers long-lasting brilliance and sparkle, so it has become a high valued stone with consumers. If you choose to make your own jewelry, remember to make quality your top priority.

Best Coffee Makers

2008-07-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

One will always get and ear-full of how great a coffee maker is when walking into a friend's home. You put up with all the details of the machine and eventually try out the greatest coffee it can produce. At another friend you get the same story, but concerning a different coffee maker. You can make the best cup of coffee with a very simple coffee maker, and one specific machine is the manual drip machine.

The French Press is a glass jar. It has vertical sides and a plunger, and attached to the plunger is a mesh filter. The coffee is inserted in the jar, hot water is poured in, the lid is attached, and after 4 minutes all you have to do is slowly press the plunger down. That is all it takes, and with that you will be able to enjoy a tasteful cup of coffee.

Next are coffee percolators. You do not want to make your coffee with one of these. Percolators are pots that have to stand on the stove for endless hours. This is not the best way to use up the coffee beans that you carefully selected. When coffee is brewed, the temperature of the water has to be just below the boiling stage. Percolators are culprits for boiling the flavor out of the beans. If you think otherwise, keep your old percolator. However, if you want the quality out of your coffee beans, try using a different maker.

Yum, Coffee Drip Brewers are probably the most common and the best when it comes to coffee machines. You probably own one or have one at work. All this requires is for you to add your coffee in the filter, fill with water, flick the switch and watch the container fill with coffee. If you have a good coffee maker model, the water will hit the coffee at the exact temperature. These brewers can supply you with a cup of coffee you will never forget.

There is however a downfall with these machines and you've probably tasted the downfall two hours after it was made in the machine. What happens is after the coffee has brewed and is now standing on the hotplate, after some time the hotplate starts cooking your coffee. The solution is to make just the right amount you think you will consume in the next thirty minutes. It is advisable to make a fresh pot if you want more coffee an hour later.

Single mug coffee brewers have their advantages and their disadvantages. The advantages are that you will have a fresh cup of coffee every single time and there will be no mess and coffee ground will not be spilled. The disadvantages are that you can only brew the coffee that is sold in these pods or cups. You will not be able to go down to the store to try a new blend of coffee beans. Manufacturers have their own coffee suppliers, and what they have on the shelf is what you get.

Vacuum Cleaner Buyers Guide

2008-07-04T00:54:00.000-07:00

Deep cleaning vacuums
The typical features with these types of vacuums include rotating brushes that agitate the carpet pile and loosen the dirt for better clean. There are some models that offer a handy automatic tool conversion button or switch that you can push or flip as you move from carpet to hardwood floor.

Hand held vacuums
Hand held vacuums are light weight, can be corded or cordless, and you can even mount most of them on the wall if you prefer. The performance of the cordless models will depend on the charge of the battery, as the battery power drops, so will the suction power.

The two types of hand held vacuums include straight suction and suction with a power brush. If you are considering a hand held vacuum cleaner, you should consider its primary purpose, if you plan to use it on a regular basis or occasionally on smaller jobs.

Broom vacuums
Stick or broom vacuums are great for smaller type apartments, quick clean ups in the kitchen, or
a family room. The benefit of a broom vacuum is the light weight. If you have trouble pushing your heavier upright around, the broom vacuum may come as a relief. You'll also have the option of getting your vacuum corded or cordless.

They usually weight 2 - 7 lbs. and allow you to easily store them in the closet, as they take up a minimum amount of space. For quick disposal of the dirt and debris, most models are also bagless as well.

Wet or Dry vacuums
The wet/dry vacuum combination may very well be the most versatile vacuum cleaner on the market today, with numerous attachments and functions it is a very handy machine to have around your home. The canister types can vary from the smaller 6 gallon sizes to the larger 22 gallon sizes.

The HP ranges as well, from 2 to 10 HP. You should always try to match the size of the unit to the size of the job and frequency of use.

Upright vacuums
One of the most popular features of an upright vacuum cleaner is the bagless system. In addition to the increased performance, there is no need to purchase any bags. Emptying the canister can be a little dusty, although it's still better than messing with bags.

Most upright models come with a standard set of attachments that may even include an upholstery tool, a crevice tool, and even an extension wand. A retractable cord and manual or automatic pile adjustments are other common features. A HEPA filter is another common and popular feature found with most upright vacuums.

Canister vacuums
Canister vacuum cleaners normally include retractable cords. Considering the fact that most cords are around 25 foot in length, this feature will prevent you from having to drag the cord around and possibly damage furniture. A push of a button or a slight tug on the cord will retract it into the canister of the vacuum.

The nozzle can be one of two types, nozzle or power nozzle. To get your carpet as clean as possible, it is recommended that you use the power nozzle, which will agitate the carpet and loosen up the dirt for deeper cleaning.

Another feature worth looking for is a suction control switch, as this allows you to adjust the flow of air for cleaning delicate material such as upholstery and drapery.

When choosing your vacuum cleaner, you should always choose the one you like best. The best vacuum for the job is the one you should choose, as things will work out much better that way.

Insider Tips for Business Travel

2008-06-28T03:35:00.000-07:00

As with any area of specialization, there are business travelers who always seem to know what they are doing and those who constantly seem to be in a state of crisis. The business traveler who has been at it a while figures out some insider information that not many travelers know. These little travel secrets make the world of difference when traveling. And you can bet they are not going to share this information with just anyone because this is the kind of information that can change the nature of your business travel forever.

Your laptop is a crucial piece of equipment as you travel. In an airport emergency situation, your wireless laptop can be used to change reservations so you can avoid those long lines to get on the next flight out. You can reserve a rental car or snag one of the few remaining hotel rooms in town right from the comfort of a seat at the airport. Then the savvy business traveler can casually stroll to his or her designation as others around them panic because they knew how to leverage technology and the internet to bail themselves out of a crisis situation.

But one aspect of using your laptop to rescue yourself when the airport is in shut down is the limited power of laptops. To see your battery go dead just when you needed it the most is like watching your ship sink as the sharks circle the lifeboat. What not many people know is that there are open electrical outlets in airports that are there for cleaning crews if you know where they are. Usually these outlets are just under the windows that overlook the landing strips so if you can secure a seat near these outlets, you can charge up your laptop and keep your lifeline to the world alive.

Business travelers also know how to take full advantage of resources that are made available to business travelers exclusively. Find hotels that cater to the traveling businessperson. These hotels will not have amenities for families nor are they trying to bring in busses of teenagers on the way to camp. So you can find a hotel with much fewer young people making noise and being a nuisance when you are trying to focus on business.

In addition to using businesses that cater to the business traveler, take advantage of frequent flyer and priority clubs that many airlines and hotels offer. If you are going to travel a lot, you can rack up some credits on those clubs, which can result in upgrades to first class, better accommodations or free services when you stay at your selected hotels. They win because they capture your travel dollar. You win because you get pampered for a while.

You can gain a lot of convenience and reduce your hassles by using a less popular airport to come into town. By utilizing an airport in a smaller town near by and renting a car, you get out of the congestion of traffic and can drive to your destination without that exposure to the masses all pushing and shoving to get through the major hubs.

Extra copies of travel documents can speed things up a lot especially if you are leaving the country. Often when you are going through customs, you must surrender your passport so the customs agent can make a copy. So you make a copy before you get there and give it to them. With a quick scan, they can confirm that it is a legitimate copy and have you on your way much quicker.

Don’t overlook how public transportation can bail you out of dealing with a lot of traffic in large city situations. In Washington or New York, the subways work exceptionally well. If you can get out of the airport area via mass transit, you can find a rental car location in town and conduct your business with less wait and without the traffic jams you would face at the airport. Plus airport rental car sites are more expensive than those in town.

These little tips can go a long way toward making your trip less of a hassle, less expensive and more successful. By knowing how to get around the big crowds and use the resources made available to business travelers, your trip will be more efficient, more relaxed and more successful.

How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods

2008-06-26T05:10:00.001-07:00

Are you interested in eating healthier? If you are, you may be interested in eating organic foods. Unfortunately, if this is the first time that you are looking to do so, you may be turned off by the costs. We all know that organic foods can be expensive, but did you also know that there are a number of ways that you can save money? This is important to know if you are looking to try organic foods, as you do not want to write them off right away due to costs. A few of the many ways that you can go about saving money on organic foods are highlighted below for your convenience.

A great way to save money on organic foods involves searching for affordable prices. You will want to find an organic food store that is known for their great sales or one that is known for their everyday low prices. If you have a number of stores to choose from, be sure to visit them all. This can help you get a good idea as to which stores have the best prices, as well as the largest product selections. When looking for organic food sales, look for store sale fliers or search online to see if they are posted on a store’s website, should one exist.

Using organic food coupons is another great way to save money on organic foods. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be difficult to do, as organic food coupons can be difficult to find, but it is more than possible to do so. For starters, you can use the internet. Online coupon websites may have organic food coupons available for printing. Also, check the online websites of companies that make or sell organic foods, as you may also find printable coupons online. You should also check your local newspapers, namely on the weekends. Since organic foods appear to be increasing in popularity, many coupons are now appearing in newspaper inserts. Also, look for coupons that may be offered in-store.

In keeping with using organic food coupons to help you save money when eating healthy, there are a few extra tips that can help you save even more. Organic food coupons can sometimes be hard to find in the newspaper, but at least one coupon typically appears each week. If possible, examine your newspaper in your car. If you see a coupon or a number of them for organic foods, go back and buy another newspaper. Most expatriation dates are set so that you can make two or three trips to the store to use your extra coupons before they expire. Also, ask friends or family members to be on the lookout for organic food coupons. If they don’t eat organically themselves, they can pass the coupons on to you.

In addition to shopping for organic foods locally, the internet should also be examined. You can and should shop online for organic foods or at least browse through your options. A number of websites sell organic foods. These can be online stores or product manufacturers that have mini-stores on their own websites. What is nice about using the internet is that you can compare products and prices from different websites all in a few minutes. Just be sure to keep an eye on the cost of shipping, as you don’t want to pay more than you need to.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many ways that you can go about saving money when looking to eat natural, organic foods. Extra tips involves stocking up on foods when they are on sale and visiting local, traditional grocery stores. In addition to specialty organic food stores, most supermarkets have organic food sections. They may also have great sales on their products. In fact, you can examine store sale fliers or the internet to see if these sales do exist. This is a great way to find affordable natural foods, without physically having to shop around yourself.

Fuel Saving Tips

2008-06-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

Don't panic with the increases of fuel price. Here are a few tips to save your money.

The increasing price of the fuel caused us have to allocate more money to run our vehicles. Here are a few tips to squeeze a bit more distances out of each gallon of fuel.

Change your oil filter regularly: Oil filter is a device used to decontaminate oil that contains suspended impurities. A dirty air filter restrict the flow air into the engine, hence decreases the performance of your car. It eats up fuel and cost you more money. So, do not forget to change the oil filter each time you service your car whether the oil filter is still can be use.
Clean Out Your Car: The more heavier your vehicle means more energy and more money you should spent to move. Due to this reason, carrying around excess weight will significantly affect your mileage. Clean out your car regularly can remove excess weight on your vehicles especially the excess mud that stuck on your vehicles body. You are also advised to empty out your boot of unnecessary items. More...

Save Our Environment: Practice the Three Rs in Your House

2008-06-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Reduce

Buy only what we need. Reduce unnecessary purchasing. Do not buy goods that are not used very often. Buy local product to help your country economy.

Buy goods with glass bottle and rechargeable batteries. We can use then several times.

Buy multipurpose cleanser. This will reduce many cleansers for different purpose.

Reuse

Reuse paper bag that can be reused for shopping and recyclables storage box at home

Envelopes can be reused by pasting the new address on top of the old one. It can be also used as scrap paper.

Used container that can be utilized to keep household goods

Papers and cardboards can be used for wrapping and storing goods at home. Papers can also be used as scrap papers. If they cannot be used, recycle them. More...

Our First Step to Reduce Global Warming

2008-06-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

Global warming caused by the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades. It is our responsibility to save our mother Earth. We can reduce global warming by doing our bit to save our mother Earth.

In order to protect the health and economic well-being of current and future generations, we must reduce our emissions of heat-trapping gases by using the technology, know-how, and practical solutions already at our disposal. It is simple as we start carrying our own plastic bag when we shop and avoid using not bio-degrade plastic bags. Plastic bags don't bio-degrade means that they photo-degrade. They will break down in smaller and smaller toxic pieces, which may enter our soil and waterways, contaminating crops and fresh water supply. When incinerated, plastic bags release Dioxins, the most poisonous chemicals known. Toxins and carcinogens are also released into the air and inhaled into our lungs. More...

Diesel And Gas Prices

2008-06-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Over the years, the prices of both gas and diesel have experienced some drastic changes. Many years ago, the price of gas was around a dollar or a little more, nothing like it is today. Back then,
gas wasn't high in price although the demand for vehicles wasn't what it is today either.

As the demand for vehicles grew, the demand for fuel grew as well. Other actions and events have played into the equation as well, resulting in the rising costs of fuel. Fuel is something we
all need to run our vehicles, as we wouldn't be able to go anywhere without it.

As you may know, a majority of the gas we get at local gas stations comes from overseas, primarily the Middle East. Therefore, we have to pay taxes and such on the gas we use, which pays for the gas as well as the shipping. If we got our gas from within the United States, one can't help but wonder whether or not the prices would indeed be lower.

Diesel on the other hand, has always managed to keep a price lower than gas. Diesel comes from within the United States, so the prices are of course going to be lower. The only problem associated with diesel fuel is locating it, as many gas stations don't sell it.

When it comes to the choice between the two, diesel fuel is obviously cheaper to buy. Gas is in supply more, which means that you can find it almost anywhere. If you own a gasoline vehicle, you obviously don't want to put diesel in it. If you own a diesel vehicle, then you of course wouldn't want to put gas in it either.

Warning On Use Of 'Health Sweet'

2008-06-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

"Mentalk Sandy" that was sold as a health sweet has been found be laced with aminotadalafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. The candy could cause heart failure, depression and loss of sight. The public were urged to report the authorities if they come across the sweet.

Manufacturers and distributors were warned that they could be prosecuted under Poisons Act 1952, which carries a fine not exceeding RM5,000.00 or jail not exceeding two years or both, if found guilty of making or selling the product.

OREO CONTAINING TRANS FAT BRINGS DAMAGES TO HEALTH

2008-06-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

An attorney fromCalifornia filed a lawsuit against Krafts, stating that OREO produced by the company not only causes damages in health, but also dishonestly promote their products; requesting the company to halt the
sales of OREO in the market.

OREO contains hydrogenated oil or Trans fats, to prolong the storage of the biscuit, but at the mean time increase the consumption of BAD CHOLESTEROL, increasing the possibility of diabetes and heart disease.

INCREASE IN CONSUMPTION OF CHOLESTEROL

Although the research on Trans Fats affecting health has not been concluded, the national institute of science research states that any amount of Trans Fats consumed is not safe.

Cappuccino Machine

2008-06-06T11:03:00.001-07:00

A cappuccino is a wonderful Italian coffee based hot drink that is prepared with milk foam, espresso and hot milk. It is normally served in a porcelain cup; this is because these cups have a much better heat preservation compared to a normal mug or glass. The foam that stays on the top of the cappuccino works as an insulator to help preserve the heat of the drink, letting it stay hotter for much longer. It is not advised to drink this cold, it tastes completely different, the hotter the better!

There are many different kinds of cappuccino machines available for home use as well as use in a restaurant. If you are looking for one of these machines by a specific name, that's also okay as they are listed in alphabetical order by the brand names. Although, all these machines are great, some may find it easier to work with the smaller ones, because it has less buttons and appears less confusing, where as others will prefer to use the big ones. As long as you know what you are doing, it does not matter what the size of the machine is.

For those that like to use the smaller cappuccino machines, this classic machine is excellent. It is a solid performer; with a thermo-block heating system that will prevent any water from escaping from the machine while it is being used. The pod sieve allows use of standard 45mm round espresso pods, with an 18 bar power pump, self-locking filter holder, 40oz removable water container with an automatic close valve and individual high-speed setting for hot water. This machine allows you to make a fresh hot cup of tea in just over thirty seconds.

There are two important facts that need to be remembered when using a dual frother as the metal cylinder only has two functions;

Frothing and steaming - when the metal sleeve is pointing downwards

The metal cylinder will stay locked in place on the tip of the black frother. The air and the hot steam are inserted straight into the milk; this is what makes the best cappuccino!

Steaming only - when the metal sleeve is pointing upwards

No air will be inserted into the milk, just the hot steam and this is what makes an ideal latte.

One of the slightly bigger ones is the semi-automatic machine. It is vigorously heated by circulating water that's drawn off the boiler. It has a 1550 watt heating element, 2 liter boiler with a heat exchanger, 1/8" thick boiler walls making it very safe to use, 1 gallon water reservoir, a hot water dispenser that gives you hot water almost instantly and a stainless steel easy-to-clean drip tray.

So, whether you own a restaurant and need new equipment or you are tired of having to go to a restaurant to get that great boost of cappuccino, there is one that will look great in any kitchen! There are so many different cappuccino machines to choose from, you'll find one you just can't get enough of!

Bad Habits in Relationships

2008-06-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

People often come to relationships with bad habits when it comes to getting along with another person. They may have every intention of making a relationship work, but ingrained trends stop them from truly connecting. There are many such bad habits.

Jealousy plagues many otherwise good relationships. A boyfriend might always suspect his girlfriend of going around with other men. Or, it could be more subtle. A woman may suspect that her husband is constantly looking for another female to take her place. In either case, the jealous person may have nothing real to worry about. This is when it gets to be nothing more than a bad habit.

Selective hearing is another problem that becomes a bad habit in relationships. People do not pay attention to each other's needs. One person will try to explain something that is important to them, and the other will say, "yes, yes," but will not really hear.

Then, when the first person says something the second person is interested in, suddenly they are in the conversation completely. This fosters feelings of hostility, and is one of the relationship bad habits that can wear a couple down over time.

People can develop bad habits in long relationships if they lean too much on the other person. They can depend so much on the other person that they lose the ability to take care of themselves. A person in a relationship may become irresponsible at work because of it. They may feel that they are taken care of anyway, so it does not matter. These bad habits can take over every aspect of their lives.

Some couples fall into bad habits in their fighting. All healthy couples will disagree from time to time. Where bad habits come in is the way the arguments are conducted. One partner may have the bad habit of yelling at the top of her lungs.

Another partner may throw dishes instead. Still another may bring up old arguments to try to hurt the other person. All these are bad habits in relationships because they are not productive forms of disagreement.

Many people in relationships get into the bad habits of nagging their partners. This has often been portrayed as a women's fault. However, men do it too. Sometimes, both parties in the relationship will nag each other. That makes for a very unhealthy relationship.

Blaming comes with its own price. This is a bad habit that erodes a relationship if it goes on too long. One person may be taking all the blame. In this case, that person's self esteem can get to a very low point.

Other times, people can blame each other. If this happens, the usual result is a disconnect between the two partners. They do not want to be involved with someone who does not accept responsibility.

If you want to have a healthy relationship, you need to purge yourself of your bad habits. The sooner you learn what you and your partner need to stay together, the better your bond will be.

Workplace Fashions: The Importance of Not Overdoing It

2008-05-21T15:24:00.001-07:00

Are you a female who is employed? If you are, do you work in an office setting? Although office related jobs are one of the best to have, as they allow you to work in a comfortable environment and they often pay well, there is much drama that is associated with office workplace settings. For that reason, you need to proceed with caution, especially concerning the clothes that you wear.

One of the many reasons why you should be careful with what you wear to work is because something simple, like your clothing, can be turned into a much larger issue. It may become a large issue that may cause you problems at work or an issue that may cause you to quit or lose your job. Since there is a good chance that you don’t want that to happen, you will want to continue reading on.

One of the many ways that you can avoid issues or complications at work is by carefully reviewing your workplace dress code. Reviewing the dress code of your workplace is extremely important, especially if you are a new employee. There are many companies that are a little bit vague on their dress code expectations and restrictions, but not all are. It is common to find restrictions such as no dresses or skirts with hems above the knees or no tank-tops. If you are still unsure as to what you can and cannot wear at work, you may want to speak with your supervisor. In this instance, it is better safe than sorry.

Another one of the many ways that you can avoid issues or complications at work is by placing yourself in the shoes of your customers. This is particularly important if you interact with your company’s clients and customers. Since your actions, as well as your appearance will not only reflect highly on you, yourself, but your employer as well, it is important that you take your clothing into consideration. For instance, if you worked as a loan officer, how do you think that your clients would feel if you showed up for work to deal with them in shorts and a tank-top? If you wouldn’t business with someone looking like that, there is a good chance that others wouldn’t as well.

In addition to placing yourself in the shoes of your company’s clients and customers, it is also advised that you place yourself in the shoes of your coworkers. There is a good chance that you are at least somewhat familiar with your coworkers. This means that you may already know what they talk or gossip about. If one of your coworker were to show up at work wearing a short sundress, what you would you think about them? In all honesty, there is a good chance that your thoughts wouldn’t necessarily be pleasant. You need to remember that others likely think the same way as well. That is why you need to, personally, be careful with what you wear to work, unless you want to be the center of gossip.

One of the many ways that you can find appropriate clothing to wear to work is by using the internet to your advantage. What you may want to do is visit the online websites of upscale clothing stores. Upscale clothing stores, especially those with a focus on career-oriented women, are less likely to have “skimpy,” clothing available for sale. While you don’t have to make your purchases from the retailers that you examine online, you can still get some great clothing ideas. It is also important to mention that many upscale clothing stores also place a focus on the latest fashions. This means that you can dress appropriately for work, while still looking fashionable at the same time.

The above mentioned points are all points that you will want to take into consideration, especially when getting dressed for work first thing in the morning. By taking a few extra minutes to think about your appearance for work, you may completely eliminate or reduce the chances of you being involved in shady workplace related issues, like gossip.

Bank Charges that are a Crime

2008-05-16T00:06:00.001-07:00

If you did a survey of the top ten most distrusted professions, right up there next to lawyers and politicians would be bankers. It’s amazing that we have such a negative view of the banks in light of the fact that almost everyone uses a bank.

Have you ever wondered how banks make money? In the last few years, it seems that every bank in town advertises “totally free checking”. Offering these fees for free is so common that most of us have probably forgotten when we paid a little fee each month for these services. Competition has driven banks to give away checking. So you would think that has hurt their bottom lines.

But it hasn’t. Banks of all the business institutions are doing great, even in a day and age of exploding costs and dwindling personal savings. So how do they do it? Well, banks do make money off of our money. When you put $1000 in the bank, we might like the idea that our money is in a vault waiting until we start using it. But the reality is that the bank immediately loans that money out and makes interest on those loans. That is one way that banks make money and it’s completely legal as well.

But despite the demise of checking fees, banks make a ton of money off of bank charges that they can still legally charge. One of those fees is the cost of printing checks. If you have ever ordered checks from your bank, you will see a pretty impressive charge for those checks show up on your next bank statement. But one thing they don’t tell you is that they don’t have a monopoly on printing checks. There are plenty of perfectly good services in the world that will print up checks for your checking account for a much reduced fee. As long as those blank numbers along the bottom are readable by a machine and are correct, the check is legal. So save yourself some money and don’t order checks from the bank.

But one charge that always seems over the top is the overdraft charge the bank imposes each time one of your checks bounces. It seems that these fees are extraordinarily excessive. Many times the bank will charge you as much as $35 or more for each bounced check.

Amazingly, these charges are perfectly legal. The law says they are allowed to charge you enough to cover their costs for covering and processing the returned check. So that might include notifying you, returning the check to the person you wrote it to and the necessary account management. How do we know that the huge tab they charge is not more than they need for their costs? We don’t. And as consumers there isn’t any way to fight back, short of not using the bank at all which isn’t realistic.

So how can we protect ourselves against excessive bank charges? One way is to find a bank that will set up a line of credit that will kick in and put the funds in your account from a bank loan if you overdraw. It’s all done by computers so the costs of notification are eliminated. And generally the charge is much less for this service, perhaps $5-$10 for as many checks they have to cover in a day rather than $35 per check.

Your checks don’t bounce so you don’t have problems with who you are trying to pay. And it’s a much easier way to protect your bank account than letting the banks hit you for those out of control overdraft charges just when you need extra fees the least.

Can You Keep a Secret?

2008-05-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

“Transparency” is a term that gets used on television a lot as something desirable, particularly in government terms to require that that our elected officials are being open and honest.. What transparency means is that there is nothing hidden and the people “employing” the elected official have complete knowledge of what is going on at all times.

Sometimes we think that even in the world of business, “transparency” would be a good policy as well. Very often the consumer world gets suspicious that businesses are not doing business in an honest and forthright fashion. But it is not uncommon for a business to have a need to sustain a certain level of secrecy about their products, their marketing and their business plans. This is not always because the business is crooked. It is just a fact of life in the business world and one that has given us a legal framework for trade secrets and confidentiality agreements of various sorts.

What would be the circumstances that you would want to take advantage of the legal status of trade secrets to keep the internal operations of your business a secret? Well, the most common rational for utilizing legal trade secret protection is to retain the marketing advantage that you might have to stay one step ahead of your competition. The world of business can be a cut throat environment to be sure. If one competitor learns of the secrets of how the competition makes a better product, utilizes a superior distribution or marketing plan or has a organizational philosophy that gives them the edge, the competition is more than happy to exploit that knowledge to capture business away. So it’s in the best interest of any business to protect their advantages from becoming well known to make sure they can capitalize on their hard earned edge in a competitive market as they deserve to do.

Trade secrets generally fall into either the “technical” or “business” related categories. Technical trade secrets, as the name implies, are discoveries or new ways of doing things to create something new. This would include the technical plans or specifications for a protected product or new design, the methods you have designed for manufacturing a breakthrough technology, notes and insider design documentation on failures in testing that would tip off competition on how you innovated this new product.

Business trade secrets are just as valuable because they include exclusive management and organizational methods that make you more profitable, marketing plans that would give your competition a heads up on “where you are going to hit them”, information about your customers and details about your employees and specialized talent that you retain to make your business run better than the competition.

There is a lot of “corporate espionage” between companies to crack the secrecy of another company to gain a competitive advantage. But as a new business just putting together plans for security, there are a few things you can do to legally protect yourself. A common practice for businesses in need of trade secret protection is to have their business partners all sign what is called a “Nondisclosure Agreement” which basically requires that anything your partners learn about your business will remain a trade secret even if the partner relationship does not continue. This is a legally binding document you can use if that partner uses or leaks your trade secrets and you lose business or market advantage from it.

Many companies require similar kinds of documents from employees and even add a “Non-compete” agreement to make sure an employee or partner doesn’t use trade secret information to compete for business from them. Your lawyer can help you decide what is the best way to protect your business and how to use these documents wisely.

Protecting Our Kids Online

2008-05-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

The internet has sometimes been compared to the wild, wild west. Part of the reason for that is because in those early days of the frontier, the law was in place to protect citizens of the land but in many cases, it was hard to enforce and criminals ran free to defy laws without fear of being stopped.

When it comes to protecting our kids who go online, in a lot of ways it is the wild west out there. Are there laws on the books to protect our children from being assaulted by internet criminals who would do them harm? Of course there are. But enforcing those laws and catching every bad person who your child might encounter out there in cyberspace is a task that law enforcement is working hard to conquer. But they have not conquered it yet. So cyberspace is in many ways, an untamed frontier.

While we don’t want to go to the days of the wild west where vigilantes roamed the land enforcing brutal justice on criminals, we have to do something. The stories we hear on television and read in the newspapers about children being seduced and abducted right out from under the noses of parents are deeply frightening.

This may be the most troubling thing about cyber criminals who would harm our children. Because the internet is in our homes and even now spreading to the phones and electronic devices of our children, the access of strangers to our kids is virtually unlimited. Kids can get into chat rooms, use social networking services like MySpace and view all kinds of filth online all while mom and dad are just a few yards away watching the news. Because of this unprecedented access, new strategies have to be developed for law enforcement to protect our kids but also so we can partner with them to stop these evil people who would use this wonderful tool of the internet for evil purposes.

At a public level, we want to give our police and law enforcement officials all the help we can to crack down on cyber stalkers so the word goes out to such criminals that it is possible to be caught stalking children and if you are caught, it will be a harsh penalty for this kind of crime. Some have even called for the death penalty for people who stalk children online. How severe we as a society wish to treat crimes of this nature is something for our leaders to help us work through. But our first line of defense is enabling those we trust to protect us to find and lock up these criminals so these crimes can be stopped.

But at this time, we cannot expect law enforcement to be able to stop anyone from approach our children online. So we as parents share in the responsibility of making sure our homes are secure. Just as we put locks on the doors even though police are there to stop intruders, we must secure the internet so the chances of our kids becoming victims is minimized. The three strongest locks we can use to protect our families online are…

Software. We can put software on our computers that will keep our kids out of web sites where these criminals may lurk. These “Net Nanny” programs are inexpensive and effective.
Knowledge. We must teach our children not to talk to strangers online any more than they would in a public place. Cyber stalkers are clever so we must be sure our children understand the risk and do not engage anyone they don’t know and trust online.
Communication. Keeping the lines of communication open with our kids will assure that if they suspect they are being approached by a cyber stalker, they can come to their parents who can then alert the authorities.

It’s a shared effort to stop these criminals from having access to our children. But by working together with law enforcement and keeping those lines of communication open with our own kids, we can shut down their access to our children and so frustrate their ability to commit crimes against those we love the most.

Consumer Rights and Protection

2008-05-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

The news stories in the last few months have included some pretty alarming stories about bad products that have come to us from China. And we in the west do look with disgust at failures of a government to assure that products produced by merchants are safe for consumers. This is because our government maintains a high level of control, testing, and monitoring of products to assure that the consumers of these products are protected and consumers can buy them with confidence.

Of course, this is not to say that problems with consumer protection have been eliminated. But when a product is found to be unsafe, we have a sophisticated system of recalls and alerts that go out over our media. In this way, that the damage and danger from inferior product is vastly minimized from what it might have been.

Consumer rights and protection are an important area of focus for manufacturers and merchants. These laws have a high level of importance for merchants and that drives up quality control and inspection even before the government or legal systems get involved. That is because the outcome of a recall or product failure, especially if that failure leads to injury or death of a consumer, can be devastating both to the individual merchant or company involved and to the market it serves that placing a high priority on quality is as much about market survival as it is about ethical behavior by companies.

What can we as consumers expect in the way of our rights and the protections we deserve as being part of this economy? It breaks down to what we consider to be the basics of the contract that is implied when we give someone money for a product or service…

* We expect to be able to use the goods safely with no possibility of immediate harm or long term illness as result of using the product.
* We expect the product to perform according to reasonable expectations based on what the product was promoted to do both on the package and in advertisements.
* We expect to pay what the product is advertised to cost. We do not accept changes in price after that price is advertised or surprise costs to be added on that we weren’t expecting.
* If a product fails to deliver the service it was advertised to deliver, or is found to be flawed in any way, we expect the merchant to refund or replace the product promptly and courteously.
* In the case of food, medicines or other consumables, we expect the product to be made of the highest levels of quality and to be reasonably fresh and usable.
* We expect the merchants involved in the sale of the product to stand behind the product with guarantees from the retail merchant all the way to the manufacturer.

We have not come up with this list of rights and protections on our own. These are the minimum standards prescribed by our laws to assure that the consuming public can trade with merchant in any kind of product and service and be treated with the same minimum levels of professionalism and quality assurance.

From the merchant’s point of view, you might think these high standards of consumer rights and protections would be a burden. But in fact, these laws protect both the consumer and the merchant. That is because these laws make it possible for the buying public to engage in commerce with any merchant that is authorized to do business with confidence.

Consumer protection laws make an active marketplace possible which benefits both consumers and merchants equally. So complying with consumer protection laws is not just essential from a legal point of view. It makes good sense for merchants to comply fully and perform above expectations in terms of their ability to deliver quality product to their customers. It just makes good business sense.

How to Spend Quality Time with Your Kids

2008-05-10T17:23:00.001-07:00

Are you a mother who is also a career-oriented woman? If you are, you may have number of different issues tugging at your heart. In today’s society, many mothers are fearful of putting their family first, especially in certain circumstances, in fear of losing their jobs. With that in mind, there are many mothers who are fearful that their children will grow up resenting them due to the amount of time they spent focused on work.

While being a mother and a career-oriented woman, all at the same time, may seem like an impossible task, it is a task that you can more than perform. What you need to remember, although difficult as it may be, is that you should be a mom first. However, that doesn’t mean that you should just toss your workload to the side and not care. There are a number of different ways that you can go about being a good parent, while still brining home an income. One of those ways involves spending quality time with your child or children when you are not working.

One of the best ways for you to go about spending quality time with your child or children is by creating a schedule for yourself. This schedule can be used to outline any important events that you and your child or children have planned. Although your schedule does not need to be followed right down to the letter, it is important to have one. Mothers who create schedules for themselves are more likely to follow through with their plans.

Speaking of your plans, you may be wondering what you should do to spend quality time with your child or children. Of course, it is important to keep your child’s age in mind. A child who is three years old will prefer different activities than one who is nine or ten years old. With that in mind, there are a number of different activities that many children, including those of all ages, love. A few of those activities are outlined below for your convenience.

One activity that you may want to think about doing with your child or children is taking them to the zoo. Regardless of where you live, you should have a zoo within a reasonable driving distance to your home. Zoo trips are fun and exciting, as they often last all day. What is nice about zoo trips is that they are fun and educational all at the same time. This means that your quality time can benefit your child or children in more ways than one.

Another activity that you may want to think about doing is taking your child or children to the movies. Whether your child is three years old or fifteen years old, there should be a movie playing that would likely interest them. Going to the movies is nice, as many children view it as a treat. For more affordable movie tickets, you may want to think about going to see a movie with your family during the daytime.

Additional activities that many children enjoy are those of park visits, museum visits, and sporting events. In all honestly, it really doesn’t matter what you do. To your child or children, how matter what their age, they will likely just appreciate the fact that you took some time away from work to have fun with them, no matter what the activity.

The Importance of Keeping the Romance Alive in Your Relationship

2008-05-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Are you married or do you currently live with you partner? For many couples, marriage or cohabitation, often spells trouble for many relationships. While there are a number of different reasons for the cause of this common issue, it is often attributed to a lack of romance. To help you keep your relationship with your live-in partner or your husband going strong, it is important to keep the romance in your relationship alive.

As nice as it is to hear that you should keep the romance alive in your relationship, you may be wondering exactly how you should go about doing so. When creating romance in your relationship, it is important to know that not all couples are the same. For that reason, you may want to keep your partner’s wants, needs, or interests in mind. This is another key to having a happy and healthy relationship, compromise.

One of the best ways to keep romance alive in a relationship is actually quite a simple concept. That concept is affection. Unfortunately, many couples get into a groove where they just become comfortable with their daily life. This often leads many couples not to hold hands anymore, kiss, or even talk about their day. It is important that you do not let your relationship get to this point, as it often spells trouble. As much as possible, you will want to express your love and appreciation for your live-in partner or spouse, both in action and in words.

It is also important to get out of your house. As with showing affection, many couples, after a period of time, stop going out on dates. Whenever you have a free evening, you may want to consider going on a date. What is nice about dates is that just about any activity can be considered a date. For instance, you can go out to dinner, see a movie, or go have a few drinks at a local bar. All of these activities can be viewed as a date. Social interaction, both with each other and with other couples, is important to the health of a relationship. For that reason, you and your partner should get out and socialize.

As previously stated, a relationship is all about compromise. Compromise is also a way to keep the romance alive in your relationship. As compatible as you and you partner or spouse may be, you may still have a few differences. Often times, these differences show on date nights. When it comes to going on a date or just doing a simple activity with your partner, it is advised that you comprise as often as possible. This may include having alternate date nights. For instance, if your husband wanted to attend a baseball game, you can agree to do so, as long as he agrees to go the movies with you next time.

As outlined above, there are a number of different ways that you can go about keeping the romance alive in your relationship. As difficult as love and romance may seem, it is important that you put forth the extra effort. Not feeling enough support is an issue that the two of you can resolve, but divorce may not be. That is why it is important to not let it get to that point.

Your Hair Removal Options

2008-05-06T23:18:00.000-07:00

Are you female? If you are, there is a good chance that you have an unlimited number of different issues to deal with on a daily basis. Many of those issues are likely health and beauty related, like hair removal. If you are having a problem with unwanted body hair, did you know that you don’t have to suffer any longer? There are a number of steps that you can take to make this unsightly issue, disappear and possibly for good.

The first step in getting rid of your unwanted body hair is to examine all of your options. As you likely already know, there are a number of different ways to remove unwanted body hair. Some of these hair removal methods are temporary and others are more permanent. If you have had enough of dealing with your unwanted body hair, you will want to continue reading on.

When it comes to removing unwanted body hair, the most common method used is that of shaving. Many women, often a weekly basis, shave their unwanted body hair on their legs and armpits. While shaving is nice, it is a hair removal method that is temporary. That is why many women often end up saving once or even twice a week. It is also important to mention that shaving in certain areas, especially the face, can make unwanted body hair even worse. That is why you may want to take the time to examine your other options.

Speaking of your other options, for removing unwanted body hair, another one of your options is that of waxing. Waxing is a popular hair removal method, as there are a number of different ways to undergo it. Waxing is commonly offered as a service at many hair salons, beauty salons, and spas. With that in mind, there are also home waxing kits that you can buy to perform your own wax jobs right in the comfort of your own home. Additional reasons as to why waxing is a popular hair removal method is because it is affordable and more permanent than shaving.

Another one of the many ways that you can remove your unwanted body hair is by using hair removal creams. Hair removal creams are often marketed as an easy way to remove unsightly body hair. While this is true, not all hair removal creams work the same. This means that you may have to experiment with multiple brands of hair removal cream to find the cream that works the best for you. Should you decide to use hair removal cream, as a way to remove your unwanted body hair, it is important that you read all directions, as some hair removal creams can only be used on certain areas of your body safely.

Although waxing is more permanent than shaving, many individual who use waxing to remove their unwanted body hair have to do so on a monthly basis. If you are looking to remove your unwanted body hair for good or at least for a period of one year or more, you will want to examine laser hair removal. Laser hair removal is one hair removal method that is rapidly increasing in popularity, as it is often permanent for many individuals.

Despite the fact that laser hair removal is increasing in popularity, there still many women who opt not to undergo a laser hair removal procedure. One of those reasons is due to cost. Yes, it can be expensive to undergo a laser hair removal procedure, but you need to think long-term. When compared to the cost of shaving, waxing, or buying hair removal creams overtime, you may be able to save a considerable amount of money with laser hair removal.

The above mentioned laser hair removal methods are just a few of the many that you have to choose from. If your unwanted body hair is such an issue that you hate going out in public, you may want to consider consulting with your primary care physician for professional advice.

How a Spa Visit Can Help You In More Ways Than One

2008-05-04T03:19:00.000-07:00

Are you a woman who is regularly stressed? Whether you are worried about issues like money, parenting, work, travel, or romance, have you ever just wanted to get away and unwind? If you have, have you ever thought about making an appointment with one of your local spas? If this is something that you have yet to think about, now may be the time.

As nice as it is to hear that you should visit a spa, many women, possibly just like you, want to know why. Many women deal with issues, on a daily basis, that cause them stress. Without a proper way to unwind that stress, the emotions that you are feeling may, literally, overwhelm you. For many women, exercising, eating, or a night out on the town can help relive some of their stress related issues, but not always. If you are one of those individuals, who can’t seem to find a way to get the issues that you are dealing with out of your mind, a spa visit may be worth a try.

When it comes to spa visits, it is important to remember that spas come in a number of different formats. It is possible to find spas that are focused on beauty, like ones that offer hair care services, nails, and tanning. On the other hand, it is possible to find full service spas. Full service spas are often spas that not only offer nail care and hair care, but ones that also have massages, body wraps, acupuncture, and many other services available for you to choose from. If, at all possible, you will want to try and visit a full service spa, as they are the ones that come highly rated and recommended.

Now that you know what spas are and a few of the many services that most offer, you may be wondering again why you should make an appointment with your local spa. For starters, the services available at most spas are those which can help relieve your stress and help you unwind. For instance, acupuncture and massages are regularly used to treat stress caused by a number of different issues, such as work, family, and money.

When making a spa appointment, you can make your appointment alone or with a group of friends. If you are interested in inviting a few of your friends along with you to your spa appointment, it can turn into a fun and exciting, yet relaxing adventure. Of course, if you would like to attend your spa appointment solo, there are benefits to doing so as well. For many women, there is nothing like disassociating themselves from their everyday world and all of the issues that come along with it.

In addition to helping you unwind from stress, a spa visit may also help to improve you appearance. Although many individuals opt for services like massages or body wraps, others also decide to get their hair or their nails done at the same time. This can, in turn, help to improve you appearance. In addition to possibly looking more physically attractive, mini-makeovers have often been attributed to uplifted spirits.

If you would like to use a spa visit to help you unwind, you will want to make an appointment, preferably as soon as possible. When looking for a spa to visit, it is important that examine costs. There are many spas where you can to pay for each service that you would like use, but there are others who will allow you to simply buy a day pass. You may also want to try to research each local spa that you have access to online. Be sure to look at pictures. You will want to visit a spa that has a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.

In short, a spa visit will not necessarily make all of the issues that you are dealing with, like financial trouble, go away, but a spa visit may give you a “break,” from the real world, even if it is only for a few hours.

Shahrir: Cap on cooking oil price must remain

2008-03-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

JOHOR BARU: Consumers will suffer if the ceiling on the price of cooking oil is lifted to help oil palm producers.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said the man on the street would be affected if there was no cap on the price of cooking oil.

He was responding yesterday to the Malaysian Estate Owners' Association's request for the ceiling to be scrapped.

It was reported on Thursday that association president Boon Weng Siew said that the price control mechanism under the Cooking Oil Subsidy Scheme (COSS) was causing the industry to suffer.

Boon had also claimed that the RM2.50 per kg cap (about half the global price) had led to smuggling and an artificial shortage.
Under COSS, a monthly cess is imposed on oil palm producers with more than 40ha of plantation based on the average price of crude palm oil.

Shahrir said the payment of cess was to help maintain the price of cooking oil.

"However, the ministry is undertaking an overall evaluation of the system. We hope the association will be patient and await directions from the ministry."

Source: NST

Opinions and suggestions to YAB Perdana Menteri Malaysia

2008-03-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

In conjunction with Malaysia 's 12th General Election, we are canvassing for your hopes, opinions and suggestions to YAB Perdana Menteri Malaysia. All the feedback received will be compiled and submitted to YAB Perdana Menteri Malaysia before the election date. Please forward this message to your contacts in order for all has an opportunity to give their piece of their mind.



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Leave The Broom Where It Belongs

2008-02-01T02:55:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR-- Punishment should not equal humiliation. The former must serve as a reminder of the need to correct things and repent, and not an attack on an individual's dignity.

In cases where personal feelings and cultural sensitivities are ignored, what happens? This was the hard lesson learnt by the Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo when his brooms-gift to under-performing local councils and state agencies drew criticism from many parties.

Many found it a show of poor taste by Dr Mohamad Khir. The "broom award" was even brought up in Parliament on Nov 13. Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar (BN-Larut) questioned whether presenting a broom, which is linked to bad luck, was appropriate as an award.

While the civil service umbrella union Cuepacs said it received calls from members complaining about the approach taken by the Menteri Besar.

Dr Mohamad Khir on Nov 12 at an excellence awards ceremony gave a broom each to the Hulu Selangor District Council and Hulu Selangor Land Office for failing to collect assessment for 2006 above the stipulated 50 percent mark. He also warned agencies that failed to hit the target for 2007 to expect the same "award".

And in hitting out at all those who condemned his actions, Dr Mohamad Khir say there was no such thing as a broom bringing bad luck. He said the broom was a means of getting things in order.

DO NOT HUMILIATE

The National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) director Darshan Singh is not buying Dr Khir's logic.

"There are many other ways of punishing and even then you do not do it openly in public. Certainly not on the front page of newspapers," he told Bernama.

Darshan said punishment could come in the form of withholding promotions, increments etc.

"Do not punish simply because you failed to collect money. What message is Dr Mohamad Khir trying to send out, that the councils should strictly focus on collecting money and ignore their other duties? Should the local councils go around forcing people to pay? Should they start selling people's properties? What about the poor people?"

He said there could have been valid reasons as to why the target collection was not met.

"Look at the situation as a whole. You could have a situation where no one wants to stay in a particular housing estate. And people will not want to pay for facilities they do not enjoy. How do you go about collecting from such people? Whatever, Dr Mohamad Khir did not have to humiliate officers like Hulu Selangor District Council president Tukiman Nail by presenting him with the broom," he said.

APPROACH WRONG

Darshan said NCCC certainly did not agree with the move adopted by Dr Mohamad Khir because it belittled all those who work as sweepers and cleaners.

"Through his actions, is the Menteri Besar saying that all these people are also condemned for not performing and that is why they always have a broom in their hand? To me the act of presenting the broom indicated this," he said.

"Do not belittle the less fortunate. I hope this is the first and the last time such award is given out. We request all those who wish to carry out such acts to look at all angles to spare anyone from being humiliated.

"All said and done, Tukiman Nail is a high ranking government officer who has served the government for more than 30 years. He, like any other human being, has dignity and that should be respected," he added.

PASSING THE BUCK

Meanwhile, independent psychologist Valerie Jaques told Bernama that Dr Mohamad Khir's move was a case of passing the buck back to the people.

"Whatever happened to leadership by example? Are the local councils not responsible to the Menteri Besar for their performances? If they are faring badly, is it not his responsibility to take charge and determine what has gone wrong instead of shoving them with a broom and washing his hands off?"

From the point of the recipient's psychology, she said Asians being known for their passive-aggressive behaviour often failed to stand up for their rights.

"In this case, those who received the broom made no fuss. They quietly accepted them. This is one aspect of the passive-aggressive behaviour.

"Is it really about respect when you choose to keep quiet and not defend what is right?"

"In short, the passive-aggressive behaviour does not help solve anything. If it was in the Western country, the broom would have been thrown back to the giver," she said.

MORE HUMANE WAYS

Malaysia Hindu Sangam president Datuk A. Vaithilingam said there were humane ways of punishing a person.

"The broom is not viewed positively in the Malaysian culture. If his broom-award becomes a precedent, it would mean that only irresponsible leaders will follow this method," he told Bernama.

Help save the Earth

2008-01-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Editor, MALAYSIA has developed rapidly over the years. However, consumer behaviour towards the environment is distressing.

We have the right to live in a safe environment. But are we looking into it seriously? Who is responsible for providing a safe environment for us?

Consumers need to practise sustainable consumption to protect the environment.

Sustainable consumption is the use of services and products for basic needs while minimising the use of natural resources and toxic materials, as well as cutting down the emission of waste and pollutants.

Products and services pose a threat to the environment.

Changing our consumption pattern will help preserve our environment.

If we choose to stop using plastics now, our concerns about landfills are over.

But it is not a viable option as there are no viable substitutes available.
The government has a role to play in the proper enforcement of the law, educating the masses, and creating awareness among industries and consumers.

Industries can implement pro cedures and guidelines to ensure eco-friendly products are made or services provided.

Consumers will benefit from the efforts of the government and industry.
Environmental issues are a very important challenge.

How do we as consumers adapt?

We can do the following to save the Earth:

Take your own bags when shopping to carry home grocer ies. Plastic bags are not eco-friendly and are non-biode gradable.

Cycle or walk for short trips. It is eco-friendly and keeps you fit.

Turn off televisions, stereos and computers when not in use. Frequent use of power contributes to global warming.

Prepare and bring home-cooked meals to work or school. It’s healthier and more economical than eating outside.

Collect unused paper products at home and take them to recycling centres. Recycling wood products can save millions of trees a year.

Stop using chemical pesticides. Planting mint and basil can help keep pests away.

Replace lights with compact energy saving fluorescent lamps. They last four times longer then a normal light bulb.

Decide on what you need before opening the fridge. Re peated opening wastes electricity and adds to your power bill.

Avoid using polystyrene. It’s non-biodegradable and depletes the ozone layer.

Volunteer for a green project in your local community. Start or join a community environment programme to preserve the environment in your neighbourhood.

Share advice and tips on sus tainable consumption with your family and friends.

Cool your house the smart way. Use white window shades, drapes or blinds to keep the heat away. Air conditioners contribute to global warming.

Buy locally grown food. Not only will you be saving money, you are also supporting the livelihood of local farmers.

Help reduce the world’s waste — don’t use disposable products like paper plates and napkins, plastic utensils and cups.

Saving water means saving electricity because one of the biggest users of electricity is supplying water and cleaning up sewage.

Use organic compost to im prove soil health.

We have only one Earth. We need to treasure it for future generations. Changing habits may be difficult, but we have to think of the future of our chil dren.

Piarapakaran Subramaniam
Fomca programme manager

source: MALAY MAIL
28 December, 2007

There are dyes in our food that 'can make us sick

2007-12-31T18:38:00.000-08:00

Director of the Food Safety and Quality Division in the Health Ministry Dr Abdul Rahim Mohamad (left) told the public in a statement on Dec 21 that there was no need to worry about consuming sodium benzoate, a preservative; S.M. Mohamed Idris (right) says CAP had been battling the issue of dyes in food with the Health Ministry for decades while laws have been amended to allow more previously banned dyes in food

FOOD dyes and other additives that have been banned in many countries, are being used here.
CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said these included colourings such as Amaranth, Allura Red, Sunset Yellow, Brilliant Blue and Tartrazine, which are widely used in the manufacture of confections such as sweets, yoghurt, ice cream, soft drinks and chewing gum.

These dyes are believed to cause certain cancers, allergies, chromosomal damage, migraines and foetal deformities.

Idris said CAP had been battling the issue of dyes in food with the Health Ministry for decades.

"We have been alerting the authorities since our tests first found the banned dye, Rhodamine B, in various foods such as belacan (shrimp paste) in 1973.
"Our latest test this May found this banned dye in our food. Malaysians have been exposed to this cancer-causing dye for 34 years and the authorities do not seem to be able to enforce the law to protect consumers."

Idris said Rhodamine B was disallowed in food under the Food and Drug Ordinance of 1952.

"This means that this dye has been banned for use in food for more than 50 years!"

And instead of restricting the number of dyes used in the production of food, Idris claimed the authorities had amended the present food laws "to allow more dyes in food such as previously banned dyes like Amaranth, which wasn't approved for use some 10 years ago".

Worldwide, there is increasing concern over the multitude of additives and artificial flavourings that are being used in the production of food. In May, there were concerns that soft drinks could cause serious cell damage.

Research from a British university suggested sodium benzoate, a preservative commonly used by the RM491 billion global carbonated drinks industry, could damage and switch off vital parts of the human DNA.

The substance is derived from benzoic acid, which is found naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks as well as pickles and sauces.

It was reported that the problem, which was more commonly associated with ageing and alcohol abuse, could eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver, Parkinson's and "a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases".

British MPs called for an investigation into the substance, also known as E211.

However, director of the Food Safety and Quality Division in the Health Ministry Dr Abdul Rahim Mohamad told the public in a statement on Dec 21 that there was no need to worry about consuming the preservative.

He quoted the results of a risk-assessment exercise carried out with the aid of the Food and Agriculture Organisation last May, where it was found that "the current usage (of sodium benzoate) in our population is below the accepted allowable daily intake".

He wrote that the preservative was approved for use in many countries, including the European Union, the United States and Japan and "had been used safely as a preservative for more than 100 years".

With so many additives used in food production, and many of them relatively new and their long-term impact uncertain, experts and authorities caution consumers to read the labels before eating processed food.

"Always read the labels: they should only be in English or Malay. If they're in other languages, it (the food) probably has not passed through Customs."

But Idris said food labelling was another problem because the labels are not consumer-friendly.

"Most people don't know what they are consuming because additives can be labelled simply as 'approved colouring', 'approved flavouring' and 'approved food conditioners' here."

Also, some labels use numerical codes or alphabets to refer to the additives.

So what should consumers look out for when grocery shopping?

Idris' advice: Stay away from processed foods as much as possible.

SO WHAT’S SAFE TO EAT NOW?: Eat at your own risk

2007-12-31T18:36:00.000-08:00

By: P. SELVARANI and TAN CHOE CHOE

How safe is the food on our shelves? Experts tell P. SELVARANI and TAN CHOE CHOE some alarming facts about what we have been eating

SOME 3,400 food items were deemed a health risk in Malaysia last year.

They included bread, milk, meat, fish, egg and egg products, confection, beverages, oil, sauces, salt and spices, vegetables and even fruits.

Most were found to contain microbiological contaminants or pathogens -- organisms that cause illnesses such as Salmonella typi, which can cause typhoid, and Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin, which is the culprit in most cases of food poisoning.

Others had preservatives and dyes that were banned or above the permissible limits, pesticide residues and metal contaminants.
Cereal products and bread topped the list, followed by fish and fish products, fruits, and beverages such as tea and coffee.

This was found after the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) sent out an alert that 82 per cent of the bread in the market had excessive sorbic acid.

"In the process, we also found contraventions like other excessive use of preservatives," said director of the Food Safety and Quality Division in the Health Ministry Dr Abdul Rahim Mohamad.

They were out of some 55,600 products sampled by the Health Ministry throughout the country.

Of these, 24,676 items valued at over RM2.3 million were seized; and 650 food manufacturers and importers were fined a total of RM858,000 for contravening food regulations.

"The number of contraventions has been more or less the same over the last few years. It has neither increased nor decreased drastically," said Rahim .

The number of food contraventions for the last three years total 11,659, averaging about 4,000 per year.

In the same period, 2,007 food manufacturers and importers had been taken to task by the ministry.

But the authorities don't find the figures worrying because, as Dr Rahim said, "the situation is under control".

However, some non-governmental groups like CAP think otherwise.

CAP, which has been carrying out independent random sampling of various food products since the 1970s, has been very vocal in criticising the authorities' lack of focus on food safety.

In August, it said in a statement that the use of boric acid -- a poisonous substance that can lead to gastrointestinal illness, kidney damage, dermatitis and loss of appetite -- was still rampantly used in the market.

Citing the results of its own sampling of several bak chang (steamed glutinous rice dumplings) bought from across the country, 20 out of 40 were found to contain the poisonous chemical.

Boric acid is prohibited under the Food Act 1983 and an offender can be fined up to RM5,000 or jailed up to two years.

The chemical is commonly used as a cleaning agent, flame retardant and antiseptic but unscrupulous traders have been using it to preserve the shelf life of fresh foods.

"The use of boric acid was first brought up to the ministry by CAP in February 1984," said CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris.

"We called on the ministry then to pass a law prohibiting the sale of boric acid, restrict its sale by classifying it as a poison and impose a heavy penalty on anyone found to have violated it.

"The situation hasn't changed. After 23 years, we still find boric acid in food products."

He claimed that CAP conducted checks on foodstuff two to three times a year and "on every occasion, the presence of boric acid was detected".

The checks found the substance not only in bak chang but also in yellow noodles, fish balls, fish cake, koay teow, and some nyonya kuih.

"We had been informed previously that the sale of boric acid to the food industry was prohibited, yet food handlers still managed to get hold of this substance."

Difference between http:// and https://

2007-12-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

The main difference between http:// and https:// is

It's all about keeping you secure

HTTP stands for HyperText Transport Protocol, which is just a fancy way of saying it's a protocol (a language, in a manner of speaking) for information to be passed back and forth between web servers and clients.

The important thing is the letter S which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS. The S (big surprise) stands for "Secure".

If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://

This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.

This is why you never ever ever enter your credit card number in an http website!

But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.

You understand why this is so important, right? If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://. If it doesn't, there's no way you're going to enter sensitive information like a credit card number!

FUEL : Alternatives, Strategies And Sustainable Lifestyle

2007-12-17T18:34:00.001-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Though the price of crude petroleum is yet to breach the US$100 per barrel benchmark, the upward trend in the last few weeks has created panic among investors and leading fuel consumers.

And Malaysians are no exception, what more when there are indications that they will have to bear the brunt next year when the government further reduces the fuel subsidy.

As for Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's (UTM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), the record prices are a blessing in disguise as they provide the opportunity for the mankind to think of ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, natural gas and coal.

He told Bernama that it is most pertinent now for the community and industry to utilise energy more efficiently and enhance efforts to identify alternative energy sources.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

The initiative to identify alternative energy sources in fact began as early as the 1970s following the petroleum crisis arising from tensions between the Arab world and the United States .

Back then, research and innovation on alternative energy sources were the order of the day, worldwide. This resulted in the proliferation of nuclear energy and hydroelectric energy.

Nevertheless, according to Prof Zaini, alternative energy sources like bio-mass, wind, solar and hydrogen is yet to see universal acceptance though they have been effectively developed from the scientific and technological viewpoint.

He also feels that the energy policies in many of the nations are not conducive enough for an all-embracing utilisation of alternative energy resources.

"The infrastructure for the widespread utilisation of other energy sources are still not available to consumers, especially for alternatives like hydrogen and bio-diesel.

"In the context of gas powered vehicles in Malaysia, how many petrol pumps with gas filling facilities are there and why are these being monopolised by one company only?" he asked, providing an example.

SEEKING A WINNING STRATEGY

Soaring prices and limited fossil fuel resources for the future call for the authorities to work out a practical strategy.

Prof Zaini, an environmental engineering expert, proposed three steps that are to be implemented immediately, involving all levels of the society, to be monitored more effectively by the Energy Commission.

Firstly, the existing policy on fuel subsidy should be reviewed so that it can be implemented selectively using the `triple bottom line' method, taking into consideration the economic, social and environmental factors.

Secondly, the demand for fuel should be sustainably managed through cost cutting activities, enhancing efficiency and providing incentives to encourage investments toward reducing bulk usage of fuel.

"Thirdly, by intensify efforts to identify new energy sources that can be used by all. Among the new energy resources that is cheap and holds good potential but have yet to be fully utilised are biomass and solar power. Presently, preference for both are limited," said Prof Zaini.

MEMORANDUM FROM FOMCA

Meanwhile, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA) said it had recently sent a memorandum to the government on energy usage.

According to S. Piarapakaran, FOMCA's Environment Desk Programme Manager, the memorandum outlined several long-term strategies to ensure consumers would not be burdened in future.

Among others, the government should re-examine all policies related to energy in order to work out an integrated policy.

Such a policy should incorporate fuel from renewable and non-renewable sources, efficient management and usage of fuel source in all sectors, alternative fuel widely used in transportation sector and breaking the monopoly in energy market by creating choices for consumers.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

FOMCA, said Piarapakaran, also recommend that consumers be continuously educated on issues pertaining to energy and fuel.

Through education, consumers can be inculcated to make environmentally friendly choices in purchasing eco-friendly goods.

In its memorandum handed over to the government on Sept 20, FOMCA also stressed the need to develop solar energy to help reduce the dependence on electricity supplied by utility companies like Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

According to Piarapakaran, FOMCA is of the opinion that a dual system can be developed in stages to maximize the usage of solar energy in homes.

FOMCA also suggested that incentives be given to industries that develop solar energy in Malaysia .

In addition, FOMCA also urged that initiatives at developing alternative fuels like biomass, bio-fuel and ethanol be stepped up.

In developing these alternatives, monopoly must be avoided so that consumers are not burdened by a lack of choice in suppliers.

SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE THE BEST OPTION

In working out a strategy and formulating a policy, the rise in fuel prices also calls for the public to be more prudent in using energy.

Maybe consumers here can take heed of the sustainable lifestyle of the Swedes as observed by Prof Zaini himself during his visit to the Nordic nation recently.

"In conserving energy within buildings, be it the office or home, energy saving light bulbs and mirrors are widely used. The mirrors reflect light and brighten up the interior.

"Further, windows and curtains are designed to take advantage of natural sunlight. Windows and curtains are easy to be drawn open or close. They are kept open when it is hot and closed whenever it is cold. Thus, air-conditioning and heaters are no longer needed," explained Prof Zaini.

To brighten up the interior, the Swedes prefer light tone colours for their decor.

"That is why furniture giants like IKEA has not only won the hearts of the Swedes but also those of people throughout the world," he added.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Prof Zaini pointed out that the highly efficient and comprehensive public transportation system in Sweden compels people to use it.

As an example, he said that people who want to go to the Stockholm Trade Centre can only do so by either using public transportation, cycling or walking.

The same thing goes for campuses, cities and recreational centres.

Prof Zaini noted that fuel usage in Sweden is very low not only because of the highly efficient public transportation system but also because of the sustainable lifestyle.

Cycling and walking are not just confined to nature lovers, leaders, intellectuals and commoners also regularly do so without losing self-esteem.

"In Sweden , the sustainable mind is slowly developed within the society through various formal and informal activities that create awareness on the significance of an environmentally friendly attitude.

"Leading a sustainable lifestyle means that all thoughts, actions and ideals are environmentally friendly. Within the context of Swedish society, those who don't lead a sustainable lifestyle are seen as strange, peculiar and a threat to public order," explained Prof Zaini.

-BERNAMA-

Don't toy with safety

2007-12-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

While a large number of China-made toys are being recalled worldwide for toxin contamination, Malaysians shopping for their children's Christmas presents are largely unconcerned, telling TAN CHOE CHOE and AUDREY VIJAINDREN that they believe the authorities are ensuring that toys sold in the country are safe. Are they?

CONSUMERS in America, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are reportedly jittery about buying toys for their children this Christmas after recalls of China-made toys worldwide due to lead contamination.

But Malaysian parents are unfazed, assuming that the authorities have checked every item on the shelves.

If there were any unsafe ones, "they would have already been recalled", says Theresa Fung, a mother of two.

"Especially big toy manufacturers like Mattel. I don't think they would want to make the same mistake twice. So I'm not really worried about buying their toys even if they are made in China."

Nearly seven out of 10 toys you pick up in a toyshop anywhere in the world today are made in China.

In Malaysia, depending on where you shop, you may find almost all the toys on sale come from China.

Does it mean all toys being retailed now are safe for our children?

Not necessarily so, as Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Zain Mohd Dom said: "It's impossible to perform tests on millions of toys."

He said there were "too many legal implications" that the ministry would have to deal with if its officers were to storm into a retail shop and confiscate products for testing.

To compound the problem, Malaysia does not have any mandatory toy safety standards that manufacturers have to comply with.

"The only other option would be to purchase suspected toys. But, who is going to bear the cost?"

Hence, he urged consumers to come forward with products that they suspected were hazardous.

"We will take it to Sirim (Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) for testing. If there is a warranted reason, we will use the Consumer Protection Act to take the product off the shelves."

But this is not a satisfactory answer to consumer protection groups like the Malaysian Association of Standards Users (Masu), an affiliate of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).

"We are very worried. Toy importers and distributors are not obligated or compelled to conduct testing or recall (problematic) toys.

"There's no guarantee that the items being sold to our most vulnerable group of consumers are safe!" said Masu director Ratna Devi Nadarajan.

Her concerns are especially valid, coming as they are after Fomca conducted a random testing of 24 toys from supermarkets and hypermarkets and found 23 of them containing lead on their surface.

Ratna said there was a set of voluntary standards established covering various aspects of toy safety by the Department of Standards Malaysia which has been available since 2002.

But these have never been made mandatory, although the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs has the power to do so.

The standards include the mechanical and physical properties of toys, flammability, safety of chemistry experimental sets, and graphical symbols for age-warning labelling.

"They were adopted from international standards and are free for use by any manufacturer, importer or distributor located in any part of the world," said standards director of the Department of Standards, Rajinder Raj.

The Department of Standards provides advice to regulatory agencies in the incorporation of standards into technical regulations.

Mohd Zain, who only took office in February, admitted that his ministry had been slow in dealing with the issue of toy safety.

"But we are working with Sirim and other relevant parties to ensure the process is fast tracked. Hopefully the standards will be made mandatory by next year."

The Consumers Association of Penang says not only toys but also all children's products should be of concern.

"There is a need for mandatory safety and labelling standards, to ensure children's products have been checked and comply with the set standards," said CAP president S. M. Mohamed Idris.

He said now would be a good time to examine the trend of depending too much on commercially manufactured toys.

"Children should be encouraged to create their own toys and games from regular items -- like using wooden spoons as playthings."

Unsafe and toxic packaging, he said, was another issue that should be looked into.

Meanwhile, sales of toys are booming.

"Other than a few enquiries we've received from customers buying toys for those under the 'age 1 and below' category, business is brisk as usual at this time of the year," said a supervisor of a top toy chain in Kuala Lumpur who declined to be named.

Mattel's sales, which mainly constitutes China-made products here, also continue to be strong.

Even the news of six children in Australia slipping into a coma after swallowing China-made toy beads coated with a substance similar to the liquid psychotropic drug Ecstasy, has not affected the shopping frenzy here.

"I would say that consumers are not shying away from our products," said Mattel Southeast Asia marketing manager, Cheok Ching Won.

Some parents, like housewife Stephanie Ng, 35, feel the issue of the safety of China-made toys has been blown out of proportion.

"I think everyone's just making a big fuss. China has been making so many products for so many years, why did such safety issues surface only recently?

"I think it's a big conspiracy to discredit China-made products."

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2110965/Article/index_html

KUALA LUMPUR: The end is near for scratch-and-win schemes. The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry wants to ban it.

2007-12-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal said most scratch-and-win transactions were scams and were of no benefit to the people.

“I have instructed my officers to look into the legality of banning it. They have to look into it from the legal, implementation and malpractice aspects.

Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal (left) says money is often taken in advance, while Darshan Singh says directors of errant companies should be hauled up.

“If it is proven that there is a basis for it to be banned, I will do it. I have a strong feeling it will be made illegal but it must be justified,” he told the New Straits Times.

Shafie's stand comes in the wake of an alarming number of cases across the nation of people being cheated of thousands of ringgit in scratch-and-win scams.
The high number caused the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) to propose a prohibition on the sale of products worth more than RM500 via direct selling. It had also called for scratch-and-win transactions to be made illegal.

Shafie said the NCCC's proposal was being considered.

“All this is part and parcel of what I've instructed my officers to look into. We are also looking at other aspects such as the type of products and verification from the Health Ministry.

“We want to make sure that all products sold through direct selling are safe for consumers.

“They take money from the consumer in advance before giving them the product.

“I want a comprehensive approach to the whole direct-selling industry,” he said.

Under Section 23(1)(b) and 25(4) of the Direct Sales Act 1993, no money can be collected in a direct sale transaction for 10 days from the date of the contract.

This is called the “cooling-off” period but many companies collect the money upfront.

The Consumer Claims Tribunal under the ministry and non-governmental organisations such as the NCCC have been inundated with complaints of this nature.

NCCC director Darshan Singh said anything sold from a place other than a fixed place of business, as well as phone calls inviting you to a place of business to entice you to enter a monetary transaction, fell under the term “direct selling".

This, said Darshan, covered time-sharing membership packages as well as scratch-and-win transactions.

“From the time of signing a direct sale contract, the vendor should not accept any money till the end of the 10-day period.

“But all of them accept money on the spot because they know their customers would have a change of heart if they had time to think the offer through. It's also because they know no action will be taken against them,” he said.

Even if the consumer waives his right to the 10-day period, money can only be collected after 72 hours from the date of transaction, according to section 25(3) of the Act.

Darshan said since the transaction was illegal from the start, the consumer was entitled to his money back.

“The worst part is that the transaction is concluded via credit cards and these transactions can only be cancelled by the merchant.

“So, the consumer cannot stop the transaction even if he has a change of heart.”

He feels directors of the violating companies must be arrested, charged and prosecuted.

“Usually, the offender is compounded a few thousand ringgit while victims are cheated on average of RM5,000 to RM6,000 per person. The compound fine is nothing to the offender who may have made millions of ringgit by then.

“If the offender has two or three violations, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry revokes their licence. But these people would just register another company to carry on the same business.

“The act now is only used by the ministry to collect the charges imposed to issue licences and the compound fines collected for violations. Consumer protection has been neglected,” said Darshan.

Source: NST Online

Diabetes: Control daily sugar intake

2007-12-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

By : S.M. MOHAMED IDRIS, for Consumers' Association of Penang

DIABETES cases in the country are reaching alarming proportions.
At the Dewan Rakyat last week, it was mentioned that at least 11 out of every 100 Malaysians suffer from this disease. Over the last five years, there has been a 27 per cent increase in the number of diabetes cases.

The number of children afflicted with diabetes is also showing an upward trend, with 1,305 cases reported in 2004 compared with 837 in 1999.

Diabetes Type 2 is strongly linked to high sugar consumption and obesity. In view of our country's alarming diabetes rate, which is expected to rise steadily, urgent steps need to be taken.

The Consumers' Association of Penang urges the Health Ministry to work with other ministries to take the following action:
- To require manufacturers to amend their labels to show the amount of sugar in their food. This information must be understood easily by consumers. The sugar content could be shown graphically in terms of the number of teaspoons of sugar. (One teaspoon is equivalent to 5g.)

The guideline on sugar consumption is that it should not exceed 50g a day.

Daily sugar intake can come from many sources. CAP has found that some products, such as certain brands of fizzy drinks, contain about seven teaspoons of sugar.

The consumption of just one can of this drink in a day will result in a person's sugar consumption almost reaching the maximum limit. With this improved labelling, consumers can see the amount of sugar they are consuming and adjust their habits accordingly.

- To institute a "traffic light" labelling to boost consumer awareness.

This scheme has been shown to be effective in enabling consumers to assess the nutrient levels in a product and also allows for comparison between products.

This traffic light system will provide information not only on the level of sugar in food products but also other ingredients of concern, such as saturated fats, trans fats and salt.

Under this scheme, red, orange and green colour-coding will indicate whether the levels of these ingredients of concern are high, medium or low.

The red, orange or green signals on food packaging will serve alert consumers instantly. It will prompt manufacturers to formulate healthier versions of their products.

- To remove vending machines dispensing junk food and sugary drinks from schools and hospitals.

- To halt advertisements of highly-sugared junk food and drinks during children's television viewing hours. Norway, Australia and Sweden have taken action in this area.

- To encourage children to avoid sweet drinks by providing water dispensers in school. Sweet drinks should not be sold in school canteens so that children learn to select water as the first-choice drink.

- To ban the sale of junk food, which includes products with high sugar content, in school canteens.

Hawking of food within a fixed perimeter around schools should be banned so that schoolchildren are not tempted to buy and eat unhealthy foods.

- To require that supermarkets control the easy availability of sweets and other unhealthy food at check-out counters where customers are stationary for a long period. There is added temptation for impulse buying at this time, especially when pestered by children.

Parents must play their role in ensuring that highly-sugared products and sweets are not stocked in their homes.

An environment that is conducive for individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices should be created.

This is critical when it comes to the younger generation.

Source: NST

BANNED with immediate effect

2007-12-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

A 'victory for consumers' as Ministry gets tough on scratch-and-win contests, but beware of new scams.

KUALA LUMPUR: It is the end of the road for scratch-and-win contests. The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry is also setting up a task force to book those running get-rich-quick schemes and direct-selling scams.

Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal said the enforcement unit would go after companies which continued offering scratch-and-win schemes.

These companies risk losing their licences.

"We are also coming down hard on multi-level marketing companies involved in such scams. We are doing this to protect consumers.
"These schemes are mostly scams and benefit no one," Shafie said.

The ministry said scratch-and-win contests had been abused by several companies, which had represented themselves as direct-selling firms.

"They offer many attractive prizes like cash, cars, motorbikes, household items and holiday packages."

It said 20 direct-selling companies had their licences revoked for conducting scratch-and-win activities between 2005 and October.

"Many complaints have been received on get-rich-quick schemes, lucky draws and scratch-and-win tactics.

The statement said 2005 saw 1,571 cases filed with the Consumer Claims Tribunal, 241 complaints lodged with the police and 1,066 at the Public Complaints Bureau.

Between 2005 and September last year, the ministry's enforcement division seized more than RM4 million worth of goods involving 145 scratch-and-win cases.

In an interview with the New Straits Times on Oct 1, Shafie had indicated the possibility of banning scratch-and-win contests.

He was quoted as saying that he had instructed his officers to look into the matter.

They would look into it from the legal, implementation and malpractice aspects.

Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk N. Marimuthu welcomed the move.

"We want the ministry to learn something from this and not wait till people lose millions."

Marimuthu added that even though scratch-and-win contests had been banned, the ministry should keep tabs on the direct-sales industry.

"Sometimes, the industry is more intelligent than the regulators and will come up with new scams."

National Consumer Complaints Centre director Darshan Singh described the ministry's move as a "victory for consumers".

"With this, we hope that there will be no more problems arising out of scratch-and-win contests."

Consumer Claims Tribunal chairman Rungit Singh said the move was timely due to the large number of cases filed with the tribunal.

"This business cuts across all walks of life, affecting consumers of various backgrounds. It's timely the law has stepped in to stop it."

"Although the tribunal has been bringing companies to book, a ban will send a clear signal that such a transaction is not allowed by law."

The public should contact the ministry at 1-800-886-800, SMS 32255 or email e-aduan.kpdnhep.gov.my, if they come across scratch-and-win contests.

source: The New Straits Times

Malay Mail : Four report losses in water machine schemes

2007-12-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

FOUR men thought they would make some money by investing in water vending machine schemes operated by three companies. Lured by promises of quick returns, as well as claims by the companies that they had ties to prominent organisations like MSC Malaysia, the men pumped in money into the business.
However, all were left ruing their naivety when they were saddled with losses.

One of the investors, business man Jonathan Toh claimed that he signed up after being con vinced that he would get a profit of not less than RM3,000 from three machines.

“The company had promised me that they would place the ma chines in the Johor port, where I can generate high profits. However, they placed the machine elsewhere and I did not get the promised income,” claimed Toh, who lost RM90,000 in the ven ture. Ganesan Krishnan, another in vestor, claimed that he was even threatened by the company when he asked for his RM11,066 refund.

“They had promised to place my machine at a factory in Petaling Jaya where I was supposed to be able to earn RM450 a day. In stead, they placed it near a coffee shop in Bandar Sunway.

“I then received notices from the coffee shop owner, asking me to pay for rent and water bills. I asked the company for a refund as I wasn’t happy with the arrangement.

“Instead, I received threatening phone calls from them,” he claimed, adding that he had lodged a police report on the alleged threats.

However, in the case of Khairul Annuar Aziz, from Cyberjaya, he claimed that the company turned the tables on him when he pestered them for a refund.

“When I asked for a refund, they claimed that the period had lapsed. I told them that I would lodge a police report against them but in stead, they lodged a report against me for supposedly threatening their workers.

“I’m not afraid because I know I am right. I have evidence to prove this,” claimed Khairul, who paid the company RM11,453 as a deposit.

The men lodged complaints at MCA Public Services and Complaint Department.

Department head Datuk Michael Chong said they have received 41 complaints from investors against the three water vending machine companies.

The losses, he said, totalled more than RM1 million.

Most of the investors became in volved in the schemes after re sponding to ads in newspapers or cold calls. “We have lodged reports with po lice and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry. It will be brought to the attention of police’s commercial crime unit,” he said.

The ministry’s senior assistant dir ector, Jeevananth Paliah, said they had raided one such company in Kuala Lumpur.

If found guilty, the company could be fined up to RM250,000 and its officers jailed no more than five years under the Direct Selling Act 1993.

“As they had approved potential investors through phone calls, they could be considered direct-sellers and they don’t have licences to op erate like that.”

The Star : Melamine ware safe to use, say producers

2007-12-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

PETALING JAYA: Food or drinks served in melamine ware are safe for consumption, said producers outraged by claims that melamine products are hazardous to health.

Denouncing the allegations, the Malaysian Plastics Forum said melamine wares are made of materials containing formaldehyde and had been tested for safety.

“Melamine ware products meet stringent standards for food and beverage contact materials,” said the MPF, quoting an endorsement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The group was responding to a report in The Star on Monday that quoted the Consumers Association of Penang as warning the public against using melamine tableware.

CAP claimed that regular ingestion of melamine, also known as thermo set plastic, could lead to cancer, skin allergies and blindness.

MPF said the news report had needlessly created fear among the public by suggesting health concerns that were not scientifically supported.

“The FDA adopts very high standards relating to health and safety and employs stringent tests to ensure that each item approved by the FDA complies with their standards.

“The health and safety of consumers is of paramount importance when considering materials to be used in packaging that would come into contact with food and beverage,” the MPF added in a statement here yesterday.

To further emphasise its point, it referred to several tests that met the specifications of the Standards and Industrial Research of Malaysia (Sirim) and similar authorities in Taiwan, the United States and Japan.

'Scratch and win' firms raided

2007-12-01T23:13:00.001-08:00

PUTRAJAYA: It was game over for two direct selling companies that allegedly drew consumers to their “scratch and win” scams.

A total of RM50,450 worth of goods were seized from the companies in Cheras and Kajang on Tuesday, following complaints by consumers that they had been fleeced by the companies.

The goods seized by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement officers included sewing machines, water purifiers, microcomputer stoves, vacuum cleaners and home theatre headphones.

Other items were a motorcycle, slimming belts, massage chairs and foot massagers.

Representatives of such companies usually approach prospective “winners” at their homes, shopping outlets and highway rest areas, offering them to scratch pieces of well-designed papers that depict the kind of gifts they could own.

However, the catch is they would have to first agree to put up a certain amount for the gifts.

The sum paid is usually higher than the cost of the goods that await the winners.

The ministry’s direct selling unit director, Ahmad Md Isa, said that in the recent cases in Cheras and Kajang, the complainants alleged they were asked to pay about RM7,000 to see their gifts.

Ahmad said that despite the many cases of people being cheated by such “scratch and win” scams over the years, there were still many victims.

Source: The Star

Poisonous Toothpaste Discovered In Chicago Stores

2007-12-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Illinois state inspectors say they have discovered a poisonous counterfeit brand of toothpaste in local Chicago stores.

As CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, inspectors for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan went out to 20 Chicago stores on Wednesday, and found 483 tubes of counterfeit Colgate toothpaste being sold in five Chicago stores. more

The Star : Some 18,000 cases lodged with complaints centre

2007-12-01T07:32:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: A whopping 18,000 complaints have been lodged with the National Consumer Complaints Centre since it was formed in 2004.

Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk S. Veerasingam said the figure was a cause for concern as it indicated certain business sectors were not sensitive in tackling consumer dissatisfaction.

Veerasingam said although it was a positive sign that Malaysians were aware of their rights, it was equally important for the corporate sector to be aware of its responsibilities.

“I am happy that the centre, in its inaugural report, has released these figures, as this will help the Government evaluate the situation and rectify any shortcomings.

“The ministry has been carrying out enforcement against traders and operators that violate consumer protection laws, and we will continue to take ongoing measures to ensure further improvements are made in the laws,” he said after launching a talk titled “The Current State of Malaysian Consumers: Holding Corporations Accountable” on Monday.

At the function, he also launched the centre’s inaugural report 2006.

Veerasingam added that unsatisfied consumers had, to date, registered 7,353 cases with the consumer tribunal court. The complaints mostly related to either shoddy services or items that did not meet standards.

He said the tribunal had heard about 82% or 6,030 cases out of the total figure.

The highest number of complaints was over housing developers, 1,578 complaints were lodged with the centre last year.

The second on the list was direct sales, 1,499 complaints were received.

NST - Consumers more aware of rights, says group

2007-12-01T07:26:00.001-08:00

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian consumers are now more rights savvy. From knowing when something like booking fees are illegal to whether a course is accredited or otherwise, consumers now know they have remedies if their rights are violated.

And proof of this is the whopping 18,345 complaints lodged at the National Consumer Complaints Centre last year.

And topping the list of complaints are those against housing developers (1,578), followed by direct sales complaints (1,499) and private higher education institutions (1,453).

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk N. Marimuthu said the main complaints regarding housing developers were those regarding booking fees.

He said buyers interested in buying a property would normally be asked to pay a booking fee to lock in the sale of the property.
The buyer, he said, might subsequently change his mind and, thus, request a refund of his money. This, said Marimuthu, was where the problem arose.

"Most of the time, the developer would refuse to refund the booking fee, saying booking fees were non-refundable.

"Believing that to be true, many consumers would not pursue the matter further, oblivious to the fact that the law does not allow for the collection of booking fees."

Marimuthu said this was provided for by Regulation 11(2) of the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Regulations 1989 which stipulates : " No housing developer shall collect any payment by whatever name called except as prescribed by the contract of sale (sale and purchase agreement)".

Therefore, said Marimuthu, it is illegal for any developer to collect any fees before the signing of the sale and purchase agreement.

Direct selling, he said, was also a major concern for NCCC with most complaints against scratch-and-win and time-share scams.

"The cooling-off period of 10 days is provided by the law for direct sale transactions. This is an important consumer protection provision that is particularly appropriate for door-to-door sales and telemarketing where the consumer's decision is in response to heavy sales pressure tactics or sudden impulses.

"However, there is a lack of notice given by sellers about cooling-off periods," he said.

Complaints against private higher education institutions, said Marimuthu, were mainly those regarding unfulfilled promises by the institutions.

"Unaccredited courses and those that were not recognised by the Public Service Department (PSD) were among the main consumer grievances.

"When students enrol for a programme, they are told the courses were accredited by the National Accreditation Board (LAN) and recognised by the PSD for employment purposes as well.

"They later find out this is not true and when they want to withdraw from the course, the institution would refuse to refund the money paid."

To inform and educate the relevant agencies, corporations and consumers in general, NCCC is organising a seminar entitled "The Current State of Malaysian Consumers: Holding Corporations Accountable" and for the first time launching and making available its 2006 annual report on Nov 27.

The report, said Marimuthu, would inform corporations about the kind of problems their consumers face. The seminar would also show consumers what to beware of.

Those interested in attending the seminar and obtaining the report can contact 03-7877 9000/ 7874 8096, or log on to NCCC's website at www.nccc.org.my.

Publish Names Of Errant Traders

2007-12-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR : The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations wants the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to blacklist and post in its website or publish in newspapers the names of traders who raise the price of flour, which is a price-controlled item.

Its president Datuk N. Marimuthu said the Government should also impose the maximum fine on errant traders to deter others.

"Posting the names on the website will enable consumers to boycott the errant traders," he said yesterday.

"A RM200 or RM300 fine does not hurt their pockets. They may even increase the price further," he said when asked to comment on some traders increasing the price of flour despite the government's decision to retain the price at RM1.35 per kilo.

The Price Control Act provides for a maximum fine of RM15,000 or two year's jail or a compound fine of RM7,500 for individual offenders and RM25,000 for companies.

The increase in flour price was reported to have caused a sharp rise in the price of burger buns to RM7 for a packet of 40 early this month for RM5 previously, causing the price of burgers to go up.

source - BERNAMA

Doing Away With One-sen Coin Payment

2007-12-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: It is no joke, but by April Fool's Day next year, you will not have to use the one-sen coin anymore.

This is because the Government's rounding mechanism for over-the-counter transactions will be fully implemented by April 1. All payment totals will either be rounded up or down to the nearest five sen.

For example, if the total amount to be paid is RM82.01 or RM82.02, it will be rounded down to RM82. However, if the total that has to be paid is RM82.03 or RM82.04, it will be rounded up to RM82.05.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal said this move would benefit consumers, businesses and the Government.

“It will be more convenient for both parties. Businesses will no longer have to handle the coins or ensure a ready supply, while consumers will also not have to worry about carrying the coins,” he said.

“On top of that, the Government will save RM18mil which it spends yearly to mint these coins.”

Shafie said talks were already under way with major retailers to recalibrate their cashier machines so that receipts issued would have an extra two lines denoting either a rounding up or rounding down.

“It will also not affect the current price structure. Businesses can continue to charge RM29.99 or other odd numbers they are currently using,” he said.

He said most of the one sen coins ended up unused and many consumers were not particular about the coin when they get them in change and that this was “an economic wastage.”

Bank Negara assistant governors Lilian Leong and Datuk Mohd Nor Mashor said there was a substantial amount of deliberation before the decision was made to implement the mechanism.

Leong said they chose not to demonetise the one-sen coin immediately because they wanted to take a gradual approach.

Leong said Bank Negara could reduce its production of the coin and once the market has “settled”, a proposal could be made withdraw the coin as legal tender.

Mohd Nor added that the one-sen coin would continue to be legal tender and that businesses would have to accept it as payment up to a limit of RM2.

Asked about the effect this mechanism would have on charities which rely on one-sen coins for their income, Shafie said he expected them to get even greater contributions as people would start giving five-sen coins.

Malaysian Retailers Association president Toh Peng Koon said the move would help reduce some costs related with the handling and transportation of the coin while also reducing the reliance on it.

“There have been shortages of the coin before and now this will no longer be an issue,” he said, adding that it costs RM3 for handling charges for one bag of coins and RM60 per trip that was made.

Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia representative Datuk Hashim Othman said most of the items sold at petrol stations were already rounded up but that he would suggest to the Government to allow them to recalibrate their petrol pumps.

“We will suggest to them to allow us to make it such that the pump stops at multiples of five sen. This would mean, for example, it would stop at RM20.05 or RM20.10,” he said.

Fomca communications director Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman said the move by the Government was a positive one and was one the federation had been calling for.

National Consumers Complaints Centre director Darshan Singh went a step further and called for the one sen to be demonetised immediately so that retailers could not prey on consumers with their “99-sen gimmick”.

source : The Star