Key lime pie

Made this pie for the VERY first time on Saturday night. It's Dawn's favourite- that's why I made it. We had dinner at Dawn and Tom's place! It was a huge success... I thought it was pretty darn DDDDD-LISH, myself! The recipe is SUPER easy, so if you like lime- try it! You won't be sorry!

KEY LIME PIE Recipe

Ingredients:

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:

1 1/4 cup (125 grams) graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING:

3 large egg yolks
One 14 - ounce (390 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (120 grams) key lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest

TOPPING:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven.

Graham Cracker Crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a well greased 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.

Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until you have a light and fluffy mixture (4-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the lime juice and zest.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerator until serving time. (The pie can be made to this point and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.) Just before serving make the whipping cream.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Either pipe or place mounds of whipping cream on top of the filling.

Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart.

*Note: Pictures are not my own, taken from the internet.

SariWangi Mobil Mudik 2008

Pada program ini SariWangi menggandeng Toyota Kijang Innova sebagai mitra. Rencananya, 100 keluarga akan diberangkatkan dari 35 kota di Indonesia secara gratis.

“Sesuai dengan tema perayaan ulang tahun ke-35, program ‘SariWangi Mobil Mudik 2008’ akan diberangkatkan dari 35 kota di Indonesia, antara lain dari Jabodetabek, Bandung, Surabaya, Pekanbaru, sampai dengan Medan. Seiring dengan perjalanan suksesnya, SariWangi ingin selalu menjadi inspirasi bagi keluarga Indonesia karenanya lokasi pemberangkatan pun diperluas menjadi 35 kota”, tambah Nanang.


Program Sariwangi Mobil Mudik berlangsung sejak 1 Agustus sampai 11 September. Seluruh masyarakat Indonesia dapat berpartisipasi dalam program ini dengan mengirimkan 1 (satu) kotak kosong SariWangi Asli isi 25 dan menuliskan identitas pengirim serta kota keberangkatan dan kota tujuan mudik mereka ke PO BOX Sariwangi JKT 10000. Pemenang akan diundi pada tanggal 12 September 2008. SariWangi menyediakan 1 (satu) unit mobil Toyota Kijang Innova, supir, uang saku untuk keperluan membeli bensin yang akan mencukupi selama perjalanan mudik, uang tol, dan juga makanan serta minuman.Masing-masing pemenang berhak menikmati fasilitas tersebut selama 1 (satu) minggu terhitung dari 28 September hingga 5 Oktober 2008. Selama perjalanan mudik, tersedia pos-pos jaga Toyota dimana peserta dapat berhenti untuk beristirahat .

Saddleback catepillar

These are photos I grabbed off of Google Images when I was doing a search to find out what this crazy looking creature was! I didn't know this little guy existed! Really cool and very odd looking at the same time!

MUDIK LEBARAN GRATIS

Mudik di hari lebaran dan dapat merayakannya bersama keluarga besar di daerah asal menjadi rencana setiap orang yang merayakannya. Bayangan jalanan dengan antrian yang teramat panjang, harga atau biaya perjalanan yang pasti naik, penuh sesak dan saling berebutan untuk bangku di kendaraan umum ...., semua sangat paham pasti melelahkan dan penuh perjuangan. Alangkah indahnya bisa mudik dengan nyaman dan Gratis atau cuma-cuma pula ....sehingga Tabungan + THR masih utuh ....,

Pada kesempatan ini saya akan berbagi berbagai informasi dari beberapa perusahaan yang memberikan kesempatan "MUDIK GRATIS" di 2008.


PT HOLCIM
Nama Program : "Berkat Anda, ia bisa mudik cuma-cuma"
Cara pendaftaran : - Isi formulir pendaftaran (bisa didapatkan di berbagai koran)
kompas hari ini dan dapat di ambili di sini download here
- Tanda tangan pemilik rumah/toko bangunan
- Kirim ke PO BOX 99 JKTM 12700
- Disediakan 5000 seat

Syarat dan ketentuan : Ajang ini untuk Ahli Bangunan,informasi lebih lanjut di 021-27507788, atau kunjungi clik here.
Bila anda mempunyai langganan ahli bangunan atau mengenal seorang yang berprofesi ahli bangunan, tidak ada salahnya bila kita ikut mendaftarkannya.

Top 10 Most Practical Blogs for Entrepreneurs

Learning from expert,this is the most Top 10 Practical Blog for Entrepreneurs ...

1. Small Business Trends
Anita Campbell looks at the latest trends affecting small businesses and entrepreneurs. A must-read for entrepreneurs.
click here

2. Just for Small Business
Full of thought-provoking tips for small business owners from Denise O'Berry, I like this blog because the topics are often unexpected - not your usual small business fare.
click here

3. WorkHappy
Carson McComas lives up to this blog's subtitle of "killer resources for entrepreneurs" by providing links and reviews of "killer" applications and other resources to help entrepreneurs work smarter, not harder.
click here

4. Duct Tape Marketing
John Jantsch delivers 2-3 small business marketing tips weekly in easily digestible, actionable bite-size chunks.
click here


5. The Entrepreneurial Mind
Jeff Cornwall, Director of the Belmont University Center for Entrepreneurship, looks at tends in small business and entrepreneurship and their impact on individual business owners.
www.drjeffcornwall.com

6. BizzBangBu
Pittsburgh attorney, delivers excellent commentary and some original posts on the challenges facing emerging growth companies, with particular emphasis on legal issues.
bizzbangbuzz.blogspot.com

7. Business Opportunities Weblog

Dane Carlson mixes links and commentary on legitimate business opportunities with his thoughts and personal experiences regarding entrepreneurship.
www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/danec/

8. Go BIG Blog
9-time serial entrepreneur Wil Schroter, founder of the Go BIG Network, a networking site that helps growth-oriented entrepreneurs connect with investors, suppliers, co-founders and employees, uses his "no-BS" approach to tell entrepreneurs the way it really is that you won't read in the books.

www.gobignetwork.com

9. Young Entrepreneur Journey
Michael Simmons, bestelling author of The Student Success Manifesto explores what he calls "Extreme Entrepreneurship". It's a new blog, but the content is already outstanding.
www.successmanifesto.com/blogs/young-entrepreneur/

10. Startup Spark
Ben Yoskovitz provides a steady supply of business tips, plus some in-depth discussion of things like entrepreneurial passion, social entrepreneurship and dealing with business failure. Startup Spark also hosts the new Carnival of Entrepreneurs.
www.instigatorblog.com/
Source:
www.alltop10.net/computer-and-internet/tips/top-10-most-practical-blogs-forentrepreneurs.html
Authored by Scott Allen (October 24, 2005)
Website - www.smallbiztrends.com

10 Ponsel Terlaris di Bulan Juli 2008

Produsen elektronik portabel asal Swedia, Krussel telah mengumumkan kembali 10 ponsel paling laku di pasaran dunia pada bulan Juli 2008. Bulan ini merupakan kali pertama Nokia tidak berada di urutan teratas. Posisi Nokia digantikan oleh Apple iPhone sebagai ponsel paling laku bulan Juli ini. Sedangkan vendor asal Finlandia tersebut harus rela menempati posisi kedua, khususnya bagi seri Nokia 3109.

iPhone boleh menjadi ponsel paling laku di seluruh dunia karena Apple hanya menyediakan satu seri iPhone di pasar dunia. Oleh karena itu, dalam daftar kali ini, Nokia dan Sony Ericsson cukup bersaing ketat dengan jumlah kadidat seri ponsel yang sama, empat jenis.

Mungkin, daftar Krussel kali ini pun bisa dibilang sebagai daftar dengan jumlah merk paling sedikit yang pernah mereka publikasikan. Pasalnya selain Nokia, Apple dan Sony Ericsson, hanya LG yang berani bertengger di 10 daftar tersebut. Bahkan LG menmpati posisi paling akhir.

"Peluncuran ponsel iPhone 3G dari Apple memberikan dampak yang cukup signifikan dalam penjualan unit ponsel di seluruh dunia pada bulan Juli dan Juni. Namun bulan ini, penjualan ponsel akan tertuju pada dua buah ponsel pendatang baru dari Sony Ericsson yang kami prediksi akan menduduki posisi empat besar dalam daftar tersebut," ujar Managing Director Krusell Ulf Sandberg, seperti dikutip dari Cellular News, Senin (11/8/2008).

Daftar ponsel paling laku ini selalu dikeluarkan Krusell secara rutin setiap bulan. Data ini diambil berdasarkan jumlah spesifik ponsel dan smartphone yang telah diorder para vendor melalui Krusell.

Berikut daftar ponsel paling laku di dunia berdasarkan data Krusell,

1. (1) Apple iPhone
2. (5) Nokia 3109
3. (3) Nokia E51
4. (4) Nokia 6300
5. (-) Sony Ericsson C902
6. (-) Sony Ericsson C702
7. (7) Nokia N95 8 GB
8. (8) Sony Ericsson K810i
9. (9) Sony Ericsson K530i
10. (6) LG KU990

Sumber: OKEZONE.COM

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine!

Two things I SWEAR BY! If you ever have the occasion to try either, or both... I HIGHLY recommend it.. It cured my asthma, and really helped with my severe PMS symptoms/menstrual stuff, back pain when I had acute pain from a herniated disc... If you find someone good.. He becomes your best friend... Kind of like a saviour, too.... Here's mine... Dwayne Lee, my wonderful acupuncturist in San Diego.. I can really say that the treatments he did over the three years that I did acupuncture were highly effective... Here's his website... He opened an incredible place in Del Mar, California called... Affinity Wellness.

The faces of Buddha...

Though I am not technically a Buddhist, I do share in so many of the Buddhist philosophies...

I liked this lemur in a meditative pose (I know it's silly, but it's cute)....

Photos taken from the web.

Competitive Advantage

In today's economy, big and small businesses are seeking every opportunity to win sales through competitive advantages. Smart owners of small business know a sales strategy can create a competitive advantage.

Selling consists of two main functions: tactics and strategy. Sales strategy is the planning of sales activities: methods of reaching clients, competitive differences and resources available. Tactics involves the day-to-day selling: prospecting, sales process, and follow-up.

The tactics of selling are very important but equally vital is the strategy of sales. The advantages are too compelling to ignore.

Competitive Advantages of Strategic Sales Planning

1. Increased closing ratio by knowing clients hot buttons

2. Improved client loyalty by understanding needs

3. Shorten the sales cycle with outside recommendations

4. Outsell competitors by offering the best solution

Triple-tiered Sales Strategy

The development of any type of plan begins with research. The insight gained for a competitive advantage comes from the marketplace not from your mind. The approach to use is what I call "Triple-tiered Sales Strategy". Look at your client and the outside influences on their business. Approach all three tiers to understand your customer.

Tier 1: Associations: What associations does your target customer belong to? Contact the membership director and establish a relationship not for selling but to understand their member's needs.

Tier 2: Suppliers: Identify non-competitive suppliers who sell to your customer. Learn their challenges and look for partnering solutions.

Tier 3: Customer: Work directly with your customer and ask them what their needs are and if your business may offer a possible solution.

An excellent example of developing a "triple-tiered sales strategy" is a story of a small accounting firm. This firm decided to target independent truck drivers for accounting services.

The competition for this firm was a big accounting company. This small business approached the truck drivers association and learned that one concern of their membership was receiving financing for a new vehicle.

A discussion with the suppliers of trucks, revealed financing was only approved after the truckers supplied financial statements. The financials were often prepared by a large accounting firm who set appointments on their time and in their office.

The pieces of the puzzle were now coming together. The customer was the last piece of critical information. Truckers were frustrated by the inconvenience of visiting an accounting firm because of the time they spend on the road. The best solution was to bring the accounting service to the customer on their terms and time.

The small accounting office had defined a clear sales strategy: offer in-home financial statement preparation for truck drivers seeking financing through truck manufacturers. All sales leads would be referred from the supplier. This strategy was a win-win for the association, the supplier, the customer and the accounting firm.

The moral of the story is to gain a competitive advantage by looking at both sides of the equation, tactics and strategy.

Use the triple-tiered approach to win business and outsell the big companies in your market.

Successfully Marketing Online

Following are 20 keys to successfully marketing your product, service, and business online.

1. Have a professional, easy-to-navigate, quick-loading design. Hire a professional design firm or at least use a good site template.
2. Have lots of quality related content.
3. Build lots of links to your Web site.
4. Build credibility and rapport.
5. E-mail newsletter with quality content and send it out at least once per month.

6. If you are selling a product, have an affiliate program.
7. Once you have an affiliate program, don't forget to promote it.
8. Do whatever you can do profitably to attract large affiliates and form key strategic alliances.
9. Position yourself advantageously in the search engines.
10. Use cost-per-click (CPC) engines, but make sure you know the lifetime value (LTV) of your customers and that you do return-on-investment (ROI) checks often.
11. Supplement your affiliate advertising with both online and traditional advertising, but track results and always do ROI checks.
12. Advertise using CPM channels to build brand recognition, but put profitability before brand recognition.
13. Offer yourself as a resource to the media as an expert in your niche.
14. Hire a great publicity firm or bring an experienced publicist in-house.
15. Use autoresponders to maintain constant contact with prospective customers.
16. Remember that business is all about relationships and communication. Always work to build more relationships, and once they are built, make sure you are in continuous contact with your prospects, customers, strategic alliances, suppliers, investors, and the media.
17. Encourage word of mouth among your customers.
18. Have superior customer service and have staff to answer all incoming e-mails within 24 hours.
19. Send out periodic e-mail follow-ups making sure your customers are happy and asking them for feedback on your product and the service your company has provided.
20. Blog frequently with quality content.

from the book Zero to One Million by Ryan P. Allis

Brain Power

Berawal dari sebuah diskusi kecil dengan sobat Faisal dan Wury di Solaria Bekasi dimana membicarakan Mindset dan Attitude, terdorong rasa hati untuk mencoba belajar kembali tentang Kekuatan sebuah Pikiran.


Berfikir atau pikiran (thingking) adalah kekuatan dasar yang dimiliki oleh manusia yang dapat mempengaruhi alam semesta. Semua yang berkaitan dengan pengetahuan, kesehatan, rasa aman, kepribadian, kebahagiaan bahkan kesuksesan tiada lain bersumber dari hasil pikiran. Dengan berfikir muncul berbagai gagasan spektakuler serta sangat menakjubkan yang turuk membentuk peradaban umat manusia selama ini.

Brain Power adalah sebuah pengetahuan tentang pikiran manusia, bagaimana memberdayakannya, dan mempelajari bagaimana mengubah mindset negatif menjadi positif. Mengapa mindset positif ? Dengan mindset positif, manusia bisa mencapai berbagai prestasi dan keunggulannya sebagai manusia. Mindset positif adalah modal dasar untuk menembus sebuah limitasi anggapan keterbatasan diri.
secara umum struktur otak manusia itu sama satu dengan yang lainnya. Jadi potensi yang kita miliki sama dengan yang dimiliki oleh Einstein, Alva Edison, dan orang-orang hebat lainnya, jadi mengapa kita tidak bisa seperti mereka.

Brain power artinya kekuatan pikiran. Pengertiannya hampir sama dengan NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programing) yakni pengetahuan yang membelajari bagaimana memprogram bahasa otak sehingga kita mampu memberdayakan kekuatan pikiran kita.
Dalam sistem jiwa, otak dibagi menjadi otak kiri dan kanan.

Otak Kiri
Orang yang menggunakan otak kiri biasanya bekerja di bidang eksak, seperti para insinyur, dokter, dan IT. Kekuatan otak kiri umumnya adalah sbb : berorientasi pada fakta, logis/rasional, analisa, serial, tahap demi tahap, suka angka-angka, aktif, tegas, dan deduktif.


Otak Kanan
Orang yang menggunakan otak kanan biasanya bekerja di bidang seni seperti pelukis, wartawan, pengarang, pemain musik, penari menggunakan otak kanan. Kekuatan otak kiri umumnya adalah sbb : spontanitas, suka berimajinasi, kreatif, reseptif, suka warna, suka suara, visioner, perasa dan peran bawah sadar sangat kuat.

Fakta Tentang Otak Manusia :
Bentuknya jelek, mirip jeruk purut, dengan bobot sekitar + 1,3 sd 1,75 kg. Ada jutaan sungai darah kecil dan rumit yang menyebar keseluruh otak. Dengan ratusan milyar simpul atau sel syaraf. Ada 10 juta – 200 juta neuron (sel otak terkecil). 1 neuron bisa disetarakan dengan komputer tercanggih saat ini. Mampu menampung 70-100 trilyun citra dan pola pikir tidak terhingga. (setara dengan 500 eksiklopedia). Ada 7milyar maghnet mikroskopik (1/1000 ons). Otak manusia punya kemampuan 10.000 kali kemampuan komputer. Kalau terlatih baik kemampuannya bisa sampai 1 juta kali komputer.

Pikiran sadar dan bawah sadar
Sedangkan pemikiran, sebagai produk dari otak dibagi dalam pikiran sadar dan bawah sadar. Pikiran bawah sadar disebut (Inner Mind- Subconscious) sedangkan pikiran sadar disebut conscious. Pikiran bawah sadar adalah sebuah kekuatan luar biasa yang ada dalam diri manusia. Jika diumpamakan gunung di lautan, puncak gunung itu hanya 10% dari perut dan dasar gunung yang sebenarnya. Seperti itulah pikiran sadar, ia sebenarnya jauh lebih besar dibandingkan dengan pikiran sadar. Manusia umumnya baru menggunakan 10% kekuatan pikirannya. (Menurut informasi, kekuatan pikiran bawah sadar 30.000 kali kekuatan sadar. Namun saya belum sempat menelusuri lebih lanjut)

Pikiran sadar bereaksi dengan logika, pikiran bawah sadar bereaksi dengan imajinasi. Pikiran bawah sadar bekerja jika Anda diminta membayangkan.Pikiran bawah sadar percaya apa pun yang Anda katakan. Pikiran bawah sadar tidak bisa membedakan mana yang fakta mana yang bohong, benar mana salah, mana baik mana buruk, mana imajinasi mana fakta.

Pikiran bawah sadar hanya mengerti bahasa gambar.
"Karena itulah, kata-kata yang bermakna abstrak dan tidak memiliki visualisasi akan diabaikan oleh pikiran bawah sadar, misalnya : "Jangan", "Tidak boleh" dll. (Balita dan anak-anak lebih dominan menggunakan bahasa gambar. Apa yang tergambar di dalam pikiran ketika dikatakan kepada anak-anak “Jangan Lari?” Ya jawabannya adalah visualisasi dari kegiatan berlari itu sendiri. Karena itulah ketika Anda melarang anak-anak "Jangan berlari", dia malah berlari. Hahahaha… )
Pernah anda alamikan : anak dibilang jangan eh malah di lakuin ....

Pertanyaan yang harus dikembangkan dalam NLP adalah How (bagaimana agar seseorang jangan melakukan sesuatu), bukan why (mengapa seorang melakukan sesuatu.)

Analogi dari cara kerja pikiran bawah sadar mirip dengan lampu aladin. Kita harus sering menggosoknya dengan informasi yang positif dan optimis agar visualisasi cita-cita kita serta terealisir. Bayangkan seandainya kita sering menggosoknya dengan informasi negatif ? (menonton infotainment gosip, berita kriminal, ramalan bintang, sinetron gak mutu dsb).

(Metode untuk menurunkan kondisi stress : relaxsasi, meditasi, berdoa, sholat, puasa, dll).

Akhir dari tulisan sederhana ini,semakin mampu seseorang dapat mengembangkan pikiran dan kerpibadian serta jiwa, makin siap pula seseorang itu memasuki dan menghadapi peristiwa besar dan pengalaman besar yang bakal menghadang perjalanannya di depan.

Semoga!

Sumber : Bahan Training NPL dan beberapa buku tentang Kekuatan sebuah pikiran

Myths of Sales Prospecting

Sales prospecting is a key activity for most sales driven small businesses. Take the time to revisit your assumptions about sales prospecting...the results will surprise you.





The 5 Myths of Sales Prospecting

Myth #1: Prospecting is sales.



This is the number one mistake made by small business owners and sales reps. Prospecting is a separate function from sales. Just as marketing is distinct from sales but closely linked.



Prospecting is simply discarding all the unqualified leads and retaining the "gold". The job of prospecting is to find qualified leads that may buy your product.

Only after this process is complete, should the selling begin.



Myth #2: Prospecting is a numbers game.



The old school of prospecting for business relies on contacting large numbers of cold contacts. However, quality supersedes quantity. You must find prospects that have a propensity and possible motive to buy your product or services.



I know of a large financial powerhouse, who provided sales reps with contact lists for mortgage and investments. The only problem was most prospects lived in a low income area and were highly unlikely to buy any financial product.



Myth #3: Scripts are for kids.



Many sales people insist on prospecting without any script. Scripting provides the framework of a successful prospecting campaign. It allows you to test what key benefits and qualifying questions work. The script must be personalized by the individual so the presentation does not sound "canned".



Myth #4: Prospecting takes time.



Prospecting takes only a few minutes to determine if the lead wants your benefits and can afford your company's product or service. Don't waste time on people unmotivated or unable to buy. Remember to focus on the "gold".



Myth #5: Close them on the appointment.



Far too many sales reps focus on setting the appointment. "Would Friday morning or afternoon, be better for you?" Next week only 20% of appointments show. What went wrong?



Prospects will sometimes find it easier to agree to an appointment rather than saying they are not interested. If a prospect is remotely interested, then offer a much subtler approach...send them an information package. This allows you to build interest and turn the lead from warm to hot.



Sales prospecting done right can have a huge impact on your sales revenue. It doesn't take an armor suit and great courage to deal with the fear of rejection during prospecting. Just keep an open mind to challenge the old school of sales and the myths of prospecting.

24 DAILY HABITS

Posted by Peter

"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us" - John Dryden

I have previously written about how the habit of Exercising Every Day has helped me tremendously. Doing something every day is such a powerful way to form a habit that I thought I would make a list of 24 habits that are worth doing on a daily basis.

Note: I have divided these into morning, day and night although some could obviously be under different headings

The Morning

1. Wake Early: I am a big fan of waking at 5am and spending time working on myself before going to work. I have written more about this habit here.

2. Exercise: when I had the goal of exercising 4 times a week I found it was very easy to tell myself I will exercise tomorrow instead. Setting the expectation of daily exercise removed this as a potential excuse and I have since reaped the benefits of this daily habit.


3. Review or (even better) Rewrite Your Goals: each day I try to get closer to achieving my short, medium and long term goals. Starting the day by reviewing or rewriting my goals means that I have better awareness of them throughout the day. As Robin Sharma says:

With better awareness you can make better choices and when you make better choices, you will see better results.

4. Read and/ or Listen to Motivational Material: in the morning a whole day of endless possibilities lies ahead. I motivate myself to play my best game by reading and listening to inspirational books/ audiobooks.

5. Visualise the Day Ahead: I like to take a few minutes to shut my eyes and visualise what I want happen in the coming day. It’s amazing how often my desires become reality when I do this.

6. Write a “To Do” list: I like to write out a list in my diary of the important tasks I need to do that day. As they are completed I put a line through them. So simple, yet so effective.


7. Check the News Headlines: I think it’s important to have an idea of what is happening in our community and the world. Also if don’t at least check the main stories, I find it is easy to feel left out of conversations throughout the day.

8. Take a Multivitamin: I try to eat a well balanced diet, but taking a multivitamin daily reassures me that I obtaining the proper amount of vitamins and minerals that I need (**Update: see comments).

9. Tidy Up: a cluttered house can lead to a cluttered mind and fuzzy thinking. I find it’s best to stay on top of things by tidying up each day.

10. Take Time to Look Good: it’s a reality of life that people judge us by our appearance. I take a few minutes each morning to ensure I go out into the world looking the best I can.


The Day

11. Put First Things First: Many people have their day controlled by tasks that are urgent , but not necessarily important. Examples include interruptions, some email and some phone calls. The habit of putting first things first is about organising and executing your life around your deepest priorities.

12. Connect with Nature: I find spending time outdoors in nature is great for my sense of wellbeing. I have written about this here.


13. Blog: blogging makes me think and write - two things that I can’t get enough of each day. I have written more about the benefits of blogging here.

14. Snack Well: I substitute the chips, candy and chocolate with fruit, vegetables (carrots and celery are great to chomp on) and nuts.

15. Be Proactive: being proactive means showing initiative and taking the responsibility to make things happen. Whenever I want something to happen, I ask myself: what can I do to make this happen?

16. Ping a Friend: I try to send a quick email or text to a friend each day. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends when I am extremely busy.

17. Save: I save at least 10% of each paycheck. A great way to find the money to save is to break it down to a daily amount, for example $10-15. By taking account of the Latte Factor I find it easy to save this much.


The Evening

18. Have Family Time: on a typical workday I won’t see much of my partner and son, so I believe it’s important to, at the very least, be there most evenings. Family time is about quantity and quality.


19. Floss: This is essential to reduce tooth decay and gum disease. Why wouldn’t you want to have the best smile possible?

20. Wind Down: I try to switch off the computer and the TV about 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime and let my brain have some down time after a long day. I sleep far more peacefully when I do this.

21. Review My Day: I find this is a great way to hold myself to account for taking action throughout the day. Did I get closer to achieving my goals? Did I complete my to do list? Did my day go as planned? If not, why not?

22. Read: I love to read and do so continuously throughout the day. I find it is especially good to read just before to going to bed. Just makes sure it’s a relaxing book, and not one about nuclear physics (see habit #20).

23. Say I Love You to My Family Members: don’t just assume that your family members know you love them. I say these words to my partner and son at least once per day.

24. Go to Bed At A Reasonable Time: the first habit of this list (waking early) begins by going to bed at a reasonable time and getting a good nights sleep.

Source :http://www.thechangeblog.com/24-daily-habits/

10 THINGS I LEARNED FROM INVESTING

Lesson 1 - Investment Advisors are Salespeople
Lesson 2 - No-Load may mean Hidden-Load
Lesson 3 - Commissions can Affect your Investments
Lesson 4 - Investment Advice is Rarely Objective
Lesson 5 - Taxes and Inflation are Part of the Equation
Lesson 6 - The Market Moves in Cycles
Lesson 7 - I’m Not Smarter than the Market
Lesson 8 - Diversification is More than Stocks and Bonds
Lesson 9 - Look for Value in your Investments
Lesson 10 - Buy Companies, not Stocks

By the pond...

Sunny sunflowers brighten my day!

     Yesterday was a day of silent mourning for me... Today is a new day, I feel blessed and I appreciate every day that I am alive and healthy... I thank you all for your sympathies and kind thoughts! It really helps bring the rays of sun in... Thanks, Leesa : )

Female Investors vs Male Investors

Female Investors vs Male Investors, who are better ?

In my view, female investors are better than male investors.
Female investors usually use their special skill to decide which invest tools to use. For example : Stock Trading.

Female investors use their special skill in shopping to decide which good stocks to invest. Female investors like to buy branded clothes at a discount price, so they usually invest money in blue chips stocks at discount price.

In the contrary, male investors usually buy cheap stocks at higher price. Why ? because they want to get rich quick. They think by buying cheap stocks in hot market, their profits would be higher.
But they forget one thing that the stocks are cheap because of a reason. So they must find out what the reason is before investing in cheap stocks.

I think female investor strategy is also used by world number one stock investor, Warren Buffet. So from now on, don't underestimate female investors, because we can learn from them.

Should I Cut Loss My Stocks

Should I Cut Loss My Stocks ? When ?
Do you have the same questions ?

The answer is it is depends on whether you are investing or speculating.

Stock speculation
If it is a speculation then you should cut loss your stock positions when the stock price decreases, the quicker the better. Please pay attention on your profit and cut loss level ratio.

Stock investment
If it is an investment, you shouldn't cut loss, even buy the stocks at lower price to do cost averaging. How about if the stock price decreases even more ? just keep the stocks and save them as long term investment or sell the stocks when you need the fund.

Investasi Aman di ORI 005

ORI atau "Obligasi Ritel Negara" 005 sedang ramai dibicarakan dan diberitakan, mari kita mengenal lebih jauh tentang Instrumen Investasi ini, yang memang diciptakan untuk mengakomodasi Investor pemula atau deposan dengan tawaran berbagai keuntungan.

ORI ini memiliki perbedaan dengan Obligasi yang diciptakan pemerintah untuk Institusi,

1. Bunga dibayarkan setiap bulannya yang sangat mirip dengan "deposito berjangka"

2. Kupon yang diberikan memberikan retrun atau imbal hasil lebih tinggi dari bunga deposito dan bunga SBI (Sertifikat Bank Indonesia).

ORI 005 ini memiliki tenor 5 tahun dan memberikan penetapan kupon sebesar 11,45%, pada periode sebelumnya nilai kupon ORI lebih tinggi dibandingkan SUN (Surat Utang Negara). Hal ini dikarenakan para analis, pengamat berpandangan bahwa hasil pendapatan Obligasi diperiode mendatang akan menurun seiring dengan : - penurunan nilai inflasi di tahun mendatang dan terjadinya penurunan harga minyak dunia.

Profil Investor ORI :

1. Pemilik dana individu yang ingin memperoleh hasil yang maksimal tetapi dengan resiko yang minimal. Mereka yang memiliki dana menganggur (idle) tetapi belum terbiasa dengan investasi jangka panjang. Banyak masayarakat kita sangat khawatir akan ketidak pastian akan masa mendatang. Sehingga Deposito berjangka menjadi pilihan dari banyak orang di Indonesia, walaupun dengan imbalan/hasil invesatasi yang rendah.

Deposito menjadi pilihan dikarenakan : pendapatan bunga tetap yang dapat diperoleh secara bulanan dan nilai pokok yang utuh, deposito sampai 100 juta dijamin oleh Lembaga Penjaminan Simpanan (LPS).
Bagaimana dengan ORI : sama dengan deposito, bunga bulanan di bayarkan (lebih tinggi dari Deposito) dan pokok akan dibayarkan pemerintah secara penuh pada saat jatuh tempoh, berapapun nilai pokok ORI investor akan dijamin oleh pemerintah (tidak hanya sd 100 juta seperti Deposito). Resiko gagal bayar bunga dan pokok ORI dapati dikatakan tidak ada.

2. Profil ke dua adalah pemilik dana yang ingin belajar ber investasi di pasar modal. ORI merupakan salah satu sarana belajar bagi para pemilik dana yang selama ini hanya pasif sebagai pemilik deposito untuk dapat masuk sebagai Investor di pasar modal.

Yang membedakan seorang Investor dengan seorang Penabung adalah dalam tujuan mengoptimalkan imbal hasil (return) atas dana yang dimilikinya. Wahana yang populer adalah Pasar Modal.

Untuk masalah likuiditas para agen penjual ORI siap menjadi "market maker" di pasar sekunder ORI. Para market maker ini bertugas untuk menyediakan likuiditas kepada pemegang ORI bilamana pada saat Investor ingin menjual sebahagian atau seluruh ORI yang dimiliki di pasar sekunder (sangat likuid) dapat dicairkan sebelum masa nya.

Kondisi ekonomi makro Indonesia yang masih sangat kondusif dan prospek inflasi yang akan turub di tahun 2009, Investasi ORI 005 merupakan kesempatan emas bagi para pemilik dana yang selama ini masih menyimpannya dalam bentuk deposito dengan tingkat suku bunga 11,45% vs SBI 9,27% vs Bunga Deposito anda (8%).

Bagaimana menurut anda ?

The Joli Times....

If you have not yet done so, now's as good a time as ever to check out our fav. family in Clairemont, Ca.... The Joli's (The Joli Times)!! Follow their month of savings and wonderful food photos as the family reduces their food bill drastically over a month's time!! They are great examples to us all!!! Go, Go... Joli's!!!

*Note:  Pictures for this post were taken by the Joli's.

Dampak Kenaikan Harga Elpiji

Pertamina mengumunkan kenaikan harga elpiji 12 kg dan 50 Kg, dalam situasi dan kondisi masyarakat saat ini yang sangat sulit, dimana dampak dari kenaikan BBM beberapa waktu kemarin saja sudah membuat kehidupan yang teramat sulit. Menaikkan harga elpiji banyak menuai kecaman, kritikan khususnya dari Ibu-ibu yang sudah sangat dipusingkan dengan tingginya biaya hidup sehari-hari.

Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia akan melakukan "Class Action" atas kebijaksanaan ini, meski pihak Pertamina sibuk mengeluarkan berbagai alasan dan pembenaran atas kebijaksanaan ini. Pihak Pertamina menerangkan bahwa "Proyek pengadaan elpiji" selama ini memberikan kerugian sebesar 6-7 Triliun setiap tahunnya. Elpiji yang secara hitungan harga pasar dunia seharusnya Rp. 11.400/kg harus dijual Pertamina dengan harga Rp. 4.000 s/d Rp 5.000/ kg, besaran nilai subsidi inilah yang dirasakan sangat memberatkan Pertamina. Pertamina sebagai Perusahaan Negara wajib menjalankan fungsi PSO (Public Service Obligation).

Kebutuhan konsumsi nasional untuk elpiji dikatakan 2,2 juta ton, Pertamina hanya mampu mengahasilkan 900.000 ton, jadi ada 1,3 juta ton yang harus dibeli Pertamina dari pihak ke-3 dengan harga pasar, kekurangan 1,3 juta ton tersebut terbagi : 900.000 ton dibeli dari dalam negri dan 400.000 ton di Impor dari Luar Negri yang pasti dengan harga Pasar yang berlaku.

Kewajiban Pertamina lainnya adalah memberikan deviden kepada Pemerintah, di tahun 2007 Pertamina memberikan deviden sebesar 11 Triliun kepada pemerintah.



Faktor diatas merupakan dasar dari kebijaksanaan untuk melepas harga elpiji dengan harga pasar kepada masyarakat, pengecualiannya hanya untuk elpiji yang ukuran 3 kg yang sampai saat ini masih disubsidi oleh Pemerintah. Pertamina berencana akan menaikkan harga elpiji secara bertahap Rp 500/kg setiap bulannya sehingga mencapai harga pasar atau harga ekonominya sebesar Rp 136.800 untuk elpiji ukuran 12 kg.

Bila kita perhatikan bahwa konsumen elpiji ukuran 12 kg adalah masyarakat kebanyakan atau pada umumnya. Pemerintah seharusnya tetap memberikan subsidi untuk ukuran elpiji 12 Kg yang diberitakan bahwa kosnsumsi nasional untuk elpiji ukuran 12 kg adalah sebesar 840.000 ribu ton, sehingga membutuhkan subsidi sebesar Rp. 4,75 Triliun.

Sungguh ironis dimana seiring dengan program konversi minyak tanah ke elpiji, terjadi kenaikan yang cukup tinggi untuk elpiji ukuran 12 kg, perbedaan harga yang cukup tinggi akan berdampak diserbunya elpiji ukuran 3 kg yang dapat menyebabkan kelangkaan dan bisa berakibat kembalinya masyarakat menggunakan minyak tanah. Saat ini kita melihat, mendengar mulai terjadi kelangkaan elpiji ukuran 3 kg, harga yang ada dipasar juga untuk ukuran 12 kg tidak seperti patokan pemerintah. Apakah akan terjadi antrian untuk mendapatkan minyak tanah kembali ?, seperti kejadian lampau, bisa tidak namun juga bisa iya !, bila masyarakat kembali berpaling ke minyak tanah.

Kondisi ini sangat berat bagi masyarakat, kebijaksanaan ini terasa kurang tepat, dimana menjelang puasa, harga-harga barang kebutuhan pokok telah terlebih dahulu naik. Kenaikan ini akan menjadi pendorong naiknya lagi harga-harga kebutuhan pokok masyarakat. Kenaikan ini juga bisa menaikkan kembali jumlah penduduk miskin, menurunnya daya beli masyarakat yang berdampak kepada pertumbuhan dunia usaha.

Dampak yang sangat besar dapat terjadi di masyarakat dan perlunya penanganan yang lebih serius dari pemerintah akan kebijakan ini. Kebijakan yang tepat sasaran dan tepat waktu adalah sangat diperlukan. Tambahan subsidi sebesar Rp 4,75 Triliun bukanlah menjadi suatu permasalahan besar dari Pemerintah Indonesia demi rakyatnya dalam tujuan untuk mengurangi tingkat kemiskinan dan pengangguran.

Salam

Restaurant "Tropic Garden" in St.-Paul lès-Dax

This resto. is in Saint-Paul lés-Dax.  It's the resto. that Sylvie told us about- Tropic Garden.  The former owner opened the restaurant in what was an old serre à papillions and changed it into a tropical jungle.  I think the story was that he lived or spent a lot of time in Cuba so he wanted to recreate the "tropical" atmosphere... It was great... very fun and you really had the impression that you were in a tropical rain forest...