I am a very bad student. I think since I was in primary school I tend to think this teacher of mine is nuts! I scrutinize my teacher’s pronunciation and general knowledge. Sometimes I pointed it out to the teacher and sometimes I don’t but either way, I must be such a pain in the ass didn’t I? Back to the presentation skills, luckily I never had any formal training on presentation so even when the trainer tend to say err.. err… sometimes when he speak, the content of his training materials make it up for his weaknesses and overall I think I learnt quite a bit of new things and benefited from the training.

At one point I wonder if I can do a public speaking training online as easy as we do our online computer training. E-learning solution is available in the form of either cd, intranet, or online training video courseware. Taking a self-study CBT training course allows us to work on our own PC or laptop when and where we want. Self-directed computer training video courses are self paced.

Since I cant enter the front door, I have been using the office back door that doesn’t need the card. The door used to be open by just a click of a button but now it requires a unique 4 digits number combination. They started to implement the security system after a few occasion when this weird dude kept on appearing and then my colleagues’ cellphones began missing.

That sneaky bastard is one sneaky bastard… pretending to be cleaners or delivery boy he entered the premise with a confident face and collected cellphones from our desks before disappearing. Since the door now cant be easily open, no more similar cases has happened.

The only thing that I think we are missing is home security cameras which in this case to be installed at our office. I am proposing for the admin dept to get some from Avalonix. Their home security cameras provide an affordable alternative for home consumers, do-it-yourselfers, businesses, and security camera installers to monitor their properties. Avalonix home security camera products make no sacrifice in quality, features, or durability. Their products are so awesome, it can even detect ME go missing!!

I just realized that I have been letting myself go lately. It started around 9 months BC (Before Child) and now I think I have one too far. I haven’t seen any significant changes to my body but I bet you would agree with me that prevention is better than cure.

Well in case you are asking, I HAVE started my health keeping regime – nope, not by exercising but by surfing. The internet. Haha!

But seriously this website is good! They have diet reviews and stuff but my favourite section is of course the exercise review. I got to find out about the latest and most objective information on thousands of exercise products and programs in the marketplace. Since there are so many health and beauty products out there, how do you choose the right one for you. Everyone is different, so how do you know what is going to fit your personality, lifestyle, and assure you the results you are looking for and deserve?

Sensational.com is the largest encyclopedia of health and exercise facts. Their reviews are based on the most current information available at the time of research, and updates on reviewed products as programs change. Now that I know so much on health and beauty can somebody gimme the motivation to implement those knowledge?

I remember when I was a teenager, my favourite bathroom was the guest bathroom at my friends house. The tiles was black in colour and she had potted plants that’s glorious green decorating the corner. At time time the usual color for bathrooms walls were pastels and I think my friend’s or rather her mom’s taste in home décor was great.
Though it was a long time ago, I still liked the idea today and maybe I will adopt the design in my own bathrooms.

On another note I went to Watson today to get some bathroom accessories and instead bought more makeup. I was looking for a three tier shelves for putting my toiletries but found none. This is horrible. I think I am just gonna shop online. Again!

The news goes like this…

David Pfahler, who was skiing at Beaver Creek last winter, claimed he and his wife filed a lawsuit against Scott Swim for crashing into him. The couple is seeking $75,000 in damages, and will be used to pay for several expenses such as physical therapy and vacation time.
Robert Swimm, the boy’s father, refuted Pfahler’s claim, insisting that he witnessed the incident, and that his son was skiing slowly, and was keeping control,
“It wasn’t a violent collision or anything,” the AP quoted Swimm. “Scott just kind of tapped his ski boots.”
The mother Susan Swimm added that it was impossible for Scott to have caused damage as great as Pfahler was claiming, as Scott weighed 48 pounds, and was going not more than 10 mph.
“Who in the world sues a child?” Susan asked in anger and disbelief. “It just boggles my mind every day.”
The Denver Channel reported that upon collision, Scott apologized to Pfahler and started to ski away. Pfahler then grabbed the boy’s leg, threw curses at him, and then said that he would sue the 8-year old.
The article said that the lawsuit is likely to be dismissed, as Colorado law forbids any person from suing a minor.

It’s some kind of weird news!

For the American version of the new 2009 Corolla, Toyota has brought in the usual add-ons like DVD navigation with satellite traffic reports, Bluetooth® phone connections, audio input jack, and leather-wrapped steering wheels with audio controls.

The Standard, LE and XLE models have a new 1.8-liter engine with 16 valves, dual cams, and dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence for both intake and exhaust); it produces 132 hp at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, similar to the prior model, so we’d expect the change in design is to reduce assembly costs. Gas mileage, according to tough 2008 standards, is expected to be 27/35 mpg.

While Corolla maintains the same headroom, legroom and shoulder room as the previous model, it feels larger, thanks to a design that enhances comfort and improves utility, usability and storage. Easy-to-reach storage spaces include center console side pockets, a storage box above the usual glove box, front and rear door pockets that can safely hold 20-ounce bottles, a console box with a large-capacity main tray and a smaller accessory tray, an overhead console useful for storage of sunglasses or garage-door openers, and a rear-seat center armrest with an integral drink holder. Retractable handgrips are above each door opening.

The wide, low profile was developed by Toyota Design in collaboration with styling studios in Turin, Italy. Its foundation was set by the search for a lower, sportier shape than that of the previous Corolla. That search drove the decision to move the bottom of the A-pillar forward and the bottom of the C-pillar aft to increase the angle of the window glass and to improve the Corolla’s aerodynamic performance.

Safety features on the all-new Corolla include standard driver and front passenger airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and two-row side curtain airbags. Active front-seat headrests are standard equipment. When the vehicle is struck from the rear, a cable-actuated mechanism in the active headrest moves the headrest upward and forward to limit the movement of the seat occupant’s head. Anti-lock braking (ABS) is standard; vehicle stability control (VSC) with traction control (TRAC) and an off switch are optional.

Summing up, the 2009 Corolla Altis is perfect for those who find the Camry too big. You cannot go wrong with the Corolla, the car that built Toyota’s reputation for reliability, high standard of quality and high resale value. The Corolla is the most popular car in history with over 40 million sold worldwide. It may not be as exciting or as sporty as some of its competitors in the compact sedan market, but it will provide you many years of comfortable, trouble-free driving.

For example, according to the findings, North Dakotans are often more sociable and affable than most Americans, while people living in New York State tend to be more highly-strung and creative. People from West Virginia tend to be more anxious and people live in New Mexico were more religious.

The authors of the new study argue that the strongest personality traits within a given population become self-reinforcing by influencing the region’s life and culture.

For example, the place where the population were creative, imaginative and intellectual (such as New York and California), one might expect to find people who are interested in art, literature and science. This may in turn lead to the establishment of institutions such as universities and museums. These institutions then influence the views and values of the local populace, encourage more creative and imaginative people to move to the region, and give people who do not fit that profile less reason to live there.

To test this theory, the research team set out to identify whether prevalent personality types were indeed reflected in the social and cultural life of each US state.

Using an established framework called the “Five Factor Model” they divided personality types into five broad categories: “Extraversion” (sociable, energetic, enthusiastic people); “Agreeableness” (warm, friendly, compassionate); “Conscientiousness” (dutiful, responsible, self-disciplined); “Neuroticism” (anxious, stressful, impulsive); and “Openness” (curious, intellectual, creative).

The results of the survey allowed researchers to compute estimates of each of the personality dimensions for every state and identify which personality traits were strongest in which states.

Arizona, for example, ranked high on conscientiousness but low on neuroticism, suggesting that people there like order and discipline, but are fairly relaxed. Wisconsin had high readings for extroversion and agreeableness, but low for openness, suggesting that people there are sociable and friendly and traditional.

The study also revealed clear patterns which showed that personalities are not randomly distributed, but geographically clustered. “Neuroticism” was, for instance, highest in the east along a line stretching from Maine to Louisiana, and lowest in the west, suggesting that the country has an identifiable “stress belt”.

To determine whether the personality differences between states were meaningful, the researchers then tested the impact of the personality traits on national indicators of crime, social involvement, religiosity, employment, health, values, disease and mortality.

Based on that study, 75% of the predicted correlations turned out to be right. For example, in states with a high level of extroversion, large proportions of the population were found to be employed in industries where social interaction is important, such as sales. States with a high level of agreeableness had lower crime rates. This seems to confirm the theory that regional personality is “self-reinforcing”.

1. Low mileage: Given the choice between two virtually identical cars with dissimilar mileage, pick the lower mileage car. Lower miles are a benefit if you resell, and provide more extended warranty eligibility at a better price.

2. High spec. and accessories increase selling prospects: High spec car in better than low spec car. Loaded used cars cost more, but deliver desirable options for much less than original cost. Well- optioned, deluxe models are easier to resell than base models of the same vehicle.

3. Check with the popular crowd: If you plan to resell, consider popularity factors. Well- equipped high-demand cars in popular colors are always the easiest to resell.

4. Learn about the previous owner: Find out the number of previous owners. Ideally, a 2 year-old-car should have one owner, and a five-year-old car shouldn’t have more than two owners. More owners may be a warning sign. Beware of missing or inconsistent service records.

5. Protect your investment: The remainder of the original manufacturer’s warranty can usually be transferred. For example buying from a seller such as Used Cadillacs Harrisburg PA. With them, you can get 6 years and 100k miles from when it was new and has NO deductible. You also receive up to 72-months/100k miles Road Side assistance. Also 6 months of free Onstar (only on properly equipped vehicles)! There is even more with 3 months free XM radio. In short, their Cadillac warranty customers receive the same privileges, benefits and premium treatment that new Cadillac customers receive.

6. Get everything in writing:Especially price, terms, repairs, and/or trade-ins. This should be clearly written into the sales agreement.

7. Know what you’re buying: In general, you should stay away from cars with a negative history. Examples include: Cars from natural disaster locales.

8. Do your homework: Research everything about the vehicles you have in mind. Read up on current trade-in and market value, safety ratings, consumer and professional reviews, and the options, mileage adjustment and condition of the car.

Previously I have embedded a Youtube video that explained how GPS helped solving a murder case of a 12 year old girl. The story is about how the authorities discovered that the suspect had a GPS device in his car and the GPS devise saved a log file with information on both the time and location of the suspect’s car. Thanks to this log file the authorities could see with such accuracy when and where the suspects’ car had been that he could be charged with murder. The suspect himself must have been really surprised when he found out that he had the GPS device in his car, because it was placed there by his wife who suspected that he had an affair with another woman. Sounds funny..but it is a true story!

In this article, I would like to share another good use of GPS technology that is helping the blind. You can read this latest news in BBC;

“An Italian technology company is pioneering a GPS satellite system that will give blind people greater independence and mobility.
The Easy Walk service has been developed by Il Village, a firm in Turin in northern Italy. It is currently being tested by a group of 30 people from the Italian Blind Union who are providing feedback. The plan is for Easy Walk to be launched to blind and partially sighted people in Piedmont in the autumn.

Easy Walk uses a mobile phone that runs the Symbian operating system, a small Bluetooth GPS receiver, text to speech software called Talks (though rival products are also compatible) and a call centre that will operate around the clock seven days a week. It requires just two dedicated keys on the mobile phone – one which, when pressed, tells the user their exact location including the house or building number and the other one alerts the call centre that the person needs assistance with navigation.

An operator will then call the blind person, find out where it is they need to go and stay on the line with them providing step by step instructions.”

Some manufacturers of GPS devices take the GPS technology to a new level since they’ve integrated their GPS Tracking Key with Google Earth. This way you can see exactly where the GPS device has been on a Google Earth satellite map. The data can then be downloaded and viewed in Google Earth in exact location within 2.5m simply by plugging the Tracking Key into the USB port of a computer.