Get the entire dermalogica range at reasonable prices

One of the most famous brands in the cosmetics industry is Dermalogica, which is known worldwide as the 'professionals' choice'. Founded in Los Angeles in 1986, their range of products were developed by The International Dermal Institute.

They do not use artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, S.D. alcohol, lanolin or mineral oil in any of their products. Further more, they do not test on animals. It was nice to learn that they ensure that all ingredients in their products come from eco-safe sources and are packaged in recyclable containers.

Fantabulous news

Yesterday night I was going through my Yahoo! email. I don't check it that often and there were like 300 emails. Most were from my Yahoo groups. As I was going through them, I noticed an email from the Doctoral Programme Office, Warwick Business School asking me to fill up a form and send it back to them - "pro-forma - maintenance bursary & scholarships".

At first I thought it was a mistake. Then I suddenly recalled that I had received another email earlier which I had put down as spam. I quickly found and opened it. Was in shock for a while as I read and re-read the email.

I am pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a WBS
scholarship.

One of the reason I had thought that the email was spam was because I couldn't recognise the sender's name. I quickly went up to the bedroom and gently woke up my wife who was already in dreamland. It took a while for her to fully wake up, and I could see the "it's too good to be true" + "this better be true" look. She came down and re-read the email with me again. She confirmed me that Kok Wai Harcourt was indeed the new Programme Manager for the doctoral programme.

It was like a black cloud had lifted. Our prayers have been answered.

I don't care what people say but for me, the University of Warwick is the best University in the World.

An amazing coincidence because earlier that evening I was talking with our friends Nana and Mozard at their place in Birmingham, about how I was struggling to pay for the first year itself and how various people including my parents had chipped in. As well as our struggles in the past.

If you truly believe in something good, go ahead and put your trust in God! He will surely come through for you.

Bees and flowers

Even though my daughter is not terribly fond of them, I really like to see honeybees in my garden. They are doing a good job pollinating my plants.

It's fun watching them buzzing from one flower to flower. They will suddenly stop flying for a while and the flower will suddenly bend under their weight and the bee would start flying again and move on to the next flower.


bee on our mint flowers


Bee on our marigold flower


bee on our lavender flower

This is my Green Thumb Sunday post for this week.
Join

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Charlotte Cosmetic Dentist

A dentist who is also into amateur photography- sounds strange. Well, Dr. Tom Farley, is a dentist who uses his hobby to document his dental work. The photographs have proven useful to visually communicate with patients, labs, insurance providers as well as his peers.

Dr. Farley is a qualified cosmetic dentist who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. His clinic offers a full range of dental services from restorative to periodontics to whitening. In case you are wondering, his portrait studio is situated right in his office.

I later found out that he's a blogger as well. check out his blog here.

False alarm

I was engrossed in my web designing work today when a loud alarm went off at the office. I saw every one getting their jackets and leaving the office and guessed that it was the fire alarm. So I followed the rest down the stairs and went outside. It was quite cool and nobody was panicking. The building is only 3 stories high anyway.

We were given the green light to go in after a while. The funny thing is that as I was about to enter the office, the alarm suddenly went off again. The security people told us that it was something setting off the alarms. Must have been some stupid guy who tried smoking in the toilets.

Test your internet speed

It was reported that more than half of UK homes have broadband now. You may find it hard to believe but customers in the UK have a bigger range of ISPs to choose from than in the US.

However, it was reported that many of the ISPs are not delivering the promised broadband speeds, with customers in some places reporting less than one fourth of the promised download speeds. Of course, there's always a warning in fine print:

Download speeds may vary substantially depending on where you live and technical factors such as the quality of your telephone line

Take the Internet Speed Test to find out whether you are getting the speed your ISP said you would. It is easy to use. All you have to do is press the "Begin" button and you will get the download and upload speed results. It's totally free. The website also has links to a number of freeware links as well as tips and tweaks.

Back to office

It felt strange going back to working in an office after nearly a year. Yes! I finally got a job but it's only a temporary position at the University of Warwick for a few days. I guess that ends my status as a full time blogger. I know it sounds crazy, but it actually felt nice to be going to work, stuck in a traffic jam and working with other people again.

The pay is good and I wish the job was for a longer period. I am hoping that this will lead to other opportunities. Got the job through, Unitemps, a temporary employment agency, based at the University of Warwick. After several applications and a few interviews, this was my first successful application. Won't be blogging much for a few days.

Turning your photographs into works of art

Recently while visiting Warwick castle, I was looking at the big portraits and was thinking that it would be great to have a portrait of our small family. Nothing ostentatious, without the gilded frames and not too large either - just a simple one. Sitting for portrait session is so old fashioned and of course with the kids, would be almost impossible unless you kept them tied down to the chairs.

Learn to Dream is among the companies who can convert your photographs into paintings.

They do more than just enlarge your photos. After you have sent the picture of your choice to them as a printed photo, a negative, or in digital format, there will be a personal consultation process. They will discuss the best choice of material and photograph manipulation techniques to create works of art from your photographs.

You can have the pictures printed on a number of materials - ranging from art paper and photo paper to canvas and image blocks. My personal choice is the canvas. They are even willing to give you a full refund in case you are not satisfied.

Google $30 million moon contest

Space the final frontier

Last Thursday, Internet search giant Google announced the sponsorship of $30 million prize to anyone that can land a robot on the moon and send back images and data. Known as the Lunar X Prize, they are offering it in partnership with the Los Angeles based X Prize Foundation.

According to the post "Fly me to the moon" on Google's blog, they hope that the prize could

lead to important developments in robotic space exploration, a whole host of new space-age materials, precision landing control technology, and who knows what else.

Peter H. Diamandis, chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation said:

The Google Lunar X PRIZE calls on entrepreneurs, engineers and visionaries from around the world to return us to the lunar surface and explore this environment for the benefit of all humanity

The contest is on till Dec. 31, 2012 unless extended.

Rock stars likely to die young

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Epidemial Community Health, Rock stars in the US and the UK are two to three times more likely to die young than the rest of the population. The reason - drug and alcohol abuse.

This comprehensive study was carried out by the Researchers at the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University who analysed the survival statistics of 1,064 pop and rock stars who became famous between 1956 (Elvis Presley) and 1999 (Eminem) (Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com).

It comes as no surprise considering the fact that there will be at least one or two accidents in the news every month, involving a celebrity who was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. However, those who do go into rehab are those who realise that they have a problem and need to do something about it. I wonder how many are there who are addicted but simply refuse to accept the fact.

A global child

The next blog on my review list is Preyanka's 'Dreaming of Hanoi'. Preya is a true global child. She was born in Calcutta, India to an American mother and Indian father. She spent her childhood moving between Colorado, India, and Thailand before moving to Hanoi, Vietnam in 1992. She finally went back to the US in 2000 and right now teaches English literature to high school students in Boulder, Colorado.

Used to visit her Blogspot blog before she finally moved to her new website. The blog has a neat and tidy template uncluttered by ads.

She asked me to give her some "brutally honest advice" and well all I can say is, keep doing what you have done so far. I love her pictures and really original and thought provoking posts. I can identify with some of her posts as an expat child myself - but slightly different, as an Asian in the West.

One really touching post was that on the evacuation of thousands of orphans after the fall of Saigon. It's a description of the hope amidst the chaos, as told by her mother, Cherie Clark.

Really nice blog.

Myvesta Foundation Individual Voluntary Arrangement

Today Chancellor Alistair Darling has asked banks in the UK to be more selective in lending. Debt is an issue of concern here with consumer debt soaring to record levels (£1.35 trillion, according to a BBC report).

A lot of people in serious debt often see bankruptcy as the only way out. They think they have no choice. However, according to the Myvesta Foundation, a lot of these people would prefer to avoid bankruptcy if given an option. Entering into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) with creditors to repay some of what they owe over a sensible time period is a rather attractive option. Often people would rush into commercial IVA organisations after watching their ad on TV. If you are considering bankruptcy or thinking of an IVA, call Myvesta at 0800 1116 885. You can even chat with them online for free.

Myvesta UK Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) were developed in conjunction with a firm of auditors and chartered accountants. Customers would be provided with a unique solution that best fits each person. FYI, the Myvesta Foundation was created to fill the need for qualified, compassionate debt assistance that worked for consumers. Their founder, Steve Rhode himself went through personal bankruptcy in 1990. he came up with this service to provide real help to people in trouble. Their website carries a number of free and helpful information about almost every topic related to debt issues.

The five things meme

Was tagged by Neomesuff, so here goes:

5 Things In My Bag
I don't carry a handbag so I am looking at my favourite backpack. It's currently empty at the moment. Normally, it would have:
1. Pen
2. Notebook
3. Calculator
4. Water bottle
5. a book

5 Things That Are In My Wallet
1. My driving license
2. Credit card
3. Bank debit card
4. Tesco clubcard
5. Photographs of my son, daughter and wife

4. 5 Favourite Things In My Bedroom
1. Bed
2. Duvet
3. Pillow
4. Book
5. My wife (My wife says that she's not a thing)

5 Things I Wish To Do (added this later)
1. Get a diving certificate
2. Travel around the World
3. Become a renowned expert in my field of research
4. See my Grandfather
5. Get my PhD

5 Things That I Am Doing Now
1. Writing this meme
2. Checking PayPerPost for opportunities
3. Improving my research proposal
3. Chatting with friend
4. Chatting with wife
(Who says guys can't multi-task)

5 People I Would Like To Tag
1. Ainee
2. Lilian
3. Nana
4. Reena
5. Zaza

Skin care products for pigmented skin

I thought I had oily skin but I have been having dry skin problems since I got here in the UK, especially in the winter. Have been helping myself with my wife's moisturizing creams. Talking about skin care, I learnt that it is important to find the right skin care products for your type of skin. aivng friends inthe cosmetic industry has helped me understand a bit about skin care products. However, I just learnt that it may not be enough to simply divide skin into four categories: dry, normal, combination and oily.

ORIKI Cosmeceuticals has a range of products specially formulated for people with born with pigmented skin. These products are meant specifically for those with Asian, Mediterranean and other Olive (AMO) skin types. AMO skin types apparently respond differently to UV and scarring as compared to white skin. Skin pigmentation problems also take longer to resolve and is more resistant to treatment than fair skin. ORIKI solves this by incorporating the pigmentation factor into the skincare line specially formulated for people with AMO skin.

The fact that their range of products are designed by an American Board Certified Dermatologist and Biochemist, is really reassuring.

I know that most guys don't like to talk about cosmetics because it's not exactly a "macho" topic. I guess it is the advent of the metrosexual male that has really changed the way men look at skin care products and personal hygiene. Some years back you won't have caught me talking about such products on my blog.

Coombe park again

We were supposed to go to Liverpool along with our friends Nana, Mozard and their kids last weekend but we cancelled our trip at the last moment because it turned out that the reason we wanted to go - the British musical fireworks championships were in October not this month.

So we decided to pay a visit to nearby Coombe Country Park instead. We had fun and unlike the last time we had visited, the flowers were blooming.

Rahil also rode on a donkey for the first time in her life. She looked cool but I could see her gripping the support on the saddle real tight.

Forest path

Swans

Wild flowers

We had a real scare when Nana's daughter Yana had an accident while playing at a special playground in the park. She slipped and hit herself. She was in real pain and couldn't even walk. All of us were really worried. We rushed to our cars and drove to the NHS walk-in centre in Coventry city centre as fast as we could. We left them there and later learnt that they had to go to the hospital at Walsgrave because the walk-in centre didn't have x-ray facilities.

Was really relieved when we learnt that it was not serious and she didn't break any bones.

Advantages of incorporating your business

Stephen L. Nelson is the author of the bestsellers, Quicken for Dummies and QuickBooks for Dummies books. He is the author of more than 150 books, which have have sold more than 4,000,000 copies in English and have been translated into several other languages.

He has recently come out with self-published do-it-yourself Fast Easy Incorporation Kits and limited liability company formation kits. He actually makes more money from these kits than from his two bestsellers. The website Fasteasyincorporationkits.com, provides basic information about Subchapter S corporations.

According to Nelson, the two benefits of incorporating a business are namely Minimizing liability and Minimizing Income and Payroll Taxes. Go on to his site to find out more.

Dame Anita Roddick passes away

Was quite sad when I heard that one of my idols - Dame Anita Roddick, has passed away. She was 64 and died of brain hemorrhage. She is survived by her husband Gordon, and daughters Sam and Justine.

Anita was the founder of the ethical cosmetics firm Body Shop. Besides popularising cosmetics made from natural products, she was involved in so many causes. This included ending animal testing, stopping deforestation in the rain forest, helping indigenous farmers in poor nations, ending whale hunting and lots more.

She opened her first shop in Brighton, in 1976. and as they say, the rest is history. It was taken over by French cosmetics giant L’Oréal for about $1.14 billion last year. Quite ironic considering that they have done away with animal testing.

She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 2003.

Read related news on the BBC site: Dame Anita Roddick dies aged 64 and on the New York Times: Anita Roddick, Body Shop Founder, Dies at 64

Make your blogs interactive and fun with quizzes

One of the ways to attract more visitors to your site is to make it more interactive and fun. Maybe you would like to find out what they like about your site or their opinion on a certain issues.

Quibblo allows you to create fun online quizzes, surveys and polls and then add them to your blog or sites. These are known as "Quibblets". There are some personality tests as well and those who take part can cut and paste the results of those test on their own blogs.

Go ahead and create your own Quibblet.

Kopi Luwak

In case you didn't know, the logo of Sun's Java programming language is a steaming coffee cup. In the US, Java is a slang for coffee. Java is also the name of an Island in indonesia, where it's capital city, Jakarta is situated and they do produce a lot of coffee there.

Of the coffee produced there, the most famous happens to the "Kopi Luwak" known as Civet coffee in English. It is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 per pound.

So, what's so special about this coffee?

Well, it is extracted from the coffee berries that have been eaten by the the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). The excreted partially-digested beans are then harvested and processed for sale. Read how it gets it's unique taste in New Research Explains Structure, Taste of Kopi Luwak Coffee.

Want to go for a beach holiday

Even though we are technically on an Island, it's been nearly a year since I went to a beach or seaside. I don't know why but I have always been attracted to the ocean and one of my most memorable vacations was to Redang Island off the east coast of Malaysia with a few friends. Since then, I have visited several other Islands in Malaysia and neighbouring Thailand including Pangkor, Langkawi, Penang and Phuket. These islands are among the ideal Beach Holidays listed on Dialaflight.com. This UK based company is one of the leading independent travel company offering flights, hotels and travel ideas worldwide.

I was really excited reading about the various beach resort holidays listed on the site. They have loads of useful travel information. Dialaflight.com is also a great place to look for cheap flights and holiday offers.

If you are thinking of exotic beach holidays, do visit the site.

Neo-Nazis arrested in Israel

Gang member giving the Nazi salute (ynetnews.com)

In what has got to be one of the most amazing stories to come out of Israel is one about an Israeli neo-Nazi gang that had carried out attacks on religious Jews, gays and drug addicts.

These youths had "Nazi tattoos and allegedly celebrated Adolf Hitler’s birthday". Quite unbelievable considering that they would have been killed if Hitler was alive. They belonged to immigrants from Russia who had been allowed to become Israeli citizens under its law of return.

Read the full story in the Time site: Arrest of Israeli neo-Nazi gang shocks Jewish State and on the Associated press site: Police: Israeli Neo-Nazi Ring Busted and on ynetnews.com: Olmert on neo-Nazi gang: We failed as society

Mei's wire jewelry addiction

Mei is a mother of two boys, from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. She blogs at "Wire Bliss: Handcrafted Wire Wrapped Jewelry".

I remember when she used to have a generic Blogger template but has now changed to a 3 column template. It definitely looks more unique. However the ads that come just before the posts were a bit too distracting. There are ads inside the post as well and having too many ads may turn off some visitors.

Her handcrafted wire jewelry are amazing. Mei calls it her addiction and they really are works of art.



Besides the end products, short tutorials showing how she made the jewelery would definitely attract more visitors to her site.

If you love jewelery, you will love Mei's blog.

My herbal garden

When I was starting my garden, I decided that I will have plants that not only look good but lot of edible ones as well.

I have drawn up a list of medicinal and aromatic plants that I want to have in my garden. So far, I have spearmint (Mentha spicata), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and basil (Ocimum basilicum).






My tomatoes are doing really well and it looks like I won't be buying any for quite sometime.


It looks like 'green fingers' does run in the family.

BTW, this is my Green Thumb Sunday post.

Join

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Search for company profiles, products and services with Mastersaeek

Searching for a company profile or contact information on the web can be really frustrating sometimes. Search engines can throw up thousands of unrelated results and and we have skim through hundreds of links before we finally find what we are looking for.

If you are looking to find business partners, new suppliers or sales opportunities etc., visit Masterseek, a new global Business-to-Business (B2B) search engine that provides quick and free access to information from more than 45 million companies in 75 countries.

You can search for company profiles, contact information, and descriptions of products and services from the listed industries as well.

A random review

Was just going through a blog called Random Encounters of We. It has two contributors: RandomEncounters and Random2 (the lady and the gentleman in the picture?), though I didn't come across a single posts written by Random2. I know a lot of bloggers prefer to remain anonymous but a "about us" or "about this blog" page would be nice.

It has some really interesting posts. Like mine, the blog has no specific niche and covers a number of topics. As RandomEncounters mentions, "Random is my Niche". She does have another blog with a specific niche called Random Games. It lists loads of interesting games.

One thing I didn't like about the blog was the design. I guess it is a matter of taste and everyone is different but I wish they would change the background colour from Green to something less harsh to the eye.

Having said that, I was quite impressed by the fact that they have a Google page rank of 4. That's really excellent for a blog that was only started in November last year. Would love to know their secret.