Changing batteries on my daughter's Casio MQ-24 watch

The battery on my daughters's first watch which I bought for her on Amazon, has run out. There was no point in changing the battery really. She was ready to move on from her first watch.

My daughter knows what she wants in a watch, or more specifically what "she does not want":
1. An analog and not a digital watch.
2. Clear legible numbers - no dots and not Roman numerals.
3. Not a baby watch with cartoons.

ideally, I would love to give her a Baby G but decided to shop around.

So after searching on my favourite site - eBay, I came across an "almost new" Casio watch that fits the bill perfectly - a Casio MQ24 1330 ladies watch with a pink dial. Though she says she does not like pink, she was delighted when she got the watch.

 That was almost one year ago and the battery ran out. Normally, we would chuck out the old watch and shop around for a new one but I have become more eco-friendly over the years and realise that changing the battery on watches is not such a big deal. However, opening up the back was more trickier than I thought. I found the solution after a quick search on the net.

Bought 5 batteries - Sony Silver 364 (SR621SW), again from a dealer on eBay for just £2.99.

Here are the tools I used to open up the back:
1. Watch case opener knife
2. Watch spring bar remover
3. Plastic tweezers

Steps:
1. Remove the straps using the watch spring bar removers.
2. Just pop up the case from the side using the watch case opener.
3. Remove battery using the plastic tweezer.

Here's the video clip:

Moving house advice

One of our friends recently moved back to Malaysia after completing his studies. The small community of Malaysians here all came over and helped moved their stuff which they had spent packing literally over the past month onto the 40 footer container. Even with all the guys, it took almost all morning to get the stuff loaded on and finally we were done.

However, sometimes it is better to use the professionals. I once helped my sister-in-law move house when we realised that there was no way we could dismantle their sofa or bring it down their narrow winding stairs. In the end they called a local mover and it was amazing watching them take the sofa through the window through a system of pulleys down to the guys waiting below. The guy in charge told me that they had carried much heavier items including pianos similarly.

I guess it is best to call in the professionals if you can afford it. For example, another friend was moving house and these guys came in a big truck and had packed up and cleared the house in half a day. Later on my friends told me that none of the furnitures had even a scratch.

However the question is how to find and hire general help for moving. And you are of course concerned - Are they reliable? Are they accountable? I have heard so many horror stories about getting day movers that sometimes risking a slipped disk sounds like a better option.

Cycle tyre puncture - prevention better than cure

As you might have guessed from my previous posts, I am really into cycling now. I even borrowed a couple of books on cycles/cycling from the local library (I know there are loads of information on the net but nothing beats a good book with illustrated pictures).

Anyway, one thing I am really worried about is getting my tyres punctured while riding to the University. I got myself a cycle tyre puncture repair kit. Through it has never happened but repairing a tyre by the side of the road is not something I am really keen on. I tried practising at home using the old bike I am restoring - getting the tube out, trying to find the hole and then patching it up. I have seen YouTube videos and they make it look so simple. Prying one side of the tire bead over the edge of the rim was the hardest.

Here is a popular clip on YouTube on how to repair a puncture:


Searching on the net, I came across a site which sells Amerityre tyres which they claim are 100% puncture proof but they are not cheap. On the other hand, Andreas at the London Cyclist Blog says that there is no such thing as 100% puncture proof tyres. However, there are a number of tyres which are said to have high puncture resistance.

While shopping at Halfords I noticed a green bottle - it was the Slime Tube Sealant. I didn't buy it because I was sceptical and wanted to read the reviews first. Apparently this product was really good with so many positive comments on various sites. I noticed that it was also available at the Go Outdoors store. I later took my bike along on my way back home from the university and bought a bottle. The in-store bike mechanic put the green liquid in both my tyres for free. I haven't had a puncture even once but I do feel much better now.

I now want to put the Slime in all my bikes and doing an online search realised that I could have got it much cheaper elsewhere, with the cheapest online at Amazon Here is a comparison of the prices:

Halfords: £8.99

Go Outdoors: £8.09

Wikinson: £4.97

Amazon:

Compare car insurance and make sure you get a better deal

Car insurance can be a pain in the proverbial. Third party only, or fully comprehensive? Limited mileage or windscreen excess? Roadside breakdown assistance or…you get the picture. In a world of endless possibilities, car insurance providers can baffle you with a mind-blowing array of choices, options and decisions to make. And you can’t escape it – car insurance is a legal requirement to drive on UK roads. It’s a criminal offence to drive whilst uninsured.

So we all have to bite the bullet and every year do the rounds of car insurance providers. If you already have insurance, the temptation can be to forgo all the hassle and simply stick with what you know. Your current insurance provider has looked after you for the past year at least, so why start swapping and changing just for the sake of it?

Consumer power – putting you in the driving seat
For years, the insurance companies had it all their own way. They knew that customer loyalty was practically guaranteed because the process of hunting around for a better deal was a time consuming and boring business. It meant hours on the phone, repeating your details ad infinitum to different call centres and all to find out that the first or second quote you got was the best one.

Today, things are different. Online comparison sites have made the process much easier. Now, to compare hundreds of car insurance quotes you simply have to type your details in once and an at-a-glance list of potential suppliers pops up instantly. For consumers who want to compare car insurance, online sites have been a revelation.

So how do I use a comparison site?
Once you’ve typed your details in (and remember not to leave any important details out as it could invalidate any policy you buy), you can then start to see what each provider offers. The simple choice first – what cover do you need? The obvious is to go for fully comprehensive cover, but that will cost more than third party or third party, fire and theft. However, it does provide the most comprehensive cover (hence the name).

Then there’s the excess to think about. The more you are prepared to pay, the cheaper your premiums. But remember that the excess will have to come out of your pocket, so consider carefully how much you could budget for in an emergency and put in a realistic amount. It’s better to pay a couple of pounds more and have a lower excess than to discover that you have to find the first £500 on a £600 claim out of your own pocket.

All those little ‘extras’
If you already have breakdown cover, do you really need to pay for it again? You would be surprised just how many people pay twice as much as they need to by including unnecessary additional breakdown cover on their insurance policy. A normal standard on all comprehensive policies is windscreen cover. A cracked or shattered windscreen can cost a small fortune to repair, especially if the windscreen is a non-standard size or shape as in some ‘panoramic windscreen’ style cars.

What about my no claims bonus?
Transferring your car insurance to a new provider does not necessarily mean that you lose your accumulated no claims bonus. Look for insurers who will allow you to transfer your bonus over to a new policy. Some will even offer a considerable discount for careful drivers with over five years’ worth of no claims.

By using an online comparison site to compare car insurance, not only could you save a considerable amount of money on your policy, but you could also end up with a tailor-made package that suits your requirements better than your existing provider. And never be afraid to haggle with your current insurer for a better deal. Comparison sites have given consumers back an element of control over their financial affairs, so use the information you can gather from a comparison site to your advantage.

Motorway rest area cons - beware

This weekend, we were on our way back from London on the M1 and stopped at the Toddington rest area to take a break. As soon as I got out of the car a guy approached me - white, about 5 feet 6 with short cropped hair, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt and sneakers.

He said that his car was out of petrol and that his kids were with him in the car ( he pointed somewhere far away and there were a lot of cars). He wanted to borrow £5 just to get back home. I instinctively reached for my wallet without thinking but I took a look at him and didn't really the look in his eyes. I told him that I didn't have any change. But he was persistent an asked me if I could take out money from the ATM. This made me even more suspicious and I refused and walked away. I was feeling a bit guilty and thinking to myself "what if he was telling the truth?" when I noticed he was then talking to another car driver but this time he was pointing in the opposite direction. It was then I realised that he was a con artist and I am glad that I trusted my instincts.

Not sure whether the guy is still trying to con people at the rest areas but be careful.

Saving time by Shopping Online

With the rise of the internet is it unsurprising that retailers have jumped on the opportunity to offer goods online whenever they can. Reaching a far wider group of people, retailers can use clever online campaigns to advertise their goods as much as possible. While retailers benefit, shopping online also offers you and I, the consumers on the street a huge range of benefits as well.

One of the best reasons to shop online is the ability to save time. Modern lives have become very busy, with work and leisure activities quickly taking over all the hours of the day. While some lucky guys may love nothing more than to hit the high street and shop, others simply don’t have the time as they are too busy with their families or with work. This is where online shopping is becoming increasingly important as it saves valuable time which can be put to better use elsewhere.

A major benefit is that no travel time is needed if you want to shop online. While an entire morning may need to be set aside for grocery shopping, browsing the internet before buying goods can be done in an instant. It can be done within the comfort of your own home, meaning that it can be done at any time of day whenever you get a spare moment. Search options also significantly reduce shopping time. Whereas in a shop you have to browse through items, in an online store you can instantly look for what you need and want. Prices are often cheaper too, with online retailers not having to pay large overhead expenses for brick-and-mortar shops and many retailers such as M and M, direct discount vouchers can be found. And with search options often offering categories, pricing ranges, sizes, or quantities, life can be made much quicker and easier.

Over the past few years food shopping online has become particularly popular, with a range of both high street and online retailers offering delivery services. This is a brilliant way of saving time as not only can you get delivery options, but many websites provide online baskets which will remember the foods bought previously. A weekly shop can then be done by simply reordering a standard basket, taking only a few minutes of your valuable time.

Online clothes’ shopping can also save a huge amount of time, and while you may believe that the returns procedure is complicated, many stores have taken steps to make it as easy as possible. Valuable time can be saved by utilising search facilities available on websites, allowing you to search for garments by size, colour, prices, or even brand. A number of websites also offer style guides, a great benefit if you find a top you like but are not sure of a suitable trousers for example. Meanwhile, by shopping at online outlets such as M and M, direct discount codes can be found and the returns process is often free and as easy as simply filling out a small coded sheet and popping items into the post. And for anyone who is pushed for time and would rather spend valuable moments enjoying their family and hobbies, online shopping is a fantastic time saving opportunity.

Snow, snow and more snow. I want to go skiing.

There was chaos on Coventry's roads today. It started snowing yesterday and in the morning we woke up to find everything covered in snow.

I had some work at the University of Warwick and had to drive very carefully. I have no idea why but it seems that the City council had not gritted only the main roads and it was a bit scary when my tyres started spinning a couple of times in the side roads. However, it was OK on the main roads.

The funny thing was that it was bright and sunny today. Despite the sun, it was still freezing cold and waling to the main Scarman road building from my office through the snow, my feet and hands were getting really cold it actually felt painful. As I walked in the snow I was thinking of the body warmers I had come across on Handwarmers.net. These warmers are small packs which are air activated – which means they become warm on being exposed to air. I had brought some body warmers from Malaysia but the heat lasted only about half and hours and I was not really sure how environmentally friendly they were. On the other hand, the handwarmers available on Handwarmers.net can keep you warm for around 10 hours and furthermore, they are totally safe and environmentally friendly. If you are looking for foot warmers, do check out www.FootWarmers.org

Anyway, I was thinking it has been quite some time since we last went on a holiday and decided that once I submit my thesis, we will go on a family holiday and fulfil one of the things on my to–do list, which is to learn Skiing. A friend told me that the ski resorts in France are fabulous this time of the year. Can’t wait to submit my thesis.

Finding the right saddle for my cycle

This is my second post about my new passion - cycling and about a very important component of the cycle - the saddle. It is after all the part that remains in contact with your body and also carries most of your weight most of the time. At least for me anyway, because on my way to the University, I see a lot of guys who don't seem to be sitting on their saddles while paddling their bikes. I guess they are the pros.

Anyway, a few days after I bought my used bike over eBay, I took it out for a ride in the neighbourhood. The cycle is a Hawk mountain bike and came with it's original saddle from the shop - basic plastic and foam. I had barely gone for only a several hundred yards when I realised that the saddle was really uncomfortable and in fact my butt was beginning to get sore. By the time I got home, some very sensitive parts of my body in contact with the saddle were already numb. There was no way I was going to ride 4.8 miles to University on that saddle.

On my way back from the university a few days later, I dropped by the Go Outdoors store and bought myself a Canyon Gel seat cover. The thought of buying a new saddle never came into my mind then. After all, the reason I started cycling was because I wanted to save money. Anyway, the cover did make it a bit more tolerable and I did eventually start cycling to the University of Warwick campus from my house in Radford.

As time went by, I realised that I needed to invest in a new saddle. There were some drawbacks of the gel cover. It soaked up rain and the cushioning effect was gone by the time I reached the University. Doing research on the net, I found that there were so many brands and all kinds of saddles to choose from. A number of long time riders swore by their leather Brooks - a luxury brand in cycle saddles. Yes! There are actually luxury bicycle and accessories brands.

Best selling Brooks saddle - the B17 Special

However, I realised that I could actually buy a brand new bike with the price of the cheapest Brooks saddle. So I gave up the idea of buying a brand new brooks and went to eBay. I actually missed an amazing bargain on an almost new Brooks that went at just £5.50.

I ultimately bid and won a brand new WTB  Speed-V Sport Saddle. It retails at £24.99 but I got it for £12 including postage. The saddle features something which they call the 'Love Channel' which allows some room for some sensitive parts in contact with the saddle and it definitely made a huge difference. Though I would be lying if I said that it was really comfortable, I guess it will have to do for the time being.

Besides a comfortable saddle, I found out that it helps to have padded cycling pants. I am not a fan of men in tights but I decided to go for a Karrimor Padded Cycling Pants Mens, which I got on Amazon for just £10.99 including postage (original price was £34.99). What a huge difference it made and I always wonder why I didn't buy one earlier. Looking forward to sore free bottoms in the future.

If you are a cycling enthusiast, please do share your experience with cycle saddles.

Cycling in winter: essential clothing

I have been cycling to the University of Warwick from my home in Radford, Coventry for little more than a month now. I have definitely come a long way and what initially started out as a means to save money and get some exercise in the process has become a bit of a passion. IN fact I now know a lot about bikes, repair and different brands.

As it's getting colder , I also have had to think about specialised clothing. I go with 3 layers of clothes:
1. A wicking baselayer,
2. Insulating fleece and
3. Waterproof/ windproof jacket

I learnt that a wicking baselayer is absolutely important to get a dry layer next to the skin and keep you warm at the same time. My old 100% cotton t-shirts would soak up the sweat and I would feel really uncomfortable with the wet sensation which also took ages to dry when I ultimately got to the campus.

I just bought a red long sleeve Surfanic baselayer and it's really great. It is made of a fabric they call Surftex Dry 100% polyester and just cost me £9.99 at TK Maxx. However, one baselayer is not enough if you ride regularly,and I went to TK Maxx and bought another baselayer, this time a blue Trekmates baselayer, which just cost me £8.99 (apparently the retail price is £24.99), so I think I got some great deals.

The fleece was a really cheap one from Go Outdoors (£5.99). I am still using my old trusty Nike Jacket but I probably need to get a good waterproof cycling jacket. However, all the ones I like such as the Endura stealth jacket, are extremely costly and out of my budget.

However, I have read from the reviews that there is no such a thing as waterproof and breathable jackets. Do tell me if you know of a good winter cycling jacket that's both breathable and waterproof.

Charity run

My son Imaan was 3 years old when he was diagnosed with Autism even though we have had our suspicions when he was 1 years old and his development was slow.

As you can imagine, we were totally devastated and the doctors didn't help much when they told us that autism was a life long condition and we would have to live with it. We went through periods of denial, self-pity, and sadness and finally, acceptance. Fortunately, we are not the type to mop around and just accept what so called "experts" have to say. We did our own research and found out about various alternative therapies.

Among the various things we did, the one that made the maximum difference was the Son-Rise programme. Unlike other therapies, the Son-Rise programme is home based and is parent-directed where parents are seen as the child’s best resource unlike other therapies (such as ABA). After depending around a year on the services provided (or not) by the Government here, we didn't see any difference. However, since we started the Son-Rise programme, he has been toilet trained, improved his diet and went from no speech to speaking sentences.

Unfortunately, the Son-Rise programme and theother therapies are not covered by the NHS and we had to literally fork out thousands from our own pocket that we are almost bankrupt now.

We estimate that it will cost us around £20,000 to do a full time Son-Rise programme at home. This cost does not include his special diet, supplements and cost of private doctor consultations and tests. However, my son is the priority and if he loses his diagnosis of Autism and is able to go to a mainstream school, socialise and have friends like all other neurotypical kids, it would be worth it.

Anyway, a lot of amazing people are helping us fundraise for our son. One of them is my sister-in-law, Eju, who is running two races in support of my son.
The first one will be the Wimbledon Audi 10K race this Sunday on the 17th Oct 2010 at 9:00am. Here's the location: Wimbledon Rugby Club, Beverley Meads, Barham Road, Copse Hill, Wimbledon, SW20 0ET

Please come along to support and/ or donate. For more information visit the fundraising page on the special blog that documents our journey with our son.

Get professionals to review your CV for free

Right now I am in the process of writing up my PhD thesis and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have also started applying for jobs at different Universities. I have no idea why but ads for most academic jobs in the UK come out around this time with successful candidates starting work around the end of September- early October. You miss the boat this year and you have to wait for the next round next year.

So far, I haven't had even one interview, meaning that I had not been able to get through the first round of screenings. I had been expecting it as I still haven't got my PhD and due to the fact that I am from outside the EU. Getting a job here in the UK for non-EU people has become really hard, almost impossible.

Recently I attended this seminar for those interested in an academic career and I showed my CV to one of the experts. The lady who had a look at it made some suggestion but overall she was quite impressed with it. If it had not I would have been very disappointed.

Even though my English language skills are quite good, if I may say so myself, I feel that I need professionals who have experience in evaluating CVs to have a look at mine. This is because often, it is the CV that decides whether you get to the interview sessions.

I actually paid to get my CV and reference letter checked at this site called the CV Centre. They really did a good job and when I was not entirely happy with the first draft, they actually incorporated my comments and sent the revised version to me the same day itself.

Right now they are currently offering completely free CV reviews to potential new customers. Do take advantage of this offer as it is for a limited time only.

Thinking of doing a PhD?

Well Don't!

Nah! I am just joking.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and also hated it, have been ecstatic, depressed and excited in turns and sometimes all at the same time. A PhD is never easy and is a life changing experience. Some had mental breakdowns, miscarriages, breakdown of relationships and some got pregnant (I am not joking). You develop a love-hate relationship with your supervisor and sometimes hate-hate. Only a fortunate few get supervisors that are kind, helpful and considerate.


Ups and Downs

Somehow I have become a guy to contact for prospective PhD students in the Warwick Business School and my weakness is that I always reply to their queries and several of these guys have now started their studies here at the school.  I belive in Karma and sincerely do like helping out people.

The University should actually pay me for my service.

Anyway, I find that the queries are quite similar and it's gets repetitive after a while. After replying to yet another query a couple of minutes ago, I suddenly realised that I could actually have the info up on my blogs and just point them to it. Wonder why I never thought about that.

So given below are some of the key questions to look at before you apply in order to have a better chance of getting into the WBS PhD programme (or any other phD programme for that matter).

1. Is there a gap in research?

For this you will need to read up and see what research has been done
in your area of interest and if there are any gaps in the research that has not been explored. I am not talking of merely changing the context but of gaps in theories. This can be sometimes quite difficult when you are looking at something relatively new - like blogs in my case. Some people commented that being a current topic is great because no body has done it. It is actually problematic because you don't have any or very little research evidence to fall back on to back up your research. It really helps if you are researching a topic you are really interested in because after a while you do get sick of reading about the same things again and again. Fortunately, I am a compulsive blogger and have a deep interest in social media of which, blogs form a very important part.

2. Do you have access to data or subject of study?

This is very important to prove that the research is possible. A number of grand proposals failed because the students simply didn't have access to the data they were looking for. Companies are notoriously difficult to access (naturally) unless you have contact inside.

Thus a good methodology would be required. In other words, how are you going to access and ultimately analyse the data. If you plant to do a quantitative study, it will be helpful to specify the methods and tools you are are going to use to analyse the data.

3. Do you have a prospective supervisor?

Many prospective PhD students make the mistake of applying without looking to see if there is anybody interested in their study. Sometimes a great school doesn't mean that the people are good in your subject area. For example, Warwick Business School may be way better in terms of expertise in a particular suject as compared to Cambridge or Oxford.

There is no point if you have an amazing proposal but no one in the Faculty is interested to take you up as a student. Even if someone is interested,they might not be able to take you up if they already have too many PhD students.

Have a look at the list of experts in your field and approach them directly (via email), providing a brief outline of your proposal. If they respond positively, you can then send in an extended proposal. I even had a chat with my potential supervisor over the phone before I got here.

Once you have covered all the 3 points, you can then proceed with the formal application process.

Finally, do not forget to contact the doctoral programme office in the respective schools with all your queries as well.

Savings with discount vouchers

Yesterday morning we went grocery shopping to Tesco at the Arena park near our house here in Coventry. I had recently received my Tesco clubcard vouchers as well as other discount vouchers as well and thought that it might be a good idea to use them before they expired.

Anyway, we ended up with a car boot full of groceries, all organic, as well as other household stuff. My wife was pleasantly surprised when it all came to less than £50. Normally our weekend grocery shopping would cost us around £100.

All the discounts do add up in the end and in these gloomy economic times, we need all the help we can get.

Anyway, I have entered into a partnership with Voucher Alerts - a leading online UK discount code directory, to give my readers the best deals on buying gifts and gadgets online. This includes voucher codes for over 2500 leading online stores including Amazon, HMV, Play.com, Tesco, GAME, Currys, Debenhams and many more. With Christmas around the corner, I am sure you could do with discounts on your online Christmas shopping.

If you are like me and looking to buy electronics online, they have exclusive discount vouchers for the top electrical stores including Currys, Dixons, Pixmania, PC World, Dell, Comet and Play.com. Go through the full list of gift and gadget voucher codes for all your favourite stores here.

You can also sign up for exclusive Voucher Alerts - a free voucher code service. All you have to do is pick what stores you want to be notified for and you will receive custom emails with the latest voucher codes. As most vouchers are short term, this is a great way to make sure you never miss a deal.

My Research Methodology

Just met my second supervisor yesterday and he approved my final research questionnaire with some minor changes. It's now live online at www.surveymk.com//blogs.

With this I am now at the halfway stage of my PhD research work at the Warwick Business School, University of Warwick.

I am actually quite relieved because the first stage is actually the toughest. It took me quite some time to get here because getting the questionnaire right the first time is crucial. A lot of people rush trough their questionnaire development phase of their research and suffer the consequences later.

The first step in starting a research is to have a broad idea of which area you want to research in. For me it was a no-brainer - I wanted to do something related to blogs. However, as I have a marketing background and I am in the business school, I was interested in the marketing aspect of blogs. More specifically on the consumer behaviour related to blog.

Carried out an extensive review of literature and found out that very little research has been carried out on blogs and even less on the marketing aspect of blogs. This was both good and bad news for me. Good because almost anything I do will be new contribution but bad because I had negligible literature to base my research on.

If you are new to research, the first thing you should be aware of is that review of previous literature is absolutely essential. This would allow you to identify the gaps and your potential contribution. You also need previous research to support some of your assumptions and hypotheses.

I had decided from day One that my research should be quantitative in nature and based on a survey questionnaire. Learnt that I fell under the positivist philosophy camp. Most of my friends research here are qualitative in nature. There has been an ongoing battle between the different sides on the best approach to research but I firmly believe that quantitative research is the best. This may be due to my educational background in the biological sciences.

My research looks at the consumer's perception of blogs and as I am looking at consumer attitudes, I rely a lot on several human psychology theories - as are in fact, a lot of marketing studies.

Several conceptual models with various constructs came up and went until we (myself and my supervisor) finally agreed upon one.

This was a really frustrating phase and I did wonder whether it was worth all the mental and financial cost.

These constructs are measured by various statements and are derived from previous studies published in leading marketing and psychology journals. I guess that's why we call it "re-search".

I also conducted some interviews followed by a pilot test. Based on the comments and exploratory factor analysis, I had to drop several statements used to measure the constructs and even drop one completely because I found out that it was actually had wrong measurements and was not reliable. I had taken the scale from a research conducted by some Professors in a top US University. This actually proves that experts do get it wrong sometimes.

Anyway, I am finally here and ready to enter the second stage. If you read blogs regularly, please spend a few minutes to complete my survey.

First Commentator
Daddy Papersurfer

How to get your own unique Facebook username?

If you are on Facebook you can now get your own unique username. I got my own yesterday. Previously our Facebook profile url would have lot of characters: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=751145254. Now it is http://www.facebook.com/dilipmutum.

Unfortunately the username Dilip was taken and so was Adam and I had to settle for the 'dilipmutum'.

I also got one for my wife as well as she is busy with her workshop in Berlin.

Is that a invasion of privacy? I am sure she won't mind.

Anyway, if you haven't got your own unique user name, go to the Facebook username page and see if your name is still available.

Warning :
You can't change the user name once you have chosen it. In other words, you will be stuck with it forever. So make sure there are no typos. Also is that cute, funny or obnoxious name something you might want to be associated with in a few years from now.

Think about it. Go on and get your name before someone else does (they probably have, unless it is really unique).

How to increase traffic to your blogs

As part of my doctoral research, I have looked at the reasons why some blogs are able to get thousand if not hundreds of visitors to their blog everyday.

Some websites charge to tell you this secret but here I am telling you for FREE.

CREDIBILITY.

There is a huge debate among various scholars and various conceptualisations about credibility but most define it as as "believability".

Some authors have come out with the terms ‘webelievability’ to refer to “the degree to which people judge online information as credible”. Of course we cannot discount the credbility of the source - the blogger when it comes to blogs.

Looking at the credibility of the source, Credibility has been shown to be composed of

1. trustworthiness and
2. expertise.
   

Of course you must note that there is a difference between trustworthiness and trust. While credibility is about believability, trust is about dependability. but they are related. in other words if you perceive the credibility of a blogger to be high, this will then lead to trust.

However, the next question is how do bloggers gain this credibility. This is where it gets interesting. Stanford Persuasive Tech Lab has published a list of ten guidelines to boost your web site's credibility.

Some are not even experts at all but somehow were able to get this perceived credibility and eventually became an "expert". I know of a couple of guys who ultimately went on to become popular speakers even though they didn't have either the professional or educational qualifications but just on the basis of their popularity of their blogs. Some of them have regular columns in magazines and even lecture at Universities with professors sitting in the audience. That's amazing isn't it.

It is interesting to note that many popular bloggers including John Chow don't really follow some of the points listed (for example, many of them carry ads including pop-ups) but they still continue to receive thousands of visitors. I guess that's where branding comes in. It also provides an interesting insight into the human behaviour. Once you get famous, the traffic has a snowball effect. Everyone wants a piece of you.

How you get that break is really important and sometimes it is by pure chance but often due to talent. I saw this with popular Malaysian blogger Kenny Sia when he exploded on the Malaysian blogging scene with his original brand of humour (his big coconuts) and of course his (in)famous Xiaxue pose. Now's he's Internationally known and his blog averages about 14k visits daily.

The lucky break may occur due to a mention in the press, magazine or a mention by another celebrity blogger. For example, a small mention by the ProBlogger can do wonders for your blog traffic.

But as they say, not everyone is lucky and sometimes you have to slog it out for several years before you get famous just by your sheer effort.

First Commentator
Lisalicious

Hooked on house makeover show

Homes under the hammer, 60 Minute Makeover, Grand Designs - these are but some of the TV programmes I am hooked on right now. I guess the common themes that run in all these programmes is making a house a home.

It surprising because I have never done much DIY work before I moved to the UK - we just hired someone to do it because labour is cheap in Malaysia. Some may disagree but I assure you, it's way cheaper than in the UK.

My wife hates these programmes but I think that it is something amazing - watching people turn a dilapidated house into something beautiful. I think what really appeals to me is watching how these people overcome the obstacles to make their dreams a reality.

Homes under the hammer comes on weekday mornings on BBC 1 and shows how people buy people buy properties in auctions and do them up. Not all of them are successful and I have learnt a number of tips that I should keep in mind should I ever decide to buy in an auction. 60 Minute Makeover is on ITV1 and a team redesigns a house in exactly 1 hour. My favourite is of course Grand Designs. It is on Channel 4 and presented by Kevin McCloud. Watch people build the houses of their dreams (which sometimes turn into nightmares). I have blogged about it before. Read My Grand Designs.

I would have loved to do up this house that I am living in and God knows that it is desperately in need of a huge makeover. I have actually done quite a lot. Unfortunately, I am just renting it and I guess I have to wait until I get my own house.

Gift cards for this holiday season

The holiday season is almost upon us and the almost everyone I meet seems to be in a jolly mood. It's also the time of the season to buy gifts. Not really sure how the current recession is going to affect the sales. Most of my friends are looking for bargains online.

One thing that will not change will be the big queues in stores at the returns counter where people go to exchange unwanted gifts. I was wondering whether giving prepaid gift cards would be a better alternative. People could then go and buy things that they really wanted or needed.

According to a study by commissioned by Blackhawk Network, the creator of the Gift Card Mall™, 70% of the respondents felt that gift cards are a useful gift since the recipient can get what he/she wants. Further more, the National Retail Federation’s 2009 NRF holiday survey showed 54.9% of consumers would like to receive a gift card this holiday season.

I guess that's not really surprising. I would prefer to receive a gift card rather than a sweater that did not fit me.

I am sure some of you might be worried that with several retailers in financial trouble or even going under, they might not accept gift card. However, the fact is that most retailers are not going bankrupt and those that were are getting rescued and there is no evidence to show that retailers are not accepting gift cards.

So if you haven't thought about your gifts as yet, you might want to consider giving gift cards.

Accounting jobs

It is really interesting but the old stereotype of the accountant hasn't changed much. They are usually portrayed by a strange introverted guy (often balding and fat) with thick glasses clutching a briefcase.

This couldn't be further from the truth. Many of my accountant friends are among the most hip and happening people around. Many are holding management positions and on their way up. This underlines how important the accounting profession is. Most people assume that an accountant is only responsible for bookkeeping in the company. This is but one of the role that an accountant plays in a modern company. Good accountants helps with tax issues of the company, makes sure that money is properly budgeted and also take care of corporate governance issues.

Anyway if you are looking for an accounting job look for a job site which updates regularly. Also check the number of jobs listed. I usually look for a site that groups the jobs by title, city and company type. It is good if there is also a search option if you are looking for something more specific. Clicking on a job link should take you to the respective site in which they are carried.

Good luck if you are an accountant looking for a job.

Caro Prangenberg the idiot

There's someone who calls himself Caro Prangenberg, who keeps leaving comments on my blog or should I say spamming. It's ok to comment but this guy is so lazy he just copies some sentences from one of my posts and pastes it to the comment. I am not sure what's he is hoping to gain by this. My guess is that he one of the guys employed by one of the SEO companies out there who pays people to go blog hopping and leave comments with a link back to their client's website.

They don't realise that sooner or latter, the websites are going to be blacklisted as spam origin sites.