Can You Make Money with Home Based Businesses?

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Mr Bentley

The answer to this question is a definite YES! I have lots of business associates in the USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who are working in home based businesses and making thousands of dollars each week. In fact the lady who introduced me to my home based business is only 25 years of age and she made over $500,000 in her first 12 months of home business.

I am now duplicating her results, but please read on and you will learn about what I have actually done and experienced in 3 very different situations and how in the end I succeeded in taking control of my life.

My Traditional Business Experience
I used to own and manage a very lucrative and high profile restaurant and bar in Brisbane, Australia for a period of over 12 years. I started it from scratch and like most traditional businesses it was really expensive to set up and the running costs were enormous.

Although I earned a lot of money with this business, I finally decided to sell it when I came to realise that the long hours and constant stress of managing over 30 employees, dealing with various government authorities, endless paper work and hundreds of customers per week was absolutely destroying my life.

You can become very wealthy with a traditional business but you will need to be extremely committed as you won’t be able to walk out and close the door anytime you want. There will be lots of work to do and deadlines to meet, customers to service and more than likely, staff to hire and manage unless you want to do all the work yourself. The hours are generally very long and in most cases the business can end up taking over your life. Another point to consider is that you’ll be on your own to work things out and solve any problems as they arise.

My Job Experience
After selling the business, I decided that a job would be a better alternative to being in business so I set about finding one and little did I know what I was in for! I spent 8 hours a day scouring the employment classifieds, networking, perfecting my resume and attending interviews for jobs I didn’t even want. I felt undervalued and demoralised and almost gave up hope before I finally landed a job with a company as an events manager.

All good you might well think but unfortunately this was not the case as now I was into something that would cost me 12 hours of my time, 5 days a week as I got dressed up for work, traveled to and from work and actually did the work. I was working under considerable pressure and was totally stressed out by having to answer to a boss and co-ordinate every single element of each event from travel and accommodation arrangements, key note speakers, entertainment and right down to sorting out what type of lettuce should go on the dinner plates of the attendees. What a nightmare! But the thing that irked me the most was that I was doing all of this to make my boss richer while I had to settle for a small pay packet at the end of each week. JOB = Just over broke.

My Home Business Experience
As you might have guessed, I didn’t stay in my job as an event manager for long. I had spent 7 months of my life trying to find the right job and after only 1 month I resigned.

I had no idea what to try next but I was determined to find something that would tick ALL the boxes for me and knew that I first needed to get very clear about what I really wanted.

I did not want to:
Own and manage a stressful, traditional type of business
Outlay a lot of money to get started in a new business
Answer to a boss and have to beg for time off work

I did want to
Earn a lot of money
Work from home
Take control of my future

With the above in mind, I spent the next couple of months researching my options until I was eventually attracted to an advertisement (placed by a 25 year old lady) about a home based business opportunity. I must admit that I was pretty hesitant to begin with but I decided I had nothing to lose by finding out more so I answered the ad and within 1 week I was up and running with my very own home based business.

On my best day so far, I earned five thousand dollars but what I really love about my home business most is that I actually took back control of my own life. I now work the hours I choose, from the comfort of home or anywhere I like really with my laptop and phone. I don’t have to juggle and manage staff anymore and gone is all the stress. I fit my work around my life, generally about 25 hours per week and I absolutely love what I do.

It’s not for everyone however and if you are considering getting started in a home business you should ask yourself the following important questions:

1. Is the business aligned with your income and lifestyle goals?
2. Do you have some money and time to invest into the business?
3. Can you work diligently as your own boss and without supervision?
4. Will there be anyone to help or guide you if you get stuck along the way?

Yes! You can make money with home based businesses. Lots of money!

Christine Hamilton is currently making money in with home based businesses. For more information about what she is actually doing, click work at home BSCH110509

Czech Republic Capital – Prague

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Mr Bentley

prague The capital of the Czech Republic is one of the most important historical preservation sites in central Europe. Prague’s one of-a-kind city centre has been a UNESCO world cultural and natural heritage site since 1992.

Prague is a great city for those in love. Remnants of the city’s history are found on nearly every corner.

A walk through the Old City past Powder Tower (1475), the old town hall and other equally marvellous baroque architectural masterpieces leads to the Charles Bridge, one of the most photographed in the world.

Prague Castle was created on the Hradshin River by a property developer named Premysl around 870, and Prague soon became the seat of the House of Premysl.

Vratislav I, the first Bohemian monarch, moved the royal residence to Vysehrad Castle in 1085, probably due to a power struggle with his brother, Bishop Jaromir.

Prague Castle remained the seat of the bishops of Prague for many years. The Cathedral of St. Vitus, another early structure, is also located on the castle grounds.

Prague expands.
Protected by the two castles, a sea of German and Jewish businessmen and local craftsmen led to rapid growth on both sides of the Muldau River. The largest fortified section was near the already ancient Prague Castle. Prague received its city charter in 1234 from King Wenceslas I, who made it his primary residence.

Shortly thereafter, the “New Town” districts of Mala Strana and Hradshin were ffounded. The fourteenth century brought yet more prosperity to Prague. In 1348 the first university in central Europe was founded here, Charles University, named after Emperor Charles IV.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Prague was ravaged by two religious wars. The Hussite Wars (1419-1437) and the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) left deep scars.

The events that set off both of these conflicts started in Prague. These include the famous “defenestrations”, in which Catholic office holders and dignitaries were thrown out of windows by dissenters, the first time by Hussites, followers of rebel reformer Jan Hus, and later by Protestants, setting off the Thirty Years War.

The victims of the first defenestration did not fall far, but luckily landed in the arms of a mob waiting outside to lynch them. The second time was from an upper story, but the Catholics were saved because they fell into a heap of garbage. From the Catholic viewpoint, divine intervention had intervened. The two long, debilitating conflicts killed hundreds of thousands, setting back development for generations. Like other afflicted cities, Prague lost most of its international standing during this time.

Prague Spring.
In 1945, Prague became the capital of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia. Communist leadership precipitated a deep-seated financial crisis: the Soviet central planning bureau contributed to nearly complete economic stagnation.

In the spring of 1968, public criticism grew and much of the population became increasingly disenchanted. Street demonstrations of the “Prague Spring” were news all over the earth.

Ultimately, power struggles within the ruling party led to the invasion of Prague by Warsaw Pact troops on 21 August 1968, and the brief period of expression was ruthlessly terminated.

It would be 1989 before Prague separated itself from Russian control, and in 1993 was named capital of an independent Czech Republic.

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All About Forex

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Mr Bentley

Oil, Gold and the foreign currency exchange market are three different markets that are intertwined. If you are into Forex trading, knowing what one does may give you an insight where the other markets may be heading. It would be greatly advantageous to become familiar with those different markets as a trader and get some Forex education.

Let’s have a look at those markets and how they are all interconnected.

GOLD
There is an inverse correlation for markets such as gold or oil that are priced in U.S. dollars in the finance world. When the U.S. dollar loses value, not only do foreign currencies increase in value, but gold prices also rise. Studies have shown a negative correlation between gold and the dollar that is, they almost never move in together, but almost always move in reverse directions.

The value of EUR/USD versus gold prices, on the other hand, shows a very high positive correlation, this means that the value of the euro and gold prices often go hand-in-hand, suggesting these markets are both better off when funds are flowing away from the U.S. dollar.

Gold prices may be considered as an important component in the analysis of the forex market. A trend change in gold price may give a good clue to where the USD may be heading in the Forex market.

OIL
A increase in crude prices directly relates to a weakness in the USD. Foreign oil producers view the increase in oil prices as a way to maintain their buying power in U.S. dollar terms. Forex brokers will tell you to counter the impact of higher oil prices a weaker dollar could ultimately give rise to inflation.

Oil is a key commodity causing global economic growth, and oil prices and the foreign exchange have a key relationship in the global market.

Now lets have a look at the impact an increase in oil prices may have on the different major trading currencies around the world.

Japan: Economy suffers as it relies on imports for most of its energy needs, therefore the Yen weakens.

UK: Benefit the economy as UK produces oil. British pound strengthens.

Oil in world business has a heavy impact on the Forex market. Thus any disturbance in supply is likely to affect the foreign exchange market.

Some of these factors may be terrorist attacks, natural disasters and political instability. In such circumstances a shift from the dollar to the euro as the designated currency in crude oil could occur thus causing an immediate decline in the value of the U.S. dollar.

Gold and oil are not the only commodities affected by changes in forex rates. Exports of agricultural commodities account for a large share of U.S. farm income.

When the value of the dollar rises, it tends to limit buying interest from an importing nation as the commodity becomes too expensive in terms of that nation’s domestic currency.

When the value of the dollar declines, it reduces the price to an importing nation in terms of its currency and encourages it to buy more U.S. agricultural products. The influence that one market has on another market naturally shifts over time so these relationships are not static but should be the subject of ongoing study.

You as a Forex trader should be aware of the impact that those different markets have on the Forex. Though the changes may not be instantaneous, it may however give you an insight on any possible trend changes in the near future. Happy trading. BSFT220409

Don’t Write Off the Share Market Just Yet

Posted on April 10, 2009 by Mr Bentley

Some people have a different view on stockmarket downturns. They see the low stock prices as a chance to purchase a good deal.

During times of economic change, it is our natural instinct to protect our investments and distance ourselves from risk. While this reaction is unsurprising, it can also mean missing out on profit opportunities created during uncertain times.

Warren Buffet, one of the world’s wisest investors, sees market slumps from another viewpoint, saying “Look at market swings as your friend rather than your foe; profit from folly rather than participate in it.”

Generally when we see a cheaper price for something we want we rush in for a bargain, however it can be quite the opposite with stocks. Why is it that we treat shares that have dropped in price with dread? Stock prices of a company can drop for a number of factors.

Lately we have seen the share prices of a number of reputable companies with healthy balance sheets be negatively affected due to a rush to sell as a result of the economic crisis.

Despite the difficult share trading environment, fund managers are constantly checking the market for investment opportunities. Many fund managers are searching to find stocks in profitable companies with strong balance sheets and returns. For example Australian companies such as household names like David Jones have delivered strong profits after tax and dividends in 2008. However during 2008, David Jones’ share price fell by more than 30%.

Identifying opportunities
Not all firms will be affected by the global economic crisis in the same way. Some industries are more susceptible to the business cycle than others.

Providers of basic goods and services continue on almost unchanged, for example we all need to eat – so supermarkets aren’t as affected as much as tourism, motor vehicle sales or luxury goods.

Australia’s population growth is at a 20 year peak and growing at 1.7% per year. Australia’s growing population provides increasing demand for goods and services as people need food, housing, cars, and other staples. Unlike many overseas countries, Australia benefits from two key factors: a high population growth rate and a high demand for accommodation.

Population growth is nearly twice that of the US while Germany has negative population growth. In America there is an over-supply of housing while Australia suffers from a lack of supply. The combination of limited housing and a rising population will create growing demand for housing which will support further construction and provide opportunities for the building industry.

The value of companies
Many people view businesses with falling share prices with fear, but we need to take a look under the hood of these companies to determine why. Have they borrowed heavily?

What industry are they in? Are they competitive against their peers? Only by answering these questions, can we know if their share price has fallen for valid reasons or if the company is indeed on sale.

When investing, many professional investors seek companies with high and maintainable returns, strong balance sheets and substantial cash flow. These companies are more likely to outlive the volatility storm and may give you a greater return when the market moves into the next phase of recovery and
beyond.

Before you consider changing your investment, you should seek financial advice. Having a financial adviser and a long-term financial plan can give you confidence to manage the effects of market cycles. With the right advice you can ensure your investments are structured to your risk profile and time horizon, giving you the certainty of knowing you’re doing what’s right for you. This article brought to you by a Brisbane business coach who offers sales training and a web design brisbane. Distribution by seo packages. BS1004

American Influences on Australian Lighting

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Mr Bentley

art-deco-lights Powered candle brackets with wrought iron or aluminium holders and brass or timber candelabra with small individual fabric shades in imitation American colonial or mission style were common during the 1920s and 1930s. They were hung in Spanish mission or neo-colonial styled homes and also in Californian bungalows.

It was quite often the case that different styles of light fittings were mixed in one home. The entrance hall and internal passages could have wrought iron lantern fittings either circular or rectangular in shape. The dining room might have one or more American colonial style wrought iron candelabra; the lounge, French revival chandeliers; the master bedroom, a floral ceramic rococo light fitting. All these rooms might have wall sconces matching the central light. The kid’s bedrooms often had English styled Arts and Crafts fittings; the bathroom a modern fitting — similarly the servants quarters — and the kitchen, fluorescent strip lighting.

By the 1950s the standard or table light had become a major focal point in a room with the new television and blinds. Sometimes a metal standard lamp came incorporated in a side table or large ashtray. The background lighting was subdued. Except for the table lamps little attention was drawn to the light fixtures.

Mass production churned out cheap plastic, plaster, metal and buckram lamp bases and lamp shades. The traditional colonial designs had been replaced by a plethora of folksy designs and do-it yourself instructions on how to make ballerina lamp-shades or African and Fijian raffia shades. The style was kitsch: a multitude of designs for table lamps was-available, from Russian ballerinas, Spanish matadors, Chinamen, happy Mexicans with cacti, Arabian snake trainers, African dancing girls, happy couples and leopard or tiger skins. The colours were gaudy and beautifully ugly. For football player agents and sales training options, visit digitalbrands.com.au.

Your Attitude Determines Your Business Future

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Mr Bentley

You have found a business for sale, you have bought it, so what now? With all the pieces of your new business just about in place, there is a crucial Issue to discuss, You. The most important ingredient in small business is the owner, and the most important ingredient in the owner is their attitude to both the business, and their customers.

Your attitude will to a great degree govern your success in business. Some people when they leave their jobs to start up their own business, unravel and get lazy. This is probably due to the fact they are no longer intimidated by the boss into doing the right thing. Self discipline can be a real problem with some people, they just can’t motivate themselves without some degree of external pressure. This, I believe is the biggest problem you will face.

You should watch for the warning signs, opening late, closing early, having long lunches, never getting jobs finished on time or at all, not returning calls, letting accounting paperwork lag behind, taking days off because you couldn’t be bothered working and so on. It is so easy to slip into bad habits, so be aware.

Try and remain accustomed to at least working the same hours as you were in your employed job and set yourself targets. Targets and goals will impose pressure on you to perform.

The next attitude problem comes from lack of determination.

Some small business owners fall to pieces every time there is problem or a crisis. This style of attitude will also assist you to go out of business very quickly.

You must never give up, for your own sake you must push on because you will strike plenty of problems and go through several serious crisis’s before things settle down, this is common to all new businesses.

The best thing to do is work through the problem in a calm and systematic way. Whilst you may feel at the time “this is the end” and “I’ve had enough”, this is a normal reaction that will pass. It often helps to join business groups and talk to other business owners about common problems.

You then must solve the problem and keep going. I’m sure attitude and determination has a lot to do with the 90% of businesses that fail. It’s ridiculous to think that a business goes down the drain because the owner had a poor attitude or “had a wobbly”, but it does happen. Make sure you’re not one of them.

The last issue to discuss is your attitude to customers. Keep this in mind, regardless of whether you like the particular person, all customers contribute to your profitability and success so treat them with respect and courtesy. It’s amazing how quickly customers will desert you if they feel you are rude to them. No customers – no money — no business! Always remain courteous, helpful and above all friendly, never allow personal or business problems to raise their heads in front of customers.The future of your business is in your hands.

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The City of Seoul – South Korean Capital

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Mr Bentley

seoul Over 20 million Koreans live in and around Seoul, yet it is one of few a cities that has successfully preserved its buildings from the past and integrated them into the skyline of a growing global city.

Seoul is loud and bustling, as befits one of the most densely populated metropolises on Earth. Lines of cars and throngs of people press their way through the cavernous streets. Oversized illuminated advertising marks the way, selling products in a foreign script. The subway system is Seoul’s new and perfectly organized underworld. In the midst of all this chaos, visitors may suddenly come upon an oasis of stillness in one of the country’s numerous temples, parks and pavilions.

City on the river
Seoul was founded in 1394, following the demise of the Koryo Kingdom (1392). Its progress was long associated with the rise and success of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). After searching for a suitable location for his city, King Taejo, better known as Yi Seonggye, decided on the north bank of the Han River. A small village named Hanyang was the only settlement in the area at that time. The name of the renowned Hanyang University, one of over 300 institutions of higher learning in Seoul, recalls that small village.

A modern sports city.
Contemporary Seoul came into existence during the first half of the twentieth century, and largely through the influence of the Japanese. The old city wall gave way to modern buildings, with only the ancient city gates preserved. After the catastrophic Korean War (1950-1953), nearly all of Seoul had to be rebuilt.

From that point onward, Seoul grew at a very rapid pace. The city underwent massive changes, at times with little planning and consideration of their long-term impact. Trams ran until 1968, only to disappear almost overnight. They were quickly replaced by an underground subway system. The economic upswing of 1988 that followed in the wake of the Seoul Summer Olympic Games was a boon to the cultural, financial and sporting life of the city, and the sports world again turned its eyes to Seoul in 2002, when the FIFA World Cup football championship was held here.

Kings’ palaces with curious names.
But Seoul is much more than a showcase for sporting events. it is the cultural heart of South Korea, where universities, theatres, museums and more abound.

When Seoul was founded in 1394, the Gyeongbokgung (Palace of Shining Happiness) was the first royal residence built. Happiness did not, unfortunately, shine on the palace and its inhabitants forever.

Serfs burned the palace to the ground in 1592, and the death of Queen Min in 1895 led to the relocation of the royal family to Deoksugung (Palace of Virtuous Longevity). In 1997, the Changdeokgung (Palace of Prospering Virtue) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It was built as an addition to Gyeongbokgung, and was the only structure destroyed in the 1592 uprising that was immediately rebuilt. Until 1872 and again from 1907 to 1910, it served as the seat of government of the Korean kings. The Secret Garden of Biwon is also especially worth seeing. The impressive burial cairns of King Sejo and his wife Yun Chon-hi are located there, just 30 km north of the city.

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Tax Haven Strategies

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Mr Bentley

tax-haven The use of tax havens in day to day corporate life has grown to be almost mainstream these days. To the small businessman and the private investor, the use of tax havens still probably seems a little shady.

This shouldn’t be the case any more as the use of tax havens to reduce tax or just defer it for a while is now accepted practice all over the world with many of the largest Australian accounting and audit firms having departments advising major corporations how to structure their operations offshore.

Tax havens have a strong appeal for many multi-national companies established in foreign countries because of the advantages they offer for the legitimate reduction or deferment of taxation on certain profits earned offshore. Profits harboured in a tax haven enable working capital to be used in the cheapest way possible.

Traditionally, the tax haven has been used as a central point for handling paperwork and preparing and processing international trade documents. Many companies utilise tax havens for the passage of title of goods, so these transfers can proceed without the need for mountains of regulations and fees.

Tax havens are also popular as places to administer patent, trademark and royalty agreements. Because of the intangible nature of patents, trademarks and royalty agreements, they are easily moved from one jurisdiction to the other and the cost of doing this is very low in tax haven jurisdictions.

For instance, if a company with branches and subsidiaries overseas is a resident of a country with strict foreign exchange regulations, it may not want to repatriate the profits simply because if it did, it may have problems being able to transfer the funds back out if it wanted to reinvest them offshore. To solve this problem, it establishes a foreign intermediate holding company in a tax haven, not for tax reasons, but to avoid the foreign exchange control problems that its own country has imposed.

By simply interposing a tax haven company in a corporate structure does not result in the reduction of onshore taxes in most cases, but it may allow tax deferral. Eventually, the parent company will receive the income and when it does it will be taxable and possibly without the benefit of foreign tax credits that may have been available had the profits been repatriated from a tax treaty country. Most tax havens don’t have tax treaties with major countries such as Australia, which prevents the favourable use of lower withholding taxes that would have been available had the country been a signatory to a tax treaty.

Offshore Licencing and Patent Holding Companies

Royalties or licence fees can be, in certain circumstances, can be feed of tax obligations by using an offshore licensing company. For instance, the owner of a patent can incorporate an offshore licensing company and assign the rights to that offshore company. In turn the offshore company then has the right to licence the patent to a foreign subsidiary. By having the royalties paid to the licensing company in a tax haven, profits are effectively shifted from the foreign subsidiary to the offshore patent owning company, which pays little or no tax on the royalties that it receives.

Income from other intangible rights, such as trade marks, copyrights, know how and franchising rights, can be earned without incurring withholding or income tax if a tax haven company is established to sublicence other companies in various countries. Tax savings can be made also on patent royalties by combining tax havens.

Australia only deducts 10% withholding tax on Dutch companies. Therefore, if a tax haven company was established in the Netherlands Antilles with a Dutch subsidiary, and licences its Dutch patents to the Dutch company, the Dutch company, in turn, can licence to the Australian manufacturer.

The Australian company can then pay the Dutch subsidiary patent royalties incurring only 10% tax. The Dutch company can then pay the royalty to the tax haven company (which is the patent owner), thereby avoiding Dutch withholding taxes on dividends. The Dutch company is not taxed in the Netherlands, and the tax haven company avoids any further taxation. Total tax is 10%.

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May Favourite Social Bookmarking Sites

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Mr Bentley

Social bookmarking is all the range in 2009. It’s a proven method of drawing traffic to your web site and for gaining those valuable links that we all covet. Basically all you do is share your favourite web site links with others then other people vote your links up or down depending on how interesting or useful they are.

Most of the sites below use the very popular Scuttle or Scuttle Plus software. If you have any to add, please leave a comment.

Bangkok – Amazing Blend of Cultures

Posted on February 17, 2009 by Mr Bentley

Bangkok If New York is the city that never sleeps then Bangkok, Thailand’s dazzling assets city, comes a very close back place. The city was founded in 1782 by the first monarch of the exhibit Chakri rule. nowadays it’s the country’s spiritual, commercial and educational hub, home to approximately ten million people or more than 10% of the Thai population.

Bangkok (or Krung Thep in Thai which means “city of angels”) is an exciting, high diverge melting pot of east meets west. It is a dynamic city that has embraced technology and recent living with its taken expressways, bold skyscrapers and designer style full shopping centres. Yet underneath it all, it rest a traditional retreat of society, chronicle and time-honored customs, where elders are respected and family always comes first.

As you tour from the airport you’ll see masses of examples of current architecture dotting the cityscape and between them all, durable proud, are glittering Buddhist temples such as Wat Phra Kaew and The imposing Palace. snaky through the specific jungle, you’ll spy leftovers of the “old Bangkok” below you – ancient canals and waterways that are well meaning exploring on a craft falter.

Every Thai household and house, even the most modern, has a traditional ghoul house built unlikely for good wealth and to tribute the ghoul of the land. Each day, small offerings of fruit and water are laid out, regularly with arrangements of plants. If you’re an early riser, keen to make the most of your vacation time in Bangkok, don’t be astounded when you see Buddhist monks in saffron robes making their morning “alms” rounds accepting food and donations from native people, immature and old.

Thailand has a humid climate with an yearly typical temperature of around 75 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit, so bundle light clothing for your jaunt. actual fibers like strand and linen are often more comfortable when you’re walking and touring in hot weather. Practically everywhere you go in Bangkok you’ll find you some relief from the section, with blasts of icy cold air conditioning in retail outlets and hotels.

From protest to May it’s the newest time, with the chief temperatures and wetness. From June to October is monsoon spice, so reminisce to take an umbrella. November to February is cooler and minus humid. reminisce that the monsoon spice varies throughout the country and can imitate the toughen you experience.

You’ll find all types of accommodation in Bangkok – from abundant 5 star international names to lesser backpacker hostels, special by juvenile tourists. Book online and see what special toll you can find to flatter your mood and that all-important finances. You’ll uncover everything from peaceful luxury escapes with spas to exciting hotels right in the middle of the action.

One of the first lexis you’ll learn in Bangkok is “Rot tip” or “rot tit” which exactly means “cars that stick”, in other language transfer jam. But the everyday snarls and backup have been very improved by Bangkok’s cosmopolitan elate logic.

You can now provoke the subway, the Hua Lamphong – Bang Sue line has 18 stations along the 12 mile route. It’s speedy, calm and recent.

Jump on a BTS Sky string. BTS sky trains ply along Sukhumvit, Silom and Phahonyothin roads. The routes unite Bangkok’s primary hotels and foremost shopping areas such as Siam square, Silom, Ratchaprasong and Chatuchak Weekend advertise.

Of course, you can’t go to Bangkok lacking a ride in a tuk-tuk. These fast three-wheeled open-air motorized taxis are popular for tiny journeys. Fares must be bargained in progress, it’s part of the fun.

The grand Palace: the number one attraction. Every visitor to Bangkok should see the magnificent buildings inside the revered Palace compound to get a feel of this revered architectural form. since the founding of Bangkok as the Nations principal by ruler Rama I, The fine Palace has been the main architectural figure of The Thai splendid Family. The noble Family actually resides at Chitralada Palace while The respected Palace is worn for ceremonial purposes.

Wat Pho: perhaps the most interesting temple in Thailand. It combines memoirs, health knowledge and is a highlight for meditation and traditional knead education. Have a knead while you’re here, at a very rational price.

Chatuchak Weekend Market: with over 9,000 shops and stalls you’ll be tempted over and over. Close to everything that is for retailing in Bangkok is here, plus antiques, Buddha amulets, handicrafts, clothes, plants and furniture. (You’ll detect that some maps mean it “Jatuchak”. Many English language have several spellings, so if you’re in distrust, ask the hotel caretaker to write it in Thai for the taxi driver.)

Vimanmek hall Museum: the world’s biggest blonde teak edifice located in the compound of the Dusit Palace on Ratchawithi road. The three-storey noble manor has 81 rooms, halls and ante-chambers containing exclusive memorabilia.

Jim Thompson’s House: this delicate Thai house and buildings continue as a museum to the man who revived the Thai silk activity after the instant World War. The crowd he founded, Jim Thompson Thai Silk, is recognized worldwide for its brilliant fabrics, home accessories and vogue matter. The gardens are uniformly impressive with a deluxe steamy jungle imitating nature’s haphazard beauty right in the focus of the city.

Shopping in Bangkok is not narrow to one or two streets. You’ll find dozens of malls, markets and luxury retail outlets throughout the city. The most trendy are located around the Ploenchit-Ratchaprasong vicinity, Sukhumvit Rd and Silom-Surawong-Patpong, plus the fantastic Patpong night sell where you can choose up your souvenirs, taste and Thai handicrafts. Don’t be shy to bargain in the promote (nicely) as your cash can go a long way.

Bangkok’s focal tributary, the Chao Phraya is the place to be. assume a stately squadron stretching as far as your eyes can see. A flotilla of superbly fixed stately barges gradually sail into inspect, manned by the noble Thai navy dressed in antique ceremonial uniforms. Each sailor rowing in seamless harmony, perfected through months of intense apply.

Thailand has a well deserved reputation as the “The Land of Smiles”. You’ll obtain a welcoming welcome and feel the honest friendliness of the locals. One thing’s for sure, the memories of a vacation here will visit with you for a days.
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Nine words women use

Posted on July 22, 2007 by Mr Bentley

1.) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to do what you’re doing before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in “fine”.

4.) Go ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It! The best way to defuse this situtation is to say: “On second thought’s you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

5.) Loud sigh: This is actually a word, but it is often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of “nothing”.)

6.) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say “you’re welcome”.

8.) Whatever: Is a women’s way of saying “you’re dead”.

9.) Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking `What’s wrong?’ For the women’s response refer to #3.

Engin review – VOIP service

Posted on July 19, 2007 by Mr Bentley

My wife makes an average of 60 calls per month to Sydney from Brisbane at an average costs of $2.70 each. That’s $162 per month. She also has clients overseas in places like PNG and the middle east.

I’ve been thinking about signing up for one of those voice over the Internet services for years and finally last week I signed up with Engin. The signup process was easy and within 3 days I had my Engin voice box and a nifty little wireless phone. The plan I’ve signed up to is $10 per month and the phone cost $30 if I committed to 12 months.

So far I have been very impressed with the quality of service. We have Optus Cable Internet and a small wireless LAN at home. All I had to do to get it working was plug in the Engin box to the router, activate the service by e-mail and then power up the telephone.

The voice quality is very acceptable, about 90% as good as standard PSTN. The other impressive features are incoming call control, call blocking, time of day diversion and so on. A 4 hour call to Sydney costs us 10 cents. Overseas calls are about 3.5 cents per minute.

I have no idea how much bandwidth a call consumes, which can be important if you have a cap on your downloads and uploads. I suspect bandwidth consumption is around about 20 kilobits per second which equates to 150k per minute or 9 Mb per hour. It could be a lot less than that because I assume the gaps between words consume very little bandwidth.

I was a bit worried about what happens to the voice quality when shaping from the ISP kicks in. Once I hit my download limit on the cable Internet, Optus throttles me back to about 56Kbps. I noticed no change in the voice quality once my connection was throttled back to 56Kbps.

UPDATE – PROBLEMS WITH DROP OUTS

Health Warning: How I ripped my scrotum open

Posted on June 23, 2007 by Mr Bentley

Skin tag photo from Internet I had a nasty experience this week that lead to me ending up at the emergency ward of the local hospital. It is an embarrassing story, but an interesting story none the less.

I usually ride a bicycle to work and this particular day I had worn nylon swimming shorts instead of my normal bike shorts. These swimming shorts are the type that are lined with a white, mesh-type fabric.

To cut a long story short, I had a skin tag on the bottom of my scrotum about the size of a match head. It had been there for years and didn’t cause any discomfort so I had done nothing about it.

Unfortunately, during my ride home this skin tag had worked its way into a hole in the mesh lining of my swim shorts.

I was about to have a shower and pulled my shorts down. The next thing I know there’s blood all over the bathroom floor and a sharp pain in my crotch.

You guessed it, when I pulled my shorts down I ripped off the skin tag and about 2 cm of skin from my scrotum with it.

I had no idea that scrotums could bleed so much. In a calm, but shaky voice, I called my wife to come and help me.

Fighting back nausea from the sight of so much blood, she did a great job of patching me up using folded tissue and band aids.

I then waddled down the street to the local private hospital’s emergency department.

I told the triage nurse about my wound and asked for some stitches.

She asked me how it happened and in return I smiled a sick grin and asked her “do you really want to know?”

She paused for a few seconds and shaking her head said that she didn’t really want to. Trying to fight back giggles, she got me in to see the doctor.

He was very casual and professional about the whole story and suggested we try a special medical superglue. Holding the edges of the wound together he applied a bead of glue to the wound and held it together for about 30 seconds. The glue stung like hell, the gluing was even more painful than the initial injury.

He told me to wear jockey shorts for the rest of the week and that the glue would eventually drop off in a few days.

He was right. There was no swelling, no inflammation, and no pain. After three days I was back on the bike as good as new.

It cost me $250 for the treatment and I was in and out in 50 minutes. Medicare will pay all but $150 of it. I could have gone to the local public hospital but I didn’t feel like waiting for 7 hours just to have some overworked intern stitch me up in a very delicate place.

I’ll be wearing proper bike shorts from now on.

I’ve always loved demotivational posters

Posted on June 5, 2007 by Mr Bentley

You’ve probably seen those trite posters featuring rowers, runners, concert musicians and so on working together as a team to achieve lofty goals. It’s all bullshit. Over the last 10 years a few enterprising individuals have cut through the crap and released a set of demotivational posters that tell it how it is. Here is a link to a collection and below is the latest crop: