the confusion of it all

We've been running around getting some new health insurance lately. Well, "getting" is the wrong word, I suppose, since we haven't finalized with the new company, thanks to the confusing way they work. It turns out that if I am out of the country for over 2 months, my insurance gets invalidated and since I would have to pay for the full year up in advance, I don't get any refund or any such thing. I mean, hello...the whole insurance business is already so confusing with annuities and a whole bunch of other legalese, but the complicate the matter more, seems pointless. For customers at least!

photo: on the creek

Remembering our trip to the Creek last year when the weather was fabulous. Well, it's that time of the year again and we're planning to head that way again, hope to find some new interesting nooks and crannies in the area as we usually do. A new cafe, a hidden juice bar, a local pastry shop and so on.

investing in an education

Getting a specialized degree is always going to be an asset, but it's also a good idea to consider it an investment, something that will pay you back over the course of your life. While most working individuals cannot take time off to go full-time to a regular university, an online university such as Western Governors Online University is a good option that will help you in the long run. Now, I know that there are lots and lots of online universities out there, but in the end what really makes an educational institute count is the results it can achieve for its students. Say, for example that you take an online nursing degree from then go on to work at one of the leading hospitals of your city, then the experience is surely worthwhile, right? Tied along with the learning one gathers from such an education is the hands-on practical training that goes alongside, which makes it more applicable than any other type of learning.

diversify your talents

In the time that the economy is slow, it's a good option to explore new areas of work. This is especially true for professions that allow you to freelance, such as business plan consultants where you could maybe do some extra work in your off time and see if you're suited for it. Getting another degree or some kind of qualification is another good option while things are slow, since it always pays to be more qualified. A specialized degree or a degree in a diversified field are both good options and are generally looked upon favorably by recruiters.

photo: do you notice the light and shadows?

A photo from our trip to the Bastakiya arts quarter in Dubai in Nov/Dec. I love this little area...it's got character and atmosphere, even though most of it is not old and has been redone somewhat recently. But it's been done well and it's a wonderful place to sit back and imagine what life would have been in this city, a 100 years back.

when is the right time to start on anti-aging creams?

Again, in continuation with my last post, the other thing that teenagers obsess about constantly are skin care products, which is an obvious result of anyone having any kind of skin problem. The skin care segment is a gigantic sector, but the two areas that make the most money are the teenage segment and the mid to older segment to whom companies market the anti-wrinkle creams and so forth. Interestingly, the second segment used to target only 50+ women, but now all anti-aging creams focus on starting using these creams by the time you're in your late 20s itself. Is that really required? I doubt it, but fear is a good marketing gamble.

marketing to teenagers

What is one of the most popular topic for blog posts among teenage girls? Not really that hard to crack...its solutions for acne that hits the top spot. Not only is the most written about topic but it is also one of the most researched one, besides searching for their favorite singers and downloading their songs. Marketers are tapping into this insight and have been offering money to post advertisements on teenage blogs or others which have a teenage readership. It pays to keep up with the trends and nothing is more important than understanding or trying to understand how their mind works! Quite a tough task!

Computer games

For anyone who spends a lot of time working online, playing games is one of the best way to relax a bit. I have drastically reduced the amount of time I used to spend playing games, but still do manage a couple of hours each week. I found a site that has lots of pc computer games that can be played online, from puzzle, arcade, action, video, casino, adventure, cards and much more. With so many types of games, I am sure to be occupied going through all of the for quite some time. I am especially fond of puzzle games and there are lots of such games available including Jewel of Atlantis, Bejeweled, Treasure Island and much more. Among the word games, I love Bookworm.

to click or not to click

In continuation of my last post, about how one finds advertisements placed in a variety of sites, I came across an advertisement about fda approved diet pills on a well-known interior design magazine site and decided to do some investigation. It can often be risky business clicking onto unknown advertisements, but I thought let me at least see how authentic these advertisements actually are. Do they lead to a real site or just one of those sites that compile and collect another bunch of sites. Anyhow, it turned out that my wireless connection was lost right then, so I wasn't able to connect. I take that as a sign :-)

placing ads

One just cannot get away from self improvement ads of all kinds. No matter what kind of site you open up, well, not all sites, but the bulk of sites, there are advertisements on the side for a variety of weight loss programs such as http://www.weightlossprogram.net, which I saw on a decor site. I didn't think they really went together, but as the readership of most decor sites is primarily women, it's the exact kind of audience that self improvement and weight loss sites are looking for. It would be interesting to find out the stats on how many people actually click through to these ads though.

Discounts on office supplies

I'm a office supply buff, simply love buying stuff for my home office and there's no place better than Office Depot. As much as I love going to the store and browsing to get ideas on new products and gizmo's, I've started buying stuff from them online since I get some sweet Office Depot coupons from an online store which is this really cool way to save money. I got a nice discount on some filing cabinets that I ordered from there and since I was getting such a nice discount, I ended up buying some additional stuff as well. And, that's what shopping is all about...finding a store that you love and getting great deals.

on the weather affecting one's health

One is always reading about how different climates affect ones bones, especially as one gets older. For people with more serious problems, many believe that arthritis pain treatment is much more effective if done in the right climate as well. Cold, misty and rainy places might seem wonderfully romantic, but apparently they are quite bad for anyone with any kind of bone problem, where the joints get stiff and the pain increases. Warmer climates are much more suited to those with these kinds of problems.

somewhere warm and sunny

Winter is a great time to plan getaways right, especially to places where the weather is warm and sunny, the atmosphere relaxed and the breeze always blowing! Well, maybe it's time I started checking out some of these turks and caicos hotels for deals and specials, since we're just back from a vacation, and it only makes sense to go again if the price is right! Ha ha, yes the pun is definitely intended :-) Searching for vacations is fun, but only if one manages to go for them right!