Certified Blogaholic

Another contender to the Apple IPhone’s coveted market share is the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. It had been subject to speculation and rumors months ago as the Nokia Tube. Scheduled to hit stores in the last quarter of 2008, here’s a quick round up of what it can offer.

As an IPhone contender, of course it comes with a multi-touch screen but likewise accepts input via stylus and plectrum.  It has a 3.2-inch display in high resolution.  Since it will cater to music lovers, it has an 8 GB memory and a microSD slot that supports 16 GB cards.  It also has a graphic equalizer and a built in stereo surround sound that supports all major digital music formats.

The rest of the features are pretty standard — 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, Bluetooth, dual LED flash, GPS, WiFi, and runs on Nokia’s S60 5th edition.  Price tag is estimated at $392.   Is the Nokia 5800 the One?  We’ll see.

In the last Presidential debate, instead of two candidates repeatedly talking about the merits of their respective platforms, the impact of their plans were brought to the spotlight as discussions focused on “Joe the Plumber.” Who is Joe the Plumber? He is Joe Wurzelbacher, a middle-class American from Ohio who has been working as a plumber for 15 years.

How did Wurzelbacher figure into the Presidential debate? During one of Obama’s campaigns near Toledo, a bald man with a goatee confronted the senator about his tax programs. Wurzelbacher informed the senator that he was preparing to purchase a company that makes between $250,00 to $280,000 a year. He confirmed with the senator if the circumstance would get him taxed more under his tax policies. Obama admitted that it would likely be the case. Wurzelbacher offered that a flat tax may be a more suitable measure than those that the senator proposes. However, Obama defended his policies and explained the tax incentives that he will likewise propose for businesses. Then both parted ways after shaking hands.

During the last Presidential debate, John McCain raised the incident about Joe the Plumber to highlight how Obama’s proposed tax policies would hurt small businesses. Thereafter, Joe has become part of the election circus, representing middle-class Americans and small businesses. He has become a favorite of the anti-Obama camps. He was tracked down by the Associated Press but declined to tell people who he would vote for.

According to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, calculations show that less than 700,000 taxpayers will be paying higher taxes under Obama’s plan. And some of these aren’t even small businesses. These would include lawyers, accountants, and investors whose income puts them in the top tax bracket. As Obama mentioned, statistics prove that 98% of small businesses make less than $250,000. Now, Joe speaks his mind right after the debate. Watch the video here.

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As the final moments of the US Presidential debate ticked, America watched closely hoping that somewhere they will find a sign that would point them in the right direction. Who is the right one for the job? With the economy in chaos, there seems to be no room for error as the US scrambles to get back on its feet, trying desperately to avoid a repeat of the 1929 Depression. Never has a presidential election been more crucial than this moment. And never has there been such pressure on candidates trying to give the right answer to the American people.

The final debate was McCain’s last chance to recover some ground after seemingly losing in the previous two. Though he has improved dramatically, Obama still remained composed and confident despite looking uninterested and bored. McCain was more aggressive and kept throwing the sink and the plumber, Joe, that Obama talked to about taxes in a recent campaign. He made more headway and seemed more in command as he continued to batter Obama.

On the other hand, Obama’s worst traits showed as he appeared non-chalant and less aggressive. With his success in the last debates, the Democratic candidate was lax and failed to hit his opponent as often as he should have. This time around, it was Obama who gave broad statements with unclear answers. Still, intelligence and knowledge was clearly Obama’s strongest points. The only setback in the last debate is that he appeared to lack determination.

With only a few weeks to go, has America made its decision? Is it clear who among these two candidates will be the hero to save the nation battered by incumbent President George Bush? America only has 2 weeks to find the right answer. Let’s hope they are not just crossing their fingers or playing spin-a-bottle to get their answer.

After denying rumors months ago that Madonna and hubby Guy Ritchie are having marital problems, their spokeswoman finally announced that the couple are getting a divorce. According to other sources, the couple want everything settled and over with by Christmas. It seems that the 50-year old pop icon wanted to wrap up her world tour before announcing the split.

Madonna and Guy have 2 children, Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3 (adopted from Malawi in 2006). Madonna also has a 12-year old daughter, Lourdes, from her former trainer Carlos Leon. The couple are estimated to be worth $525 million, bulk of which belongs to Madonna. Hope this one will not become as messy as the others. When money is a big issue in a dispute, all hell breaks loose.

I just found a copy of W Magazine’s cover of Angelina Jolie breasfeeding one of her twins. Taken by Brad Pitt himself, the picture was as natural as the act itself — no heavy make-up, hair slightly disheveled, a tiny hand just visibly touching the top of the mother’s breast. I guess W mag intended to make the cover appear as part of a private collection of the family rather than an advertising stint. And nothing sells better than a magazine that gives a peek into the personal life of this couple.

And here’s a peek at those pictures taken by Brad Pitt. I like those with the kids. Check them out and find out if Brad has the eye for photography.

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My girlfriends tell me I’m not a shoe person. Whenever we go shopping, my eyes keep straying to bags rather than shoes. That’s not to say I don’t have a decent collection of pairs in my closet. I’m still a lady and though I prefer bags or purses, I still believe a woman can’t have too many shoes. However, I fancy casual shoes instead of those feminine stilettos. My closet has more flip flops, sneakers, moccasins, and boots rather than heeled shoes.

I prefer casual shoes because for me, shoes were not made only to make you look good. They should be made to give you comfort more than anything else. And when it comes to casual shoes, the newest kid on the block is Blowfish Shoes. These were created by designers of such famous brands as Rocket Dog, Esprit, Sam & Libby, Hippopotamus, Aerosoles, and David Aaron. I love the styles of the casual Blowfish women’s shoes. They are trendy and hip, yet very comfortable. They are definitely the hottest new styles to sweep women off their feet.

Why go for a slip-on or boots that most people are already familiar with? Choose Blowfish Designer Shoes and you will surely get compliments and second glances.

Probably the most basic balancing pose in Yoga is the Tree Pose or the Vrikshasana. It is a core yoga position that is practiced even in advanced yoga. It is the perfect pose to develop physical balance and agility. Aside from balance, it also strengthens the legs and improves the flexibility of the hips and shoulders. However, due to the pressure on the knees and the hips, it is not recommended for those who have undergone chronic knee or hip injuries.

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Three days to Certified Blogaholic’s first birthday, I thought it would be a good idea to share my experience with the newbies or those contemplating about getting their own blog. I am still considered a newbie after one year and hardly an expert on blogging. Still, this article may prove valuable to those who want a simpler approach to blogging. I will write my experience sans the complicated concepts of SEO (search engine optimization) or any other technical blabber about blogging.

For those still in the planning process of starting their blog or those still in their infant stages, you might want to consider first the actual purpose of the blog. This one was entirely built on the desire to make money from different opportunities in the web. At this point, I’m still uncertain if it’s a good idea to start a blog driven by that purpose. Yet, it’s an unavoidable truth. It would’ve given this entire article more drama if I told you the blog was born out of a need to share my thoughts or unorganized ramblings about the world. But it would be so far from the truth that even a 5-year old would know I’m lying. Ideally, starting a blog should be born out of a desire to share something to the world — a cooking expertise, a talent in finance or investment, a love for gadgets, or even tips on making a scrapbook or needlepoint. Whatever it is, it would be good if you have something unique to share the world.

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What cuts Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series above the rest? It’s just another sappy love story about teenagers. And a vampire falling in love with a mortal isn’t new. Buffy and Angel were the first ill-fated lovers in this genre. Other stories have followed suit — isn’t this the same plot of the new TV series True Blood?

Just when I thought I have given up on love stories, along came Twilight. Maybe no matter how hard we deny it, we still crave for undying love stories that we know can’t be real. If we can’t have it in our lives, we probably settle for reading it in a book or watching the movie. Having someone cough out lines like, “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” “You are my life now,” or “I’d rather die than stay away from you,” reminds us of something most of us have given up looking for. Of course, blend this with the mystic and sexy nature of vampires and the thrill of a “love that cannot be” and you’ve got yourself a bestseller and a blockbuster.

Here is the new Twilight Trailer that got cyberspace buzzing yesterday before its official release. Enjoy it while waiting for the official movie release on November 21.

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Word just got out that Angelina Jolie will be W Magazine’s November cover girl which will show a picture taken by Brad Pitt while breastfeeding one of her twins. She will wear a sleeveless top, opened to reveal only a part of her left breast and the baby’s hand. It is a black and white photo showing Angelina smiling with her brown hair cascading over her shoulder. The headline promises more exclusive photos taken by the proud dad.

Two years ago, Jolie caused a stir when she wore a white nursing bra underneath her tank top on the cover of another magazine after she and Pitt had daughter Shiloh, now 2 years old. Apparently, many people find it inappropriate to publicly present a photo of a woman breastfeeding her child. It really is a wonder how some people’s mind work. They make a big thing out of this, yet adult magazines proliferate with women baring their breasts to please men’s hungry eyes.

Just in case many have forgotten, breasts were naturally made for breastfeeding. Since many find it inappropriate, it may seem like there are more people who were neglected by their mothers and were not breastfed. As long as the picture was done in good taste, a breastfeeding mother represents the love and trust between a mother and her offspring. Most of us see this in other mammals. But the love and trust is never conveyed as well as humans — a mother tenderly holding her infant, caressing the baby’s hair, and smiling softly as she performs one of her greatest accomplishments.

Is it more acceptable to see a woman baring her breasts in adult magazines? These women posing nude usually take care of their breasts to keep it attractive to men — meaning that most of them refused to breastfeed their child if they had any or will refuse to breastfeed when they do have a child. It has been a common misconception that breastfeeding children will disfigure a firm and supple breast. To deem these women more acceptable is an outrage.

Finally, RIM unveils the Storm, the Blackberry that promises to unseat the IPhone in the mobile phone market. The Storm is the first ever touchscreen Blackberry with a 480 by 360-pixel, 3.25-inch glass display. Like the IPhone, it supports multi-touch (good for 2-finger gestures) but with a “ClickThrough” feature where the user will distinctly feel the screen being pressed and released. Can it deliver tactile touch capabilities that is missing in the IPhone?

Besides the multi-touch screen, the Storm will come with an ambient light sensor and an accelerometer that automatically turns the screen when you move it sideways. In landscape view, the touch keypad is a full QWERTY while in portrait mode, it has the SureType pad similar to the Blackberry Pearl. It will also come with full-on Office document editing—including support for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.

It is roughly the size of the IPhone which will include CDMA and GSM radios and 3G access. The GPS feature will have a turn-by-turn directions. Of course, it will have Bluetooth capabilities, Blackberry email support, and also a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus. For now, it will be exclusive for Verizon Wireless (no confirmation yet) and pricing still remains a mystery. There are rumors that it will match IPhone 3G’s $199 price. Rumors also abound that a Blackberry Store is in the works, like the Apple’s App Store and the Android Market.

Whether the Storm will a better alternative to the IPhone or the upcoming T-Mobile G remains to be seen.

Isn’t it surprising that during an economic crisis, the big businesses fall first while the small ones survive? We sometimes wonder how it happens when we know that it’s the big ones who have more resources and more opportunities. Isn’t there a saying that says, “the bigger you are, the harder you fall?” Maybe more doesn’t always win. Sometimes, less survives.

I have heard so many success stories. But there are those that make my mouth gape open when I hear about them. One of them is the story of a cheap cologne manufacturer who made millions selling his products for $3 per 100ml bottle. Not only did the owner make enough to own a grand house for his family, but he was able to buy a dream vacation beach house. I can only scratch my head to contemplate how he made it. How did he? He filled a need that cost very little. We all want to smell good, especially after working out or playing sports. Would you put on an expensive perfume after an activity or a shower just to go home? And what about those who can’t afford branded perfumes or colognes? What also set his business apart from competition is that he established his business in a small stall inside a mall. Why would he put his product inside a grocery or drugstore and have consumers compare it to others? People walking past the stall readily sees his product and at $3 per bottle, it was a no brainer. Voila, he has volume sales in hundreds of thousands per month.

Looking at large companies as our models would be looking too far ahead. Aiming to be the next Calvin Klein is a goal that may be too tall for us regular folks. Start a business that only requires small capital but caters to majority of the market. At the moment, majority means budget-conscious consumers worrying about the economic crisis. If you are thinking of a business idea, a good question would be, “what do most people need and how much would they pay for it without reservations?” Remember that a profit of 50 cents per item may seem small, but if you multiply this by millions, it is bigger than what you can imagine. Maybe we don’t have to think big to make it big. Sometimes, thinking small just might work.

After the controversial melamine scare brought about by milk from China, here comes another product that places the health of little girls and women at risks. It was recently discovered that hair bands manufactured from China might cause sexually transmitted diseases to women and girls using them because they are made from used condoms.

Women who use hair bands are aware that sometimes we put them temporarily in our mouth while we gather our hair into a pony tail or while we braid them. If you are using a hair band made from recycled condoms, it is possible to contract genital warts or any other sexually transmitted disease with this method and product.

Rubber hair bands have been found in Chinese local markets and beauty salons in Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in Southern Guangdong province to have been made from used condoms. No wonder they come so cheap. Despite being recycled, the hair bands could still contain bacteria and viruses from the user of the condom. A government official was quoted as saying recycling condoms was illegal.

Here again, we see irresponsible manufacturers in China putting health risks into millions of consumers in exchange for profit. Beware of such hair bands. Remind your girlfriends or your daughters not to place them in their mouth while fixing their hair. Then again, would you even dare hold one of these in your hands?

Did you know that most small business owners are unaware that they are qualified for tax credits? The government does give tax incentives to companies regardless of its size. The US government motivates innovation and provides Research and Development tax credits to engineering companies, chemical manufacturers, software companies, and others that will move the nation forward in terms of technology.

Most tax consultants discovered that many small and mid-sized companies are unaware of this tax program by the government. They probably believe only companies such as Microsoft or Apple are eligible. Some even end up getting thousands of dollars back from tax overpayments after applying for the tax credits for the first time.
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