A Dreamer with a Plan

I once told a colleague off by saying, "I'm a dreamer with a plan." I may be a web developer now, but my future lies in a business of my own. Something I can run and formulate strategies for – marketing, advertising and even logistics. I think I’m a natural born business developer.

I love the challenge of taking a service or a product and building an implementation plan for marketing, selling and delivering it. And if you look at all the high-paying jobs out there, they are usually at the executive level. The people who formulate the business plans, who build the strategies that take the company to the top.

Business Development Jobs are always in season – are always hot on the job market. In this time of recession, a business development career makes you flexible – whatever industry is afloat, you can participate in it. And the most qualified person for a business development job? A sales superstar – if you can sell it you can keep any business away from bankruptcy. Consider a business development career shift and be that dreamer with a plan for success.

This post is sponsored by Real Match. Find your dream job at Real Match.

Fashionably Pregnant

Being a wife of five years (… and counting), I have often daydreamed about having a family and, inevitably being pregnant. I love browsing the maternity boutiques – being pregnant is now fashionable!

You may be carrying another human being inside you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be fashionable while doing it! There are different modern dresses, tanks, bottoms and other ready to wear maternity clothes that make moms-to-be as sexy and beautiful as they want to be. The trick is to know where to find these modern mommies’ fashions.

My sponsor, kikisfashions.com, has a huge selection of trendy clothes for expecting mothers. Their fashion is young, classy and fun. Their website is easy to navigate through and their styles are very affordable.

If you or a friend is expecting make sure to check them out – and just because you read my blog, you get 20% off just enter the code “blogfriends” when you checkout.

Facebook Redesign Improvements

My only protest about the new Facebook redesign is that it seems to much more difficult to find my groups and pages than in the old design.  I manage our official pages and groups in Facebook so those are the utilities I need to find first.  

I'm not a social media expert, but I liked how you could just click on Groups and your groups would be listed in one side and your friends' recently updated groups would be on another side.  That was more user friendly for me than having to search for my groups every time now.

I also don't like the fact that they made pages the same as profiles.  You have less control over where everything is located.  Although limited the pages gave me a say over how my page would look, on which box I think was more important and should be above the fold.  That doesn't happen in my profile-like page now.

Every time we've implemented a redesign we try and make our site more user friendly.  We always think about how easy it would be to find our treasure trove of content using our navigations.  This is why Facebook's redesign surprised me because I felt that they hid some of the content I was so used to finding in my home page.

An article in Webware says that there will be changes coming in response to user complaints.  I think Facebook owes its users this at the very least.  Their users are very helpful in pointing out why they do not like the redesign - they should treat this as feedback to improve their application.

I still like Facebook very much - it is still a great tool for connecting with friends.  I'm glad they're making an effort to improve their redesign.  More power to you, Facebook!

LabRoots: Niche Social Network for Scientists & Engineers

Another niche network that drew my interest today is labroots.com - a social network for scientists and engineers.  There was a time when I dealt with polymers, distillation processes, catalysts and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid.  A time when I could actually tell you how many carbon particles where in EDTA and how they are bound together with sodium, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen off the top of my head - now I just sit in front of my computer and google everything.

I signed up for an account in LabRoots and looked around.  It had a nice clean interface.  It had the usual social network tools like an inbox and connections as well as a profile.  What caught my interest was the news, publications and events links.  As I clicked on News, I found an article on how surgeons are using Twitter as a teaching tool and how an Apple repairman in NYC defrauds Apple and gets arrested.  In their Events link I found The International Symposium on Code Generation and Optimization in Seattle, WA that's happening right now.  Quite interesting, indeed to someone like me who has been away from the scientific community for a long time.

All because I told them my field is computer science and checked off my research interests like Web 2.0, internet, data mining, and information technology.  They have a cool application that matches you with your interests.  Check it out, you may just find yourself hooked!

Food2: The Soft Launch

In my opinion blogs about food are one of the easiest to promote.  Everyone eats.  Most people try to make what they eat.  And even more people just love looking at great pictures of food (me being one of them).

Food2 is having a soft launch today.  It is Food Network's foray into social networks.  I'm not sure I understand why they are so timid about it.  They already have an online presence, they have a lot of popular content.  Just from studying blogs like Bakerella, niche social networks like Food Buzz and the traffic from their own site - they must surely know that food will always be a hit! 

Good luck to you, Food Network!  Keep up the yummy work!

Australia: The Movie

I am very fond of love stories. Being set in a breath-taking landscape, having a good looking leading man and a good plot is the best combination for me. So the movie, Australia, seemed very promising to me.

It even had my favorite plot - free spirit finds love of his life decides to settle down. But something was missing from the story. I like the fact that they tried to incorporate the aboriginal culture in the movie. I like the side stories of the half-caste boy getting adopted by Nicole Kidman. It just lacks some of the wow factor I expected in an epic movie.

It didn't quite take my breath away as I had hoped - it even failed to make me cry. There was a lack of chemistry between the two leads that made some of their scenes seem quite awkward to me. Don't get me wrong, it had a good story line - it just dragged on a bit too much at times.

Let's put it this way, I've dragged my husband to watch chick flicks and teen movies - and he usually enjoys them. But he slept through most of Australia.

But don't take my word for it, if you've been waiting for this movie in DVD it is already available. Pick up a copy and watch it yourself. Then make you own decision on whether or not this movie is worth watching! Have a great movie night!

TwiTip: Twitter 101 For The Rest Of Us

I know I have been neglecting my blog lately. I have been preoccupied learning the ropes of how to manage a company's social network profile.

One of the main media I am trying to grow our network in is Twitter. I think I have a personal Twitter account, but do not use it as much. The 140-words limit is cramping my writing style. But the network is too popular to overlook and as a company that has content updated daily - it is a resource that is too valuable to waste!

A social media expert recommended this blog to us, it's called TwiTip - Twitter Tips. It is run by Darren Rowse who also keeps the Problogger blog going. The insights in the blog are very helpful from the power of retweets to how to follow a lot of people and still be engaging. Some of the articles are real eye openers for me and is helping me grow our company's network. They even have an article on useful Twitter tools that help you manage your Twitter account.

There are so many websites and applications that revolve around Tweets and Twitter that one cannot help but wonder at the phenomenon that this microblogging service has created. Wow! So for those of you who are new to Twitter and need a little guidance, try reading TwiTip - it's a gold mine of information. Great job on this blog!

Secure Medical Records with Biometrics

My mother-in-law was taken to the hospital last Tuesday. She was brought by ambulance to Glendale Adventist Hospital, which was the only hospital which had an open bed in their ER. She had never been admitted to Glendale Adventist before so we had to answer a long list of questions regarding her medications, list of illnesses, operations, allergies among other things. Not even six months ago, we went through the same drill with Huntington Memorial in Pasadena. Then again when she was transferred to a convalescent home, it was the same.

This is why I support the government's plan for electronic health records. Hospitals, convalescent homes, and doctors should have access to these medical records. They should be updated as soon as the doctor prescribes a new medication, as soon as someone checks in to a hospital or has laboratory tests done. This would make the records accurate and up to date. There are several providers of health record storage online, one of which is Google Health.

A big concern people face is security of the records. If it were up to me, I'd think DNA, fingerprints and retina scans are great authorization mechanism instead of social security numbers. It will identify that the person is really there with you - in case of emergencies with an unconscious patient, identification will be quicker as well. Of course, people might think that that is a bit big-brotherly. I think it will help people get the treatment they need.

What do you think? Share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment.

Dress Up Your Windows

My husband used to remodel homes for a living. He would redo kitchens, baths, paint houses and add some curb appeal.

One of the most common fix-ups he would do is to add exterior shutters. Shutters dress up tired-looking windows and add a bit of personality to your home.

My sponsor, Larson Shutter Company, has a huge range of exterior shutters for your home. Go to their website, choose among the styles available and buy online. They made it easy so you don’t need to interrupt your day to improve the curb appeal of your home. Plus you get free shipping until the end of the year when you buy shutters online.

Definitely a great deal if you ask me!

Save Your Plants

I love plants; my grandmother could grow anything she wanted when she lived with us. My grandmother would assign to me the task of removing dried leaves and watering the plants. Between my husband and me - he is the one with the green thumb, so to speak. He could take one plant and grow it into a forest; he literally filled our small apartment balcony with hanging and potted plants.

When our apartment building had its yearly maintenance of changing out rotted beams in the balconies, we had to transfer the plants to our landing, we’re it currently lines the wall of two apartments.


The sad thing is, one of my favorite plants suddenly contracted a disease. It developed white spots and then slowly died. This happened to my fortune plant which was nearby as well. But it didn’t affect the palm that was in between them.

I found this website that had a Plant Disease Library and learned that what my plants had was powdery mildew. Powdery mildew are numerous strains of fungi, which removes essential nutrients from the plant.

The website also has organic pest control info. I do not want to treat my plants with harsh chemicals, I prefer organic control options when they get diseases. A sulfur or copper fungicide would have killed the powdery mildew on my plants on contact and control future outbreaks. It changes the pH balance of the plant to make it unpleasant for powdery mildew or blight to survive.

For a very affordable price, I could have saved my favorite garden plant. I have learned from my mistake, hopefully this article helps plant lovers save their plants as well. Happy gardening, everyone!

A 24-inch Beauty Now More Affordable

Have you been dreaming of a new iMac, but have been holding off because of its price? Apple announced updates to its iMac and Mac Mini desktop lines today, including a new 24-inch 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of RAM, 1 TB hard drive and a 512MB GeForce GT 130. There is a built in iSight camera and mic that's barely noticeable until you need them for video chat. The sleek Apple Keyboard perfectly complements the clean lines of this computing masterpiece. Wow! And the best part? It only costs $1,499 - with a $300 price drop.

Check out the Apple website for more details. You might just decide to bring this beauty home the next time you go to an Apple store.

Lessons From Taken

Taken is a story of a father trying to make up for all the time he didn't spend with his daughter when she was growing older.  Liam Neeson plays a retired government agent who chooses to leave a lucrative career to be near his teenage daughter.  His wife had remarried a rich man and his daughter lived with them.

The story begins with Liam buying a karaoke machine for his daughter for her birthday.  His daughter loved the present because she wanted to be a singer.  But then the rich dad brings out his gift, a pony - and Liam's daughter forgets all about the karaoke machine and gushes over her new pony.

As children we are often impressed by flashy things.  We don't appreciate the kind of love our parents give us - when it is not attached to material things.

Last week my coworker told me he was touched by what I wrote about my dad in our forums.  It was the story about how my dad and I would spend time in our garden and he would talk to me about God and teach me the parables.  My coworker said he wished his kids thought of him the same way.

My dad was always there for us.  He didn't have a business empire, we didn't have a huge house or a flashy car - he wasn't the type to give us gifts either - but he was there.  And I didn't fully appreciate that until I was all grown up.

He taught us about God.  He taught us how to ride a bike.  He took us to piano lessons, swimming lessons and tutors.  He took me to my dorm and picked me up without fail all four years of my high school years even if we had to drive through 2 or so hours of traffic each way.  He helped me choose a course, took me to my first college enrollment and helped me pick a schedule so I would be home early.  He supported my career shift and encouraged my interest of starting a business.  He patiently talked with me about all the major decisions in my life - even if it hurt him to do so at times.  These are the priceless things only a father or mother can do - because his love is unconditional.  And no matter how bad things get, your father will never give up on you.

In the movie, it took a kidnapping rescue for Liam's daughter to truly appreciate her father - to know that her father really loved her.  It drew out the difference between her real father and her stepfather.

This would be a great father's day movie!  Ask your dad to watch this film with you - I'm sure you will appreciate it.