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Saturday, April 12, 2008

Microwaving Water!

Microwaving Water!

A 26-year old man decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the! water was not boiling, but suddenly the water in the cup "blew up" into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand, but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring.

He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc., (nothing metal).

It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a tea kettle.

General Electric's Response:

Thanks for contacting us, I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.

To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds! before moving it or adding anything into it.

Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter: "Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken."

BUTTER VS. MARGARINE

BUTTER VS. MARGARINE

Pass The Butter ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ This is interesting . . .

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys.

When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.

How do you like it?

They have come out with some clever new flavorings.

DO YOU KNOW...the difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine...

Very high in transfatty acids.

Triple risk of coronary heart disease.

Increases total cholesterol and LDL(this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDLcholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact....

HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC...

This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area.

Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

* No flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* It does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value

*Nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weenie microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

Why?

Because it is nearly plastic.

*Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends..... (If you want to "butter them up")!

The main causes of liver damage

The main causes of liver damage are:

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.


2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much a possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.

8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver.

Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts.

Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to "schedule."



Because:

Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes).This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health.

Evening at 11pm - 1am : is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 1 - 3am : detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 - 5am : detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.

Morning 5 - 7am : detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.


Morning 7 - 9am : absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am , for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10am rather than no meal at all.

Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.

TOP 10 BIGGEST BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS

1. No Breakfast

People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level.

This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating

It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking

It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption

Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain
development.


5. Air Pollution

The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body.
Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation

Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping

Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness

Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts

Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely

Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

Hi Buddy !!!‏

HAPPY BUDDIES DAY!!!



Forward to all your friends, including me. And don't tell me you're too busy for this.


Happiness keeps You Sweet,

Trials keep You Strong,

Sorrows keep You Human,

Failures keep You Humble,

Success keeps You Glowing,

But Only God keeps You Going!


You are so special!

Today is ' online buddy day '. Send this to your online friends - even me , if I'm one of them

10 tips for time management in a multitasking world

Time management is one of those skills no one teaches you in school but you have to learn. It doesn’t matter how smart you are if you can’t organize information well enough to take it in. And it doesn’t matter how skilled you are if procrastination keeps you from getting your work done.

Younger workers understand this, and time management is becoming a topic of hipsters. One of the most popular blogs in the world is Lifehacker, edited by productivity guru Gina Trapani, and her forthcoming book by the same name is a bestseller on Amazon based so far on pre-orders.

In today’s workplace, you can differentiate yourself by your ability to handle information and manage your time. “Careers are made or broken by the soft skills that make you able to hand a very large workload,” says Merlin Mann, editor of the productivity blog 43 Folders.

So here are 10 tips to make you better at managing your work:

1. Don’t leave email sitting in your in box.
“The ability to quickly process and synthesize information and turn it into actions is one of the most emergent skills of the professional world today,” says Mann. Organize email in file folders. If the message needs more thought, move it to your to-do list. If it’s for reference, print it out. If it’s a meeting, move it to your calendar.

“One thing young people are really good at is only touching things once. You don’t see young people scrolling up and down their email pretending to work,” says Mann. Take action on an email as soon as you read it.

2. Admit multitasking is bad.
For people who didn’t grow up watching TV, typing out instant messages and doing homework all at the same time, multitasking is deadly. But it decreases everyone’s productivity, no matter who they are. “A 20-year-old is less likely to feel overwhelmed by demands to multitask, but young people still have a loss of productivity from multitasking,” says Trapani.

So try to limit it. Kathy Sierra at Creating Passionate Users suggests practicing mindfulness as a way to break the multitasking habit.

3. Do the most important thing first.
Trapani calls this “running a morning dash”. When she sits down to work in the morning, before she checks any email, she spends an hour on the most important thing on her to-do list. This is a great idea because even if you can’t get the whole thing done in an hour, you’ll be much more likely to go back to it once you’ve gotten it started. She points out that this dash works best if you organize the night before so when you sit down to work you already know what your most important task of the day is.

4. Check your email on a schedule.
“It’s not effective to read and answer every email as it arrives. Just because someone can contact you immediately does not mean that you have to respond to them immediately,” says Dan Markovitz, president of the productivity consulting firm TimeBack Management, “People want a predictable response, not an immediate response.” So as long as people know how long to expect an answer to take, and they know how to reach you in an emergency, you can answer most types of email just a few times a day.

5. Keep web site addresses organized.
Use book marking services like del.icio.us to keep track of web sites. Instead of having random notes about places you want to check out, places you want to keep as a reference, etc., you can save them all in one place, and you can search and share your list easily.

6. Know when you work best.
Industrial designer Jeff Beene does consulting work, so he can do it any time of day. But, he says, “I try to schedule things so that I work in the morning, when I am the most productive.” Each person has a best time. You can discover yours by monitoring your productivity over a period of time. Then you need to manage your schedule to keep your best time free for your most important work.

7. Think about keystrokes.
If you’re on a computer all day, keystrokes matter because efficiency matters. “On any given day, an information worker will do a dozen Google searchers,” says Trapani. “How many keystrokes does it take? Can you reduce it to three? You might save 10 seconds, but over time, that builds up.”

8. Make it easy to get started.
We don’t have problems finishing projects, we have problems starting them,” says Mann. He recommends you “make a shallow on-ramp.” Beene knows the key creating this on ramp: “I try to break own my projects into chunks, so I am not overwhelmed by them.”

9. Organize your to-do list every day.
If you don’t know what you should be doing, how can you manage your time to do it? Some people like writing this list out by hand because it shows commitment to each item if you are willing to rewrite it each day until it gets done. Other people like software that can slice and dice their to-do list into manageable, relevant chunks. For example, Beene uses tasktoy because when he goes to a client site tasktoy shows him only his to do items for that client, and not all his other projects. (Get tasktoy here.)

10. Dare to be slow.
Remember that a good time manager actually responds to some things more slowly than a bad time manager would. For example, someone who is doing the highest priority task is probably not answering incoming email while they’re doing it. As Markovitz writes: “Obviously there are more important tasks than processing email. Intuitively, we all know this. What we need to do now is recognize that processing one’s work (evaluating what’s come in and how to handle it) and planning one’s work are also mission-critical tasks.”

Criminal Tactic‏

If you meet a guy (especially an Indian) who rides a motorbike with bloody hand knocking your window demanding you to stop and asking for tissue paper to clean the blood when you are driving a car, remember DO NOT stop the car at all.

Even how he damages your car or holds the side mirrors tightly also DO NOT stop the car but directly drive to the nearest police station. This kind of criminal tactic had been reported before, about 40 cases in Seremban police station (actually it happened around the whole country).

The guy/guys who commit similar kind of crimes are mainly Indians. He dares to commit this criminal even in crowded areas and no body will dare to stop car to help you.

Their main purpose of this dirty tactic is to rob you and even commit rape if you are female. Please forward this message to the people you care about at your best.

IBM x3200 server selling at RM1599‏


PC Fair hot sell.....IBM Server sell at cheap price.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Beware of restaurant at Gohtong Jaya, Genting

Dear All............


Last week, I brought my guests to Genting Highlands. After a day 'above the clouds', we decided to have dinner at the Gohtong Jaya area on the way down.

We ordered some dishes and decided to have a steamed fish as well. So the captain recommended 'sultan fish'.
The steamed fish came. HALF, and plain steamed. Good & fine.

But when the bill came, it came to over $500 !! We were shocked !! We were told the fish was 1.4kg ( & please bear in mind, its ONLY HALF A FISH ) at RM 320 per kg! RM 420!! This was daylight robbery. We were not informed by the Captain that a kg of the Sultan fish would cost us RM 320 and there was also no signs of such pricings anywhere in the restaurant.

When we checked with the cashier, she told us, its correct !!

Of cos, it was our mistake for not asking the price first.

Anyway, on the way back to KL, we stopped at Unique Seafood,PJ, where one can choose a live fish. The most expensive Soon Hock swimming in the tank is RM135 per kilo. Asked them about the Sultan fish, it is going for RM100 a kilo.


Will be sending this letter to the newspapers, Tourism board, etc etc; and friends, pls pass on to all on yr email list.

CHEATED !!




From,
susan saw

Car Cost of Consumption from real owner

This is the research that have done by my friend regarding fuel consumption to types of car available.

The first graph is "How far you can travel for a Ringgit?" (higher better) (on RM1.92 per liter)


This second graph is "How far you can travel for a liter of petrol?" (higher better)


The third graph is "How much it cost to travel a kilometer?" (lower better)

Monday, April 7, 2008

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY A STOMACH

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY A STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:

1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days

2. Gastric - 10 days

3. Diabetes - 30 days

4. Constipation - 10 days

5. Cancer - 180 days

6. TB - 90 days

7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards - daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.

Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense.. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals ..not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.
Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks: Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting.
Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.

You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.

Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.

Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive...

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to everyone they know, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

KNOW ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HAVING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Fruit Benefit Benefit Benefit Benefit Benefit

Apples Protects your heart prevents constipation. Blocks diarrhea. Improves lung capacity. Cushions joints

Apricots Combats cancer. Controls blood pressure. Saves your eyesight Shields against Alzheimer's. Slows aging process

Artichokes Aids digestion. Lowers cholesterol. Protects your heart. Stabilizes blood sugar. Guards against liver disease

Avocados Battles diabetes. Lowers cholesterol. Helps stops strokes. Controls blood pressure Smoothes skin

Bananas Protects your heart. Quiets a cough. Strengthens bones. Controls blood pressure Blocks diarrhea

Beans Prevents constipation. Helps hemorrhoids Lowers cholesterol. Combats cancer Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets Controls blood pressure. Combats cancer Strengthens bones.Protects your heart Aids weight loss

Blueberries Combats cancer. Protects your heart Stabilizes blood sugar. Boosts memory. Prevents constipation

Broccoli Strengthens bones. Saves eyesight Combats cancer. Protects your heart. Controls blood pressure

Cabbage Combats cancer. Prevents constipation Promotes weight loss. Protects your heart. Helps hemorrhoids

Cantaloupe Saves eyesight. Controls blood pressure Lowers cholesterol. Combats cancer. Supports immune system

Did You Know? Population distribution on blood types ?

Blood type and Rh How many people have it?

Population distribution on blood types
O + 40 %O - 7 %
A + 34 %A - 6 %
B + 8 %B - 1 %
AB + 3 %

AAccording to a Japanese institute that does research on blood types, there are certain personality traits that seem to match up with certain blood types. How do you rate?


TYPE O You want to be a leader, and when you see something you want, you keep striving until you achieve your goal. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident. Your weaknesses include vanity and jealously and a tendency to be too competitive.

TYPE A You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, and are sensitive, patient and affectionate. Among your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax.

TYPE B You're a rugged individualist, who's straightforward and likes to do things your own way. Creative and flexible, you adapt easily to any situation. But your insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness.

TYPE AB Cool and controlled, you're generally well liked and always put people at ease. You're a natural entertainer who's tactful and fair. But you're standoffish, blunt, and have difficulty making decisions.


MOST IMPORTANT INFO NOW:GARDS, MANIKANDAN,
You Can Receive
If Your Type Is O- O+ B- B+ A- A+ AB-AB+
AB+ YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
AB- YES YES YES YES
A+ YES YES YES YES
A- YES YES
B+ YES YES YES YES
B- YES YES
O+ YES YES
O- YES

Quite interesting! Keep Walking.....

Just to check this out......
The Organs of your body have their sensory touches at the bottom of your foot, if you massage these points you will find relief from aches and pains as you can see the heart is on the left foot.


Typically they are shown as points and arrows to show which organ it connects to.
It is indeed correct since the nerves connected to these organs terminate here.
This is covered in great details in Acupressure studies or textbooks.
God created our body so well that he thought of even this. He made us walk so that we will always be pressing these pressure points and thus keeping these organs activated at all times.

So, keep walking...

Health

HEALTHY JUICES


Carrot + Ginger + Apple - Boost and cleanse our system.


Apple + Cucumber + Celery - Prevent cancer, reduce cholesterol, and eliminate stomach upset and headache.


Tomato + Carrot + Apple - Improve skin complexion and eliminate bad breath.


Bitter gourd + Apple + Milk - Avoid bad breath and reduce internal body heat.


Orange + Ginger + Cucumber - Improve Skin texture and moisture and reduce body heat.


Pineapple + Apple + Watermelon - To dispel excess salts, nourishes the bladder and kidney.


Apple + Cucumber + Kiwi - To improve skin complexion.


Pear & Banana - regulates sugar content.


Carrot + Apple + Pear + Mango - Clear body heat, counteracts toxicity, decreased blood pressure and fight oxidization .


Honeydew + Grape + Watermelon + Milk - Rich in vitamin C + Vitamin B2 that increase cell activity and strengthen body immunity.


Papaya + Pineapple + Milk - Rich in vitamin C, E, Iron. Improve skin complexion and metabolism.


Banana + Pineapple + Milk - Rich in vitamin with nutritious and prevent constipation

Friday, April 4, 2008

26 Ways to Slash TAXES - Part 5 (Business)

Moves for Business Owners
The first rule that small-business owners should implement with regards to their taxes is to take it seriously.
Spend some time strategising for your business activities to save hundreds or thousands ringgit.
Here are six

21) Maintain books and records from Day 1
Keep separate bank accounts for personal and business transactions and establish a basic accounting system.

The inland Revenue Board recognises business income on an accrual basis .

This means that as long as a transaction is completed, either a sale of goods or a provision of service , its value is immediately treated as business income and is taxable.

However , unpaid transaction can be reduced your taxable income.

Any expenses made fro the business can be deducted from the business income.

The General rule is that expenses can be deducted if it is wholly and exclusively incurred in earning your business income.

So Keep the receipts for all supplies that you buy for your business

However there is no deduction for capital expenditure although some assets will qualify for tax relief by way of capital allowances


22) Time the purchase and use of your fixed assets
Capital allowances are permitted for certain business assets such as equipment , machinery , vehicles computers and software.

The amount of allowances permitted each year depends on the category that asset falls into .( refer to Public Ruling No 2/2001 for the deductible rate of your assets.

The first capital allowance is given for the accounting year in which the asset was purchased and used by the business.

If you are contemplating a purchase , try to do it before the end of the accounting year, instead of just after , to claim the capital allowance against your business income.

If you are buying the asset with a hire-purchase loan, allowance can only be claimed as and when repayments are made to the lender.


23. Buys a company car
If you are a sole trader or a partner in a business, any car or vehicle that is used for business purposes can bring about tax deductions.

“The business income is reduced by the car’s financing cost if you buy the car on hire-purchase.

You are also deduct a certain amount for capital allowances every year,

Before implementing this tax-saving technique, business owners must identify a percentage of the car’s use that is for private activities.

As there is no definite ruling on how to determine this proportion for private use, business owners must apply a fair and reasonable figure that can withstand scrutiny.

“Estimating private mileage is an exercise that must be undertaken in accordance to the facts on your actual usage.

And remember to record all running expenses to make these deductions,” says Thornton.



24. Hire your spouse or family member
An effective tax-saving strategy is to hire a spouse or family member.

“For example, a husband who is a business owner can hire his wife. The wife’s salary is tax deductible but you must be able to show that she is doing something to earn it,

In this situation, you would have to contribute to your wife’s Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings and that amount entitles her to tax relief.

Another option is to make your spouse or family member a partner in your business.

This allows you to divide the income made by the business between the both of you.

As a partnership has no tax liability, both partners are liable for tax for the respective portion of business income that each earns.

“By opting for separate tax assessments, a husband and wife who are partners in a business can each claim individual tax relief.


25. Implement a process to ‘chase after’ unpaid debts
Unfortunately, small business owners can complete a sale or service but might not receive payment, in full or in part.

At the end of an accounting year, a debt, which is estimated to be wholly or partly irrecoverable, can be deducted from your business income and this lowers your tax bill.

“Tax authorities tend to look closely at bad-debt write-offs and provisions (for debts that are expected to be partly recoverable).

So put in some effort to recover the debt before deeming it irrecoverable and you must evaluate each debt separately.

The process that you put in place to recover your unpaid debts should be documented and any conclusion that you make should be supported with documentation as well.

For example, you must show why it it not cost effective to take legal action against a customer.

However, if you eventually recover bad debts that have been written off or partially written off, you must include this amount in your taxable income for the year that you received payment.


26. Dedicate a space in your home office
Working in your own house can result in tax deductions for the costs related to your “home office”.

This includes electricity, telephone bills, quit rent and service charges of apartments.

The best way to claim for these deductions is to dedicate a room or place as the working environment.

“A dedicated area helps to identify expenses that are specifically for business purposes and can be claimed in full.

Items that are used by the business as well as personal use, such as electricity, must be apportioned.

One way to do so is on the basis of floor area.

If the business owner pays rent for the working area, this expense can be deducted from the business income.

This applies to rent that is paid to a spouse who owns the home but is not involved in the business.

However, this is strategy is only effective if the spouse who is not involved in the business is taxed at a low tax rate as rental received must be declared as taxable income.

If this is an appropriate strategy for the business owner, A tenancy agreement that specifies rental for a specific part of the house at the prevailing market rate.

26 Ways to Slash TAXES - Part 4

16) Hire a Tax Consultant
Consider hiring a tax consultant to explore ways your remuneration package can be structured to maximise your tax savings.

Those who are earning at least RM5000 every month should be able to justify the cost of hiring a tax adviser with their tax savings

Tax saving : this is dependent on your personal circumstances and the deal that you negotiate with your employer.

Tax – Savvy Investments
You may be looking at some investment this year.

There are savings to be made from certain investments , from a tax point of view.

However , some moves may be advantageous if you fall into a higher tax bracket .

Besides looking for tax-exempt investment , here are four investment moves to explore


17) Buy property valued below or at RM250000
Stamp duty must be paid on all property transactions that involve a change of legal ownership.

Last year’s budget ( 2008 ) announced a 50% stamp duty exemption for the purchase of houses that do not exceed RM250000

The maximum tax savings that can be found here is RM2000 ( for a house worth RM250000 )

This exemption is only given for one house per individual and applies to sale and purchase agreement signed between September 2007 and December 2010


18) Buy Similar property
Similar property can be grouped together for income tax purposes.

The IRB has indentified categories such as residential , commercial and vacant land.

If you own two property in the same category , you can reduce the taxable profit made from one property with the loss, if any incurred from the other.

Property investors are also exempt from real property gains tax for all disposals on on or after 1st April 2007.

However , taxpayers who are trading property – buying and selling in order to generate income – are liable to income tax.

“ This exemption is meant for taxpayers who invest in property for a passive income”

Tax deduction :
Taxable income received from renting out a property in a particular grouping such as residential can be reduced if a loss was incurred by another property in the same group.


19) Buy shares
Invest in dividend-yielding shares if your tax bracket is above 26%.

A new single-tier system was established under the national Budget for dividends received by shareholders.

Companies pay tax of 26% (YA2008) and shareholders receive a net dividend that is exempt from tax and does not need to be filed with the IRB “Shareholders who fall into higher tax brackets [higher than 26%] are essentially [getting a] saving on the difference.

“The single-tier dividends is intended to simplify the tax filing process for individuals,” says Chua Tia Guan, executive director and head of tax and financial planning at Great Vision Wealth Management Sdn Bhd.

“In the past, refunds had been slow. From now on, there is no need to declare or apply for a refund. And as corporate taxes are falling, companies will be able to pass on more profits to their shareholders [in the form of dividends],” he says.

However, not all companies will go under the single-tier system immediately as some of them might have imputation tax credits left, which they can use till 2013.

Shareholders who receive dividends from companies using the imputation system will have to report the amount received and claim a tax refund if his personal tax rate is lower than the company’s tax rate (27% in YA2007, 26% in YA2006).

Shareholders can identify the system used by the company as it is stated in the dividend vouchers.

Tax Deduction
Your tax saving is the difference between your tax bracket and 26% (the corporate tax rate). This is only applicable to dividends given out by companies using the single-tier system.


20) Invest in REITs
You can go into real estate investment trusts ( REITS )if your tax bracket above 15%.

There are 11 REITs listed on the Main Board.

The tax on dividends given out by these property-related investments are taxed at 15% as compared to tax on dividend at 26% ( under the new single –tier dividend system )

Only tax brackets exceeding 15% would enjoy some tax savings by investing in REITs

Since the distributions received by individual taxpayers have been subject to that 15% , the taxpayers are not required to declare the amount in their tax return.

Tax deduction:
Your tax saving is the difference between your personal tax bracket and 15%

26 Ways to Slash TAXES - Part 3

11) Take out a Medical or Education policy
You can claim deductions of up to RM 3000 a year for education and medical insurance ( combined limit for both )
This includes medical coverage that is part of life insurance policy( the limit for life insurance is in move 10 )
A policy of this kind can be written for you , your spouse or your child.

Tax deduction :
RM 3000 per individual

For Mr A :After acquiring an education policy for his children , Mr A makes a saving of RM 720 ( RM 3000@ 24%)


12) Pay your parents’ medical bills
You are able to claim up to RM 5000 for payments towards your parents’ medical bills.

Tax deduction :
RM 5000 per individual

For Mr A : By paying his parents’ medical bills , Mr A makes a saving of RM 1200 ( RM5000@ 24%)


13) Medical
Claim a deduction of up to RM 500 per tax year for a full medical examination and RM 5000 for medical expenses for yourself, spouse or child for serious disease.

If you have also spent money on full medical in the same year, your claim will be reduce the RM5000 available for serious disease.

A separate tax reduction of up to RM5000 a year is given for necessary basic supporting equipment for disabilities suffered by yourself ,spouse, children or parent

Tax Deduction :
RM 500 per individual for full medical check-up.
RM5000 for serious diseases or basic supporting equipment

For Mr A : He claimed for a full medical check-up .The deduction give him of RM 120 ( RM 500@24%)


14) Pay Zakat
If you are a muslim ,paying any amount in zakat , fitrah or other obligation Islamic dues will entitle you to a tax rebate.

Tax deduction :
The Amount of zakat that you pay

15) Buy a Computer
A deduction of up to RM 3000 can be claimed once every three years for the purchase of computers , printers and bundled software .
The similar i9ncentive given previously in the form of a tax rebate was withdrawn with effect from 2007

Tax deduction : RM 3000 once every three years.

For Mr A : Getting a computer for RM3000 gives him a saving of RM 720 ( RM 3000@24%)

26 Ways to Slash TAXES - Part 2

6) Make charitable contributions
A gift of money to an approved charitable organisation entitles you to a tax deduction for the amount given.

From 2008 onward , this amount cannot exceed 7% of your aggregate income.

However Charitable donations that were made in 2007 are not subject to this limit.

Tax deduction :
Up to 7% of your aggregate taxable income can be reduced with this deduction.

For Mr A : With his taxable income of RM 90000 , Mr A can make a donation of RM 6300 .This deduction results in a saving of RM 1512 ( RM 6300@24%)


7) Take Up postgraduate studies
A relief of RM 5000 per year for any course of study at the Master’s or doctorate level , the government announced in 2007 Budget the widening of the scope to all postgraduate studies.

The course does not have to be done full time , but “ must be in an institution or professional body in Malaysia recognised by the government or approved by Minister of Finance

Tax Deduction :
RM 5000 per individual

For Mr A : As he completes his master’s degree . Mr A can enjoy tax saving RM 1200 from his taxable income ( RM 5000@24%)


8) Read , Read , Read
Starting from YA 2007 , taxpayers can claim a personal tax deduction to RM 1000 for purchase of books, journals , magazines and other publications.

To maximise this generous deduction , consider giving books as gifts.

Tax Deduction : RM 1000 per individual

For Mr A : With book purchases of RM 1000 Mr A saves RM 240 ( RM 1000@24%)


9) Get Sporty
You will get a deduction of RM 300 for each year of assessment for the purchase of sports and exercise equipment for any sports activities defined under the Sport Development Act 1997 “

Tax Deduction : RM 300 per individual

For Mr A : By buying RM 300 worth of sports equipment , Mr A makes a saving of RM 71 ( RM 300@24%)


10) Buy Life Insurance
The maximum tax relief is RM 6000 a year for premiums paid to an insurance company for life Insurance or deferred annuity plans.

This Limit is shared with your contributions to the EPF, other employer schemes and contributions under any written law relating to widows or orphan pensions

Tax deduction : RM 6000 per individual ( shared with your EPF contributions )

26 Ways to Slash TAXES - Part 1

They are legal and permitted by Inland Revenue Board ( IRB )

1) Save for your Child’s Education
Since 2007 , any amount that is deposited into a savings account for your child under national Education Savinds Scheme ( Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional ) allows you to claim tax deductions.

Thers is a limit of RM 3000 for this deduction but spouse who file separate tax returns can each claim this amount .

Tax Deduction : RM 3000 per individual

For Mr A : As he falls in the 24% tax bracket , this deduction translates to a tax saving of RM 720 ( RM 3000@24%)

2 ) File Separate tax returns
A separate assessment allow each spouse to claim personal tax relief of RM 8000 while a joint tax return allows one spouse to claim a wife or husband relief of RM 3000

Tax Deduction :
Each spouse earning Taxable income can claim personal tax relief of RM 8000 by filling separate tax returns.

3) Ask your employer to increase your EPF contributions
Contributions to the employees Provident Fund (EPF) by employers are tax-exempt for the employees.

To reduce your taxable income , ask your employer to reduce your EPF monthly salary but increase your EPF contributions by the same amount.

Tax Deduction :
The deductible amount from your taxable income is dependent on the arrangement between you and your employer.

For Mr A : Mr A agrees to takle monthly pay cut of RM 1000 for an equivalent increase in his EPF contributions by his employer.At the end of the year , he receives an additional RM 12000 in his pension fund but his taxable income is reduced by the same amount.

The tax saving that he makes is RM 2880 ( RM12000@24%)


4) Change your cash remuneration to cash reimbursement
Fixed allowances given by your employer each month for entertainment and housing or parking fees are taxable at your tax bracket.
Change this to a “ reimbursement “ based on receipt and you are not taxed on the amount received.

Tax Deduction :
The deductible amount from your taxable income is dependent on the arrangement between you and your employer

For Mr A : By Changing a yearly fixed allowance of RM 6000 to a reimbursement of the same amount and supported by receipts , Mr A makes a tax saving of RM1440 ( RM 6000@24%)


5) Ask for a company car
A car given by your employer is regarded as a benefit-in kind ( BIK ) and taxable.

However , a company car is advantageous for taxpayers because the preset tax scale for cars is much lower than the actual cost of buying and maintaining a car.

According to the Public ruling for BIKs , the tax payer must pay RM 3600 in taxes every year, for a car worth RM 75000

If the employer pays for fuel , the tax payer is taxed an additional RM 1200 for this BIK

Tax deduction :
Whether you benefit from a company car depends on the value of the car and your current tax bracket. Do the calculations to ascertain your tax deduction.

Honda City can use RON 92


Make Honda
Model City 1.5 VTEC
Year [ Year Introduced ] 2007
NCAP Rating N.A contribute
Latest SRP SGD 64,000
Reviews Rating N.A
Average User FC Rating 15.5 km/litre
Authorised Distributors
Parallel Imported

Car Type 4 Door Saloon/Sedan
Engine Capacity 1497 cc
Engine Layout Straight
Cylinders 4
Valves 8
Max Power 110 Bhp / 5800 rpm
Max Torque 143 Nm / 4800 rpm
0-100 11.8 secs
Top Speed 175 km/h
Drive Train FF
Gears 5
Transmission Manual
Weight N.A contribute
Curb Weight 1081 kg
Power to Weight 101.76
bhp/litre 73.5 bhp/litre

Length 4390 mm
Height 1485 mm
Width 1690 mm
Wheelbase 2450 mm
Track Front 1440 mm
Track Rear 1440 mm
Turning Radius 4.9 m
Seating Capacity 5
Boot Capacity 500
Front Brakes Ventilated Discs
Rear Brakes Discs
Front Suspension N.A contribute
Rear Suspension N.A contribute
Tyre Size 185/55 R15
Bore/Stroke 73 x 89.4 mm
Compression Ratio 10.1
Fuel Capacity 42 litres
Recommended Fuel Grade 92 RON
Fuel Consumption Urban N.A contribute
· Extra Urban N.A contribute
· Combined 5.15 litre/100km (19.4 km/litre)

Engine Code L15A
Engine Description VTEC
Engine Management PGM-FI
Exhaust Emission Control N.A contribute
C02 Emission N.A contribute


Source:http://www.oneshift.com/pdb/cd.php?pid=684&cb=%2Fpdb%2Flcm.php%3Fm%3D13%26aso%3D

Thursday, April 3, 2008

泰文版《幪面超人》MV

Strange Accident

Please be patient and queue for paying the toll.....


Mini Lobsters- DON'T EAT




Do not eat these mini lobsters.

These mini crustaceans are literally the garbage cleaners in the sewage treatment plants.

The 'dirtier' the water, the fatter these mini lobsters
become.

Their lungs are full of worms and their flesh saturated with poisonous metals.

Unscrupulous merchants somehow found a way to get these marketed to eateries.

Do not order this dish. Pass this to those friends who may want to try these mini 'lobsters'

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

29th Mar, Earth hour


Pls participate and help to save the world, this is an event initiate by USM.

Just shut off your electric for an hour to keep the resources. It's next Sat eve.

They are very creative, they call the polyform "the white coffin", go to http://thewhitecoffin.usm.my/ for more.


One hour for Earth Hour

Earth Hour 2007 was a Sydney event initiated by WWF. More than 2 million people and some 2,100 businesses took part. During the one hour event, electricity consumption was reduced by about 10% which can be translated into taking 48,000 cars off the road for one hour.

Earth Hour was created to take a stand against the greatest threat our Planet has ever faced. It started with a question: How can we inspire people to take action on climate change? It uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Earth Hour 2008 is now a global movement and USM is proud to participate in this event. On 29 March 2008 (Saturday) 9.00 pm~10.00 pm, USM students in all hostels will turn off their room lights and other electrical appliances for 1 hour – the Earth Hour.

Just a little action can change the world.

Creative: 能感知水温的浴缸塞 (A Flower To Test The Waters)


冬天来了,下班回家泡个热水澡,哦,别提有多舒服了 ~ 但是,何不给浴缸来点情调呢?嗯,洒上些花瓣,然后再来个能感知水温的浴缸塞( A Flower To Test The Waters )。

  这款特别的浴缸塞由 Mi-Soo Jung 设计(看这样子又是个韩国人?这意味着棒子继创造世界之后,又发明了浴缸塞,很好,很强大),造型十分讨喜:白色的塞子,上面用金属链拴着一朵可以在水上漂浮的充气花 ~ 而它能感知温度的奥秘就全在这朵花上了。当浴缸中的水温度太高或者太低时,这朵花会是普通的粉红色。而一旦温度在一个适合人体的范围内时,它就会变成紫色,成为一朵盛开的紫罗兰 ~

Creative: 时间的密语 --TIWE


TIWE 是中国设计师吕中方 2006 年的作品,这是一款概念手表。灵感来自设计师童年的回忆, OLED 屏幕上的白点就像童年夜空中漫天散落的星星,而时间就暗藏其中。当你想看时间,只需晃一下或是轻拍表盘,白点就会组成时针和分针,并显示出当下的时间。

Creative: 双人雨伞 (Double Umbrella)


对于每对感情已趋向稳定的情侣来是或,下雨都是个麻烦事情:两个人都实在没有心情去再玩那种雨中漫步式的浪漫,然而传统雨伞的设计又实在不方便两个人使用 ...... 双人雨伞( Double Umbrella )的诞生就是为了解决这个问题。距离适中,既不会妨碍两人的亲密举动,也不会因为粘得太过靠近而显得尴尬。而且,它足可以提供相当于两把雨伞的遮挡面积,你再也不会因为要发挥绅士精神而导致自己后背变成沼泽地了 ~

Creative: 诡异又阴森的树形灯 (Etree)


我猜很少人会将这么个东西放在自己家里,除了那些对死亡和哥特金属有偏爱的丧心病狂的家伙 ~ 但是,抛开接受度不谈,这的确是个让人拍手叫绝的玩意:树形灯( Etree )。

  据说,这东西本来是设计给懒人一族在圣诞节使用的(你知道我为啥会说出开头那句话了是吧) ...... 它将 10 个安装有可发光物的线状体束在一起,每个线状体都可以任意弯折,这使得整个 Etree 表现出了极大的可塑性 -- 你可以按照设计者的初衷将它塑造成为一颗稍微缺点喜气的圣诞树,也可以将之打扮成迎风招展的鬼手,让每个来你家拜访的朋友吓得屁滚尿流 ~

   Etree 有桌面和落地两种版本,其中,前者定价 324 英镑,后者定价 575 英镑。

Creative: 蝴蝶调味瓶 (Hoody - salt and pepper cruet)


全身上下一水的圆润陶瓷,白嫩如婴儿皮肤。外形上采用老式话筒造型,圆滑的身躯上顶着个喇叭状的出口,如同一只憨态可掬的企鹅。最值得一提的是出口处的不锈钢盖子:有别于大多数调味瓶均匀打洞的简单做法, Hoody 的调味料出口被精心地设计为一只只蝴蝶,伴随着背景上的雕花翩翩起舞,一眼望去,冬日的种种阴冷眨眼间不见,恍惚间属于春天的花香已飘散在空气中 ~

Creative: 可以重复使用的石头冰块 (On The Rocks)



在饮料中加冰,会感觉冰爽很多,随着冰块逐渐融化,饮料口味会变淡很多。追求细致生活品质的你,怎么能容忍这种问题存在?设计师 Ari Turunen 设计了这款神奇的产品 -- 不会融化的石头冰块 (On The Rocks) ,它用芬兰的天然火山浮石制成,冷冻效果一流,而且不会融化,还可以重复使用。每次使用前只需放在水中浸泡一会儿,再放到冰箱冻起来。使用的时候,将它放入饮料中,保证把你的饮料冻得透心凉,又不會沟淡饮料味道。



  最后提醒和我一样喜欢嚼饮料中冰块的朋友,别忘了你杯中的 On The Rocks 是石头,小心喝的太爽得意忘形,一口下去 ...... 参考价格为 3,360 日元。

Creative: 两款创意设计的热敏感温变色马克杯 (On Off Mug )



热敏感温变色油墨,因其变色过程可逆,故又称 " 可逆温变消色油墨 " ,之前爱稀奇介绍过一款遇热就会盛开花朵的热敏墙纸,就是采用了此项工艺。今天给大家介绍两款变色马克杯,它们的设计师将这个神奇的感温材料在马克杯上发挥到了极致~

  上面这个名为 On Off 的马克杯( On Off Mug ),常温下是黑底白字的 "OFF" 图案,倒入热水后感温油墨变色,图案变成白底黑字的 "ON" 。我觉得反过来是不是更好?当水温很高的时候,显示 "OFF" ,提示等水温降低再饮用,避免烫嘴哟~



警示全球变暖的马克杯( NRDC: Global Warming - Heat Sensitive Mug ),热水倒入杯中,海平面就会上升,仿佛冰川消融。小心每天看马克杯版的 " 冰川消融 " 成了习惯, " 狼来了 " 的故事终成现实。

Creative: 简单实用的垃圾袋架 (Trashcan)


新年新气象,家居也要有新观念哦,台湾设计师陈宏铭设计的这款名为 Trashcan 的垃圾袋架,以实用的功能和简约的外形,颠覆了垃圾桶的老形象。 Trashcan 能充分利用超市塑料袋,另外平板包装设计降低了运输成本,暂时不用的时候还可以方便的收纳起来。


Creative: 密码日历 (Code Calendar)


不得不说,老外在怎么让日历和时间显示得更加晦涩难懂方面有着惊人的天赋,而密码日历 (Code Calendar) 就是他们的最新成果。

  密码日历至少从外观上是百分百符合它那一听就让人觉得头痛的名字,白色的背景上分布着莫名其妙的色块 -- 没有比这更难解读的日历了,不是吗?然而真相总是出乎人的意料,密码日历看上去虽然唬人,但是实际上只是一些小花样:让我们试着用一块外圆内方的小纸板将这些色块依次盖住,看到了吗,从 1 到 31 号又乖乖出现在你的眼前了

Creative: 玫瑰花伞 (Rosella folding umbrella)


不记得哪位恋爱专家说过, " 如果你不知道送什么给她她,那就送玫瑰吧 " , " 玫瑰 = 一切 " 这一等式似乎在这个星球的每个角落都成立。现在,就连雨伞都迫不及待地想变身成为玫瑰。这就是玫瑰花伞,巧妙地在伞面上用可爱的粉红色喷绘上了一圈圈的环状图案,将之小心地收拢,一朵惟妙惟肖的粉玫瑰便出现在她的眼前。



  玫瑰花伞由 Nothing Design Group 设计。