Monthly Archive
Browsing entries posted on April 2008
SocialSpark: Now Open
Some of you might already have told me what you think about my early SocialSpark opportunities, namely the rickrolling and the sponsored ads. Well, it’s all in the name of blog monetization. I got on the bandwagon early with a special invite, since I’m also on the PayPerPost network.
Well, now everyone can jump on board, because SocialSpark is open to the public. So if you have a blog, and are looking to earn money from it, or are looking at more active streams of revenue such as paid blogging, SocialSpark is worth checking out.
It’s different from PayPerPost on several levels. Firstly, after Google laid the smackdown on paid posts, SocialSpark developed a different format of paid blogging. The code of ethics is strictly enforced, so there’s no lying to you readers: this is a paid post, and it’s categorized as such. If you have a SocialSpark account too, you can check the list of bloggers who took this opportunity, and one of them will be me. It’s all legit, folks.
And Google won’t lay the smackdown on my page ranking this time, because any links will have a no-follow tag, so that search engines won’t pick it up and have their results skewed. Plus, the bloggers write their true opinions. We’re not their press machines, if you ask for a review you get it. If there’s something I don’t like about the product, truth in advertising takes precedence.
So far I’ve been talking about sponsored posts, but SocialSpark brings in the social aspect by offering sparks, which are link-trades. You don’t get money for these, but you get a link from someone else’s blog in exchange for a link on your own blog. Simple way to build traffic, and maybe friendships too. There’s a feature that allows you to add friends on SocialSpark - and yes, you can add me too.
Okay, so now we know SocialSpark works great. But does it look great?
It’s all Web2.0 glossiness and rounded corners. But it’s not just form over function. On that one page I can see at a glance how many transactions I’ve taken, if there are any notifications for me, and any attractive posts I might be interested in. Perfect for all you information junkies out there.
Once more, let’s recap: Make money, make friends, and all these with a clear conscience because of the 4 ethics rules:
-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
-100% Transparency
-100% Real Opinions
-100% Search Engine Friendly
Now it’s your turn to be friendly, so sign up and add me as a friend!
When the past and future collide
A mere 8 days after signing a rental agreement, I signed another ground-breaking document: An employment offer. I am most efficient, no? I haven’t even graduated and I already have a job. Yay!
It looks like I shall have to put in a new policy about work-related blogging - namely, none. My blog isn’t here to talk about work, it’s to talk about me! But just to sate curiosity, this is a rough overview of my future employment.
It’s in the education line, and I get the flexible hours and work culture I wanted, without sacrificing potential earnings. In fact I think I can safely say I’d be earning the same wages working as a drone in some MNC, but then I’d probably be less happy because a) I hate wearing office clothes and b) I don’t like corporate culture that’s too rigid. So hey, I don’t have to wear office clothes, and I have staggered working hours so I don’t have to cram onto the buses and trains with everyone else. It’s a small setup so I report directly to the boss.
Anyway, after I got back to hall, I had to go out and get some lunch from behind. Sitting in Cheese Prata waiting for my nasi lemak, I looked around and reminisced about the first meal I had there - which, incidentally, was also my first meal as a Eusoffian. I’d just moved into hall and my new roommate and I went to eat cheese prata, because someone had told me about the shop way back in JC. And there I was, nearly 4 years later, still looking at the same WordArt menus on the wall. Some things don’t change - much. In fact, the only thing in this scenario that had changed significantly was me.
I got a weird sense of tunneling through time, like the effect in the movies where the scene blurs out and one element remains the same while everything changes. Or vice versa. The menus hadn’t changed much, the scenery from my seat hadn’t changed (although the view from Fong Seng now includes Varsity Park), the service will probably still be abysmally slow in 5 years’ time. Nice to know I can come back and experience that anytime.
Numbered Days
My days in Eusoff Hall, and indeed in NUS, are coming to an end.
It’s so easy to point to my final semester and to graduation as some sort of watershed event, whereupon I suddenly become an adult, complete with adult burdens (thanks ah). But nobody grows up overnight. I’ve been on this road a long, long time. But I think I’ll keep that story for another time.
Now I’m closing the curtains on 4 years in Eusoff. Note I said Eusoff and not NUS. I will miss Eusoff tremendously, but I can’t say the same of the university. But yes, 8 semesters in Eusoff, 7 of them in the same room. There’s so many things to miss. The practical things like being near classes, near a bus terminal, near VivoCity, near 24-hour food outlets. These places will be in my backyard no more.
But there are still the intangible things. Like the sense of safety. In hall, you’re pretty much free to do as you like. But still not as free, and the pressure doesn’t just come from the authorities. Part of community living is, well, other people. Social norms keep you (mostly) in line. Drinking parties and midnight football viewings are ok. Doing drugs and stealing panties are not. There are still limits on things that matter.
Out there on your own, who’s going to make sure you’re okay? Who will take up your call for supper at 2am, who will watch football with you, whom can you count on to show up for your performances? It’s kinda lonely out there.
And I never quite realised the logistics that goes into planning one room. Just one. You move into hall, everything’s there. Bed, wardrobe, shelves, table. Then when you move into your own place, just deciding on furniture alone takes 2 days of online and on-site research. Then you have to make sure it all fits in, before you buy it and not after it’s assembled, obviously. After that, you still have to play interior decorator and rearrange stuff around to resemble at least a degree of normalcy. I mean, sure you can put your wardrobes in front of the window. But why, though?
And I’m so going to miss the Internet connection. Nothing can be as fast as institutional networks, and mine is free and unlimited and the fastest I’ve ever experienced. It’s a totally plug-and-play environment too - just bring your own LAN cable and your login ID. But on your own - I’ve been checking out broadband plans all of this week, and I’ve vacillated between home and mobile plans, StarHub and SingTel, cable and ADSL. How to decide? Well actually once again, logistics is the answer. There’s no cable point in my room, the only point is outside in the living room. So ADSL it is (for the time being). My gosh, how do people handle all these things, out there on their own?
I guess it’s just because my situation came in a more DIY format than others’. Most tenants just bring their luggage, make do with provided furniture, and cough up their share of the Internet bills. Their only major decision is finding a place. I, on the other hand, had to find a place, buy furniture, set up an Internet line, AND do this while also dealing with exams and Commencement. Go me.
But in all this frenzy of planning for the future, there’s a sense of loss for the past. It IS the end of adolescence. I left home a long time ago, but I was still dependent on my parents. Now even that is coming to an end, and it is kind of sad. Even getting married wouldn’t be such a large transition as this, since a large part of being married is relationship management and living with other people, neither of which is new to me.
Even the best-laid plans can’t assuage my anxiety - not just about broadband plans and furniture, but about the unknown that’s soon to come. New mothers sometimes get post-partum depression; do new graduates get post-convocation depression?
Mobile Phone Etiquette: Missed Calls
What do you do when you get missed calls? Specifically, missed calls from unknown numbers? Obviously if you know who called you, you’d return their calls. But what do you do about anonymous numbers?
Back in the days of landlines, it was simpler. If no one picked up, you tried again. If you got a machine, you either hung up or left a message. No biggie, after all, if you decided not to leave a message, the recipients had no obligation to get back to you. If the person you wanted wasn’t available, you left a message and just waited for a return call.
But apparently some people, who are either stuck in the era of landlines or have (to me) bad etiquette, just hang up before voicemail kicks in. They know that their number will be displayed, so they assume that’s as good as leaving a message for me to call them back.
If they were my friends, well and good. Of course I would call them back.
But why would I ever call an anonymous number, unless I had some inkling of who it was? For all I know, it was a wrong number. Goodness knows I still get wrong numbers, which is ridiculous because I’ve had the same number for the last 5 YEARS. Whoever had my number before me must have wanted to escape his contacts real bad, since it would appear that he didn’t update them. And yes, I’m quite sure it’s a male.
I mean, voicemail is there for a reason. If you want to talk to me so badly, perhaps you should leave me a message? Just a suggestion, you know. Or hey, you can always SMS me, telling me what’s up.
If none of the above is forthcoming, I blithely assume any of 2 things:
1. Wrong number, therefore waste of my time to call back.
2. Cold-calling from insurance agents, financial planners, time-share schemes etc. Even bigger waste of my time to call back.
Bottom line: If you aren’t on my contacts list, and aren’t savvy or common-sensical enough to use voicemail and sms - I probably don’t need to talk to you.
Alpha Tester!
If you get a blog welcome ad, this is why. I have been invited to alpha test socialspark, a new initiative by IZEA. They’re the guys behind PayPerPost as well. Register at SocialSpark.com to be informed of releases.
So far, its slick and sleek interface makes me happy, and the innovative methods of sponsorship are worth checking out. I love being avant-garde.
Now you can stop mambo-ing, even though I know that you know all the words (and gestures) to “Never Gonna Give You Up”. If you couldn’t see it - well, never mind. It’s always Wednesday soon!
Mission Accomplished: Sub-24 Hours
I am now officially a tenant. I signed the lease agreement at about 3pm today, after viewing the apartment. The best thing about it isn’t the price, or the location, or the freedom. It’s the fact that I had called the agent less than 24 hours ago.
Yes, despite the plethora of online rental classifieds, the NUS rental database, and Craigslist, the ad that won out was found in the Straits Times Classifieds. Old-skool, much? The agent set up a viewing for today, and that just clinched the deal.
This was the 4th apartment that I viewed, in the space of 48 hours. The first two were advertised on the NUS rental database, which is very useful in finding housemates with the same general interests as you, but not much else.
The 1st apartment was in a good location, but it was pretty dingy and the room was kind of small. After having seen those rooms, I won’t complain about hostel rooms again. I have lots of wardrobe space, a table, shelves and a bed, and that’s standard-issue hostel stuff. Plus the view was nothing to write home about - in fact, if I had done so, my mother would probably have cried over my poor choice of accommodation.
The 2nd apartment was spacious, but the location left something to be desired. Although it was cleaner than the 1st one, it still wasn’t as clean as I’d hoped it would be. Such is the nature of a rental - there’s no sense of ownership, so the place tends to be in worse condition than if it was someone’s home.
The 3rd viewing was for a common room in an HDB flat. I knew it wouldn’t suit me even before I’d seen the place - I heard a child in the background when I called to ask the unit number. However, I viewed it as agreed, but it didn’t suit me. Location was brilliant, but I guess I just can’t get used to living in a flat. But the kid was the real deal-breaker.
By this time, I had already seen everything I was willing to consider. After extensive research, I knew the prices wouldn’t vary by much, and I already knew what to look out for in terms of landlords and other tenants. So it was easy to make the decision to just take it before others did. There were 4 rooms up for offer, so I had my pick of the 4. My new room shares a bathroom with the next room, I can cook as much as I like, and the only other tenants so far are Malaysians. The landlady and agent assured me that future tenants would be assessed for suitability - I guess they’re also quite particular about the kind of people that they take in.
I’m very pleased with myself for getting a reasonably good deal. It’s not a jaw-droppingly awesome deal (like the scam) but it’s within budget, given the location, and it’s very accessible. When you’ve waited for a feeder bus for 15 minutes, or walked for 10 minutes just to get to a bus stop, accessibility goes up the priority list.
The only drawback is that the room doesn’t come furnished, so I am having fun playing house with the IKEA catalogue now. Oh, and there won’t be a housewarming or room-warming, since visitors aren’t allowed. Which is actually a good thing - now I won’t have to show my parents where I live.
Game Review: Professor Layton and the Curious Village
“Professor Layton”, as I shall refer to the game, is quite good. But you can read the details elsewhere, like the metareview on DS Fanboy and Metacritic. As a mostly casual, female gamer, I give my opinion from that standpoint.
First, it’s rather a short game. I finished all 135 puzzles in 10 hours, as the in-game timer shows. It would have been longer if I’d used my brain on all the puzzles, but some of them were so frustratingly hard that I gave in and used the walkthrough.
That’s not to say that the puzzles are unsolvable. The final one that stumped me was just a more difficult version of a puzzle I’d solved on my own prior to that. There are some “sets” of puzzles that proceed that way - you start off on the easiest one, and the more difficult variations on the same theme will show up later.
Second, the storyline revolves around a mystery, that branches off into several mysteries, which are ultimately tied together by one giant mystery. This reduces replayability because once you’ve solved the mystery, that’s it. You can, however, play the puzzles again and again, which I do. I practiced one puzzle until I could do it on my own, plus I reduced the number of moves needed, so you could say I improved, I suppose. These little puzzles work very well as time fillers when you’re waiting for the bus. And because there’s a large variety of puzzles - maths, logic, spatial, spot-the-difference, to name a few - you can play your favourites and leave the rest.
Third, the storyline actually integrates very well with the puzzles. Sure the gameplay has been attacked as being populated by puzzle-obsessed non-player characters (NPCs), but that’s not just how the game works, there’s also a perfectly good plot reason for that. Some comments that I’ve read said that the puzzles themselves had nothing to do with the storyline. Well, would you rather they substituted their own names and occupations for everything in the puzzles? That would just be awkward. Plus, if you actually pay attention, certain NPCs seem to prefer certain kinds of puzzles. For example, water-pouring puzzles are found at the restaurant, under the premise that the chef has lost his measuring cups.
Fourth, I just plain love puzzle games. The fact that this one comes with a storyline, cute characters and a gorgeous visual style adds to the appeal. I’m also a huge fan of the Ace Attorney series, which is a puzzle game at its very core. C’mon, finding contradictions and figuring out which bits match which statements? That’s a logic puzzle, right there!
So, my conclusion on “Professor Layton”: Quick to finish, suitable for all ages (as long as they have the intelligence to solve the puzzles), easy to play in short bursts as a pick-up game, and visually pleasing. Also, candy for the brain. And you can’t beat the dopamine high when you solve a difficult puzzle all by yourself!
Rating: Highly recommended
A Plastic Post
Several semesters ago, I had to take a module on “Living With Chemistry”, and one of the topics covered was plastics. You might think plastic is just plastic, but there is a huge variety of plastics in this world, thanks to the genius of petrochemical engineers. A few molecules here, a branch chain there, and voila! New material generated.
One of those new materials is HDPE, which stands for High Density Polyethylene. It’s all around you, but you just didn’t know its name. Did you just buy a bottle of juice from Giant? Chances are, the bottle was made of HDPE. When you do laundry and you pour in some Dynamo, look at the bottom of the bottle where they stamp the plastic category. Yup, HDPE again. HDPE has a very high resistance to chemicals and water, so it’s commonly used for these purposes. There are even HDPE Nets, which is just one form that scrap HDPE can take. Contrary to popular belief, HDPE is actually a reusable material.
So please be a responsible Earthling, and separate your trash as much as possible so that it can be reused and recycled.
Renting - see the twist at the end!
It’s rental high season again, as graduating students start looking for rooms and flats to set up a bachelor pad. The housing crunch is especially bad this year, as many NUS students have been unable to secure on-campus accommodation and will be seeking rooms in the surrounding areas. Such conditions are prime scammer fishing grounds.
Yeah okay, so I have to admit that I’m stupid enough to nearly get scammed. But not stupid enough to ACTUALLY get scammed! The story gets better the deeper in we go, so let’s start with the eye-catching ad.
This is the screenshot of the craigslist posting that I saw. The posting is gone now, but I kept the url so I could dig it up again. See the actual page here.
900 bucks for a 2-bedroom apartment is a real sweet deal! So off goes one email to the address listed.
Hi,
This is regarding your ad in Craigslist (PostingID: 629811203) for a
rental in Singapore.I am interested in renting, but I was hoping you could answer some
questions to clear some things up.1. Where is the apartment?
2. Is the rental price quoted (SGD900) for the whole apartment, or for
each bedroom? Does it include utilities and broadband internet access?
3. Are there any other tenants in the apartment?-some text edited-
So I carry out step 1 of Looking For A House. A reply is soon forthcoming.
Hi Lynn,
Regard to your E-mail ,My Apartment is still available for rent for SGD 900 per month including : Air conditioning,Dishwasher ,Wardrobe,Gas Heating,Garbage disposal,Microwave,Laundry room,,DVD,Plates & cutlery,Electricity, Water and gaz.And you will be making a month deposit it is located at Burgundy Drive they are other.
Why we really want to give it out for rent is dus to my missionary work transfer to Africa my family and i are right here with me,i want someone who can take good care my apartment for me . All the keys and the document to the house is right here with me and i will ship it to you Via DHL Express Delivery and it will get to you on the next day after shipment .
Rental Application form need to fill and get back to me :
1)Your Full Name and Address :
2)How old are you? :
3)Are you married? :
4)How many people will be living in the house?
5)Do you have a pet? :
6)Do you have a car? :
7)Occupation? :
I need to hear from you
Thanks for the love you have for my Apartment
Timaya.
+2347037065078
Well! That was quick and easy! Sure the language is a bit suspect, but we don’t want to be arrogant Anglo-speakers. I reply with the information requested, along with a few more questions:
How long are you expecting to rent out your apartment?
How do I send any payments to you, and do I also pay the bills or just
send you the money?
Is there broadband internet in the apartment? If not, do I install it myself?
Does the rent price include the electricity, water, gas bills or are
these paid separately?
Is the apartment in a private housing complex or is it HDB?I am currently also considering another offer, I will try to make a
decision as soon as possible and let you know.
So far so good, another reply comes promptly.
Hi Lynn,
Nice hearing from you, I am leaving my Apartment for a long time rent beacuse i will be staying here for long due to my missionary work but i will be comming over once in a while for cheak up.The SGD 900 per month includes Electricity, Water and gaz bills , you can go on and install your broadband internet no problem.
I want know how many months you intend to stay and aslo if you are ready to make the 1st month rent so that i can send you my Rental Agreement form you need to sign.
You will be making the payment directly to my Lawyer Via Western union local store around you and as soon as he confirm your payment the keys and the document of my apartment will be shipped to you via DHL Express Delivery, and you will get it on the next day delivery after shipment.
I am very happy to have a good tanat that can take good care of my Apartment just like his or her own.
Kindly get back to me with your contact phone number for easy communication.
Thanks for the love you have for my apt, need to hear from you.
God bless you
Timaya.
Western Union? That’s Red Flag #1, as Western Union is one of the services commonly used by scammers. I am, however, very impressed with the Lawyer. But I am wondering how to get proof of the apartment’s ownership, without straight-up asking for it.
Plus, the rental includes utilities? How are the bills paid then? If it’s through Giro, then why can’t I just pay directly into that bank account? Weirder and weirder.
Hi Timaya,
We intend to stay at least a year, in fact we don’t expect to move for
the next few years so you can expect us to be there for quite some
time. How long exactly do you expect to be away from Singapore, a few
months or several years?I only need the apartment beginning in May, as I am still in the
university’s student housing till the end of my exams. So can I start
renting from you then? You can send me the keys anytime between now
and the beginning of May, since I will only need it then. You can
contact me on my mobile phone, -redacted-.
Do I pay the monthly rent via Western Union every month? I want to
know what our long-term payment arrangements will be like.I am able to pay the rent for the first month (May), do you need any
other deposit in addition to that? I may need some time to obtain
additional funds if you want other payments in addition to the rent.
Please let me know how much I have to pay you in total so that I can
make arrangements.
-some text edited for brevity-
Could you please tell me the full address of the apartment so that I
can visit the surroundings and check out the facilities nearby?
Thanks.
After this, there’s a pause in the emailing. I start having my doubts, which the Internet partially confirms. Craigslist rental scams are common, although the cases documented online involved a genuine landlord and a scammer tenant. Craigslist also informs you that Western Union and other money transfer transactions are a red flag. And of course, the ol’ rule of thumb: If it’s too good to be true - it is. I give it up as a bad move and look online for other, genuine leads.
But hey! Story’s not done yet! Out of the blue, I get a “Private Number Calling” on the mobile. I thought it was a real estate agent getting back to me after I made some calls, but there is a man on the line. He identifies himself as Timaya and asks me to check my mail. Before he hangs up, I ask him for the unit number. When he doesn’t seem to understand, I rephrase it as “house number”. No answer is forthcoming, he just says “check your mail”.
That’s odd, not knowing your own house number. Are your alarm bells ringing yet, cos this is the major finale:
Hi Lynn
Thanks for the e-mail, i intend to stay here for years beacuse of my work i will keep you posted how many years as time goes on but i will be comming for cheak up time to time.This is the Rental Agreement form attached below :
I will advice you to make the 1st month rent SGD 900 now so that i can know you are serious about it and i will also ship the keys and the document of my apartment to you ,You need to make this first month payment Via western union directly to my Lawyer here and he will be the one to sign the reciept of your payment i will let you know if you are going to make other month payment via western union okay.
You dont need to make other payment, you are paying only for the first month rent all i need is for you to take good care of my apartment just like your own.No problem if you feel like comming in with your friend .
Apartment address :
2, Keppel Bay Drive
Singapore
098636Nearest MRT Stations :
Harbourfront MRT Station (0.68 km)
Tiong Bahru MRT Station (2.44 km)
Redhill MRT Station (2.54 km)Nearest Schools :
CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent (1.15 km)
Radin Mas Primary School (1.26 km)
Blangah Rise Primary School (1.29 km)This is my Lawyer information you will need to make the Payment Via western union lacal arround below : you as soon as you make the payment and it has been confirm by my Layer the keys and the document of my apartment will be shipped out to you and you will get it on the next day after shipment.
My Lawyer information you need to make the transfer Via Western union local store around you .
Name : Reo Glance
Address : 15 bale st
City :Surulere
State :Lagos
Zipcode :23401
Amount to send : SGD 900
Country :Nigeria
Text Question : To Who
Answer : Reo
Kindly get back to me.Thanks
Timaya.
Oh there are so many things wrong here, I’d be an idiot to not realise the scam by now.
Refer back to the first email, where I am informed that “it is located at Burgundy Drive they are other”. Strange syntax aside, Burgundy Drive is in Upper Bukit Timah, which is quite a distance away from 2 Keppel Bay Drive. How can you not know where your own apartment is?!
Second, 2 Keppel Bay Drive is listed as the Carribbean, where rental apartments don’t go for less than 3000 dollars, and are more in the range of 6000 dollars. It’s new, it’s huge, and it’s right next to VivoCity. 900 bucks for this? It’s a 3-bell fire alarm, people!
Finally, he confirms my suspicions: He is indeed operating from Nigeria. Nothing against the country or its people, but the truth is the truth: No one trusts Nigerians where money transfers are concerned. It’s not discrimination, it’s common sense. I choose to exercise common sense and call an end to all this.
Hi Timaya,
I am sorry to inform you that I have managed to secure a better offer
from another landlord. I did inform you that I was considering other
offers, and one of those came through.I thank you for your earnest response to my emails.
Yes, so I took the coward’s way out. I am not a scam-baiter, I’m just a fish that got away to tell the tale. Yes, I admit that I dragged it longer than I should have, but it’s out of pure foolishness and blind faith in humanity, not out of malice.
The email address, phone number and other particulars of the scammer(s) are not edited because they tend to use the same ones repeatedly, and it’s published to protect public interest. I claim no responsiblity if people with more free time than brains decide to spam or prank-call them (all the way in Nigeria).
Well, it kind of bites that a really sweet rental turned out to be just a scam concoction. It looks like I will have to put up with shared accommodation for a while longer. But at least it’s not a 900-dollar kind of bite.
A Psychology Primer: Psychodynamics
I’m sure I’ve mentioned that I’m a psychology major before, but I’m also just as sure that many of my readers have no idea what we really study in the field. It’s not all peering inside people’s minds and figuring them out - just as much time is spent figuring out the human mind in general, and not just creeping out particular individuals by making predictions about them.
In order to shed some light on this popular but misunderstood academic discipline, I shall begin writing a series, based on my limited knowledge. As Freud seems to be the main figure/scapegoat in the public perception, we shall start with the field he pioneered, now called psychodynamics.
The main crux of psychodynamics is that our behaviour is influenced by unconscious processes, and that abnormal behaviour or emotional distress can be relieved by bringing these unconscious processes to light, thus allowing the client to be in control of them.
Another school of thought within psychodynamics postulates that early relationships form the child’s inner world (i.e. thought patterns and ways of perception) and that these relationships set a pattern for future, adult relationships. To give a real-world example, a child who was mostly neglected will always expect to be neglected by future partners, along with a self-perception of being unlovable or unworthy. Hence the popularity of the cliched “tell me about your mother” view of psychodynamics.
Those who disbelieve psychology because they disagree with Freud’s sex-fixated approach can take it easy, because psychodynamics leaves behind the sexy bits and focuses more on the unconscious processes. So, your psychodynamic therapist isn’t watching your every word or action to find one that will pinpoint you as some sort of sexual pervert. As Freud himself said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
This concludes part 1 of A Psychology Primer. Keep checking back for more instalments, and feel free to ask questions concerning the field!
Recent Comments