What should work, don't work. What won't work, works.

Goes to show you never know what & how people think. Sprees shouldn't work, but they do (or did before US & China shopping companies took over.).

The idea of sprees shouldn't work because basically people pay first to a stranger without a product. Yet the idea worked for many years.

The potato idea shouldn't work, but it does (or did) for 3 months, earning the man US$33,000 & more.  Frankly, I don't know why he wants to sell the site.  It's so hard (close to impossible) to come up with a workable idea that will earn that amount of money in so short time. I've tried & have been stumped for months trawling the web for even a smidgen of an idea like that. And he just hit upon it so easily. Not even the mailman whom he got the idea from, thought of it.

Even a similar site started in 2014, didn't think of it. They mailed potatoes but with no messages. What a pity. Even so, they say, "We love the business we are in... no plans to sell... Even if we were offered 10 times what the numbers say it should sell for we still wouldn't budge.".

The potato man says he's selling the site because "my life has just become potatoes, potatoes, potatoes". Frankly, if it were me, I don't mind. Why sell a site that's making money right at its peak? Because revenue has fallen.

After selling the site, will he be able to come up with another "genius" idea next? What's next? If nothing else like this potato idea comes up again, he might regret selling the site.

Highest bid for the site is "currently US$10,000".  These days, a price like US$85,000 for one website isn't enough. Money is easily spent. US$10,000 or US$85,000 is not a lot.

The live auction is still ongoing. Bidding started at US$1. As of now, 73 bids at US$10,000.  When I was telling bro about the auction and talking about the potato idea, I didn't know the price.  But just before he left to go out just now, he said, "Why don't you buy it?".

Now looking at the US$10,000 price tag... Buy it??

Even if I could, I wouldn't want to buy someone's site or idea. I want my own.

Now the potato site, for some reason, suddenly has oranges. It's not yet sold, so it can't be a change by a new owner.  Previously, he had said that including other food would make the idea trite. So, why oranges? Also, the potatoes have changed. Why?

What's amazing is that the US postal service sends potatoes even without envelopes. In Singapore, I don't know if Singpost will still mail it but if a potato is brought to the counter, the staff will say to put it in an envelope.

Actually, the potato idea works because it's in the US. You need a quirky & creative sense of humor to be able to see the value in paying someone to send a potato with a message. Asians just don't have it in them to see anything beyond anything.

Potato man didn't even use Google Adsense or any direct advertising. Just plain old word of mouth (Instagram, Twitter posted by people who received potatoes). One potato leads to another.

I find it very interesting. It's very different from what I thought had to be done in order to launch a business. But here, he's not even using any kind of advertising.

I know Google Adsense don't work unless you pump in a lot of money somehow.  I've tried it & nothing happened, except that the ads don't show because supposedly the key words aren't correct & a lot of keywords are thrown out. Adsense takes money but does nothing.

Potato Parcel: Why Does it Work?

Thurs 20 Aug 2015 1:31 p.m.

I wouldn't say it's the dumbest idea. But ... why would it work? People can buy their own potatoes, write their own messages & mail them out themselves completely anonymously. Why pay someone else to do it?

Strange.

I just discovered the Yahoo news about this man who supposedly makes $10 000/month selling potatoes with messages that he writes with just a black pen & takes only a few seconds. But the potatoes cost plenty per potato.

This kind of odd crazy ideas only sell in western countries like the US. Maybe the people there are crazier due to the GMO food they eat & the pollution in their environment (nuclear waste etc...).

And apparently, there are also crazy people in the UK, Australia & Canada who buy the potato idea.

What's so hilarious about a potato in the mail?

But really, it's not such a dumb idea. Firstly, it's a potato.  Hard & can withstand the mail. It's food, can be eaten, so it's useful with the message. Yet non-perishable in the sense that it can last quite long without spoilage during transit. Perfect. But will people buy it?

As he has proved, they most certainly will.

London Gay Bars Wilt

This remark says it all: "Going online is cheaper and more convenient, you don't have to leave your house.".

If there is any doubt about whether such people should be tolerated, this is what they are about. Casual, loose & cheap.

And the guy who said it is already 41 (click on his remark below to read the article). Older don't mean wiser or better. Just lousier. And this truth also applies to such people in Singapore. Whether 16 or 31, I have talked to these people & they are the same.

The days of trawling of gay pubs for a date or sex are largely over too, with thousands of potential contacts available on dating apps.

"Going online is cheaper and more convenient, you don't have to leave your house," said IT trainer Mike Pettet, 41.

Psst. I have Ramune. Japanese Soda in a Bottle.

Buy it here. Limited. One each only. Leave a message here to purchase.

Banana Ramune is in a plastic bottle. Not glass.

Strawberry Ramune in glass bottle:

Watermelon Ramune in glass bottle:

Child Care Centres in Singapore

It's called legalized abandonment. Parents dumping their kids on strangers from morning till evening. Without parental love, guidance or even education. 

There is no education to be had in child care centers, particularly those that hire foreigners.  Parents don't know their kids cry, their minds blank as they wait aimlessly & endlessly to be picked up at night.

These kids feel abandoned.  Psychologically very damaging.

More hours are spent with strangers & foreigners than with family.

Wasted lives in the best years when these kids could have been educated the most. What can they learn being cooped up in small rooms with other abandoned kids & uneducated, unqualified women?  Trapped through no fault of their own except being born to such irresponsible & selfish parents.

Expect strangers to give & treat your child the best? Cook the best nutritional food & organic? Stand up for your kid when he/she is bullied?

No time & have to work, then don't have kids. Cannot brag that you can do both work & kids. What you mean is, you work & dump the kids elsewhere. Yourself comes first.

If only the kids can see what is being done to them. See the truth that in fact, their parents don't love them at all. Dumped & picked up, day after day.  I pity them.  The younger ones stand & stare out of the windows with their hands on the panes, their eyes listless as they cry. Prison.

It is not their fault they were born. After being born, their parents don't care for them. It's unfortunate.

I have seen a China child care woman yelling at the kids in her China Chinese. What right has she to even be there?

I have never seen the child care women teach the kids anything.  What child care? No lessons. No reading. No books. No writing. No higher learning. No music. No creative or outdoor play. Even though the kids are old enough to be taught & given much knowledge.

The days are passing but their ready & absorbent minds are empty. And are kept empty day after day.

Waste.

Ugly Foreigners/Visitors in Japan 日本の醜い観光客。

Japan time 6pm. Normally, I see only Japanese. But here's the first time I'm seeing foreigners in this train station due to their Prime Minister's plan of attracting more tourists recently.

It's a sad day to see foreigners here because this place isn't touristy. The commuters at this train station are mainly students & businessmen.

It's pretty obvious these are Ang Mohs (Caucasians). There are 4 of them.

I first noticed when one of them (outside of the screen-shot) started taking photo/s of the train. It's just a regular train, nothing special. Yet he was taking photo/s of it.

Then look at their size. Fat.  Especially the fat rude man in his bright shirt with his arm elbowing out.

Japanese people eat sparingly & healthy meals & they are not fat. And they wouldn't stand as if they owned the place with their elbows in the way of passage. This is a very rude & inconsiderate fat tourist. Even when people walked by, he never stopped elbowing like that. One Japanese schoolgirl even looked at him as she walked past.

Since he can't respect the place & people, why bother going to Japan? Save the money & go elsewhere.

Japanese people also do not lean, especially ladies. That fat woman in white is clearly leaning against the wall.  I have never seen a Japanese person lean against this wall in all my observations of this train station. Japanese women don't slouch like that in public & they don't dress so casually sloppy (& they don't wear jeans).

Also, Japanese people don't dress in bright clothing. Definitely, they won't wear such a bright blue-green shirt & stick out.

This is what is meant by ugly tourists when you let them into your country. Even when they stay just a while, they are a pain.  迷惑, 面倒。

My Love From The Stars Ep 18 (restaurant background music)

I'm now re-watching the series. It's still nice. I just watch parts that have him. :)

I've always wanted to say that in this episode, the Chinese restaurant scene where Do Min Joon is having tea with Cheon Song Yi's father & brother, the background music is actually the Japanese song from Hakkenden anime.

In Hakkenden, it's called Shino's song & has lyrics.  The main male character Shino sings it very beautifully while being carried on the young & handsome Rio Satomi's back.




Restaurant scene @ 35.34. I love the way Do Min Joon turns away while politely drinking from his cup. Such an old-fashioned & gentlemanly etiquette like in those Joseon days.  End scene, I always laugh seeing him throw the ring case onto the table & say, "Here, that's for you.". So damn funny. Proposal like that. But I completely understand how he feels.

How Much Do SG Office Workers Make In a Day?

On the surface, looking at a monthly salary, it might seem like a lot. But assuming a person earns $4000/month net (after CPF deduction) working 5 days a week. $4000/20 days = $200/day.

Assuming a conservative figure of 9 hours work per day (usually it's more), the person earns only $200/9 = $22.22/hour.  Pretty measly amount (and less with more hours).

That's why many office people don't actually "work", disappear whenever they can & avoid getting things done. Whenever possible, pretend to be always busy. And for heaven's sake, don't answer the phone.

Organizations like the Town Councils, Housing Development Board etc...

For many jobs, the salary is less than $4000/month gross.  CPF takes at least $500 away.

A police sergeant only gets $2500/month gross to sit in the police post or settle domestic disputes. Pretty lousy salary for settling petty &/or violent domestic quarrels & neighbourly shit. The headache & mental disturbance the sergeant get from intervening in such shit = Completely not worth the time.

Assuming same conditions at 9 hrs, 5-day week. Miserable pay for an hour in your life that can't be gotten back working for some damn company that has no damn connection to you.

$3500/month net = $19.44/hour
$2500/month net = $13.89/hour
$1800/month net = $10/hour  (no better than a waitress/waiter in a pub).

$5000/month net sounds like a lot but it's only $27.78/hour.  (not even $30/hr).
$7000/month net = $38.89/hour  (still little but a little better)

Does it mean that higher paying jobs have people who are more willing to get things done? No. In fact, higher pay just makes people work even less. An empty desk.  At this higher pay, don't even need a reason or excuse why you're not there. And that's how a country or an organization falls apart.

How to Pick Good Sellers from Taobao (Tips & Advice)

Wed 22 Jul 2015

Choosing the wrong seller can be expensive (& painful). There are many "how to shop" reviews, but none provides tips & explanations on how to pick a good & honest seller.

Many Taobao sellers are unscrupulous in various small & big ways.

But contrary to what people may think, choosing good sellers is not a hit & miss. Neither does it depend on luck.

Picking the correct seller on Taobao depends on several points. Get these points right, and you'll be sure of a good purchase 99.99% to 100% of the time.

What to look out for when picking sellers on Taobao?  Get my guide.  It Works. Guaranteed for anything you are purchasing. :)

For only $5.  Just leave a comment here with your e-mail (that won't be disclosed) & you'll get payment details.  After which, enjoy knowing the secrets in this guide!

Blackball SG Dessert has been Blackballed

I am disappointed with the Blackball signature dessert served at Harbourfront. 

The appearance & portion of their signature dessert have changed.

Some time ago, it was a bigger plate with a big portion and a lot of shaved ice. Can be shared with another person.

But this evening Mon 20 July, the Blackball dessert didn't even look like the menu picture.

When I ordered, the China man even asked in broken English (that sounded Burmese), "Like in the picture?". I said yes.

He served a surprisingly small & flat portion. At first, I thought he had gotten our order wrong & asked bro to check whether it has ice when he went to collect.  Before bro could ask, the man said in Chinese that the ice was underneath.  Why is the ice underneath when it should be on top?

When I scooped the dessert, the ice was very little.  The ingredients were also little. Cutting costs? Need more profit?

Because the ice was little, the dessert looked flat in the bowl.  It wasn't a mountain.

Very disappointing, particularly on such a hot day. 

And since it didn't even look like in the menu picture, it's a fraud.

I won't be eating Blackball again. Especially when it's from China. I ate it a few times in the past (with hesitation) & just this once (with hesitation) because I was thirsty for an ice dessert. Since the quality & presentation have deteriorated, I won't be eating it again.

The staff turnover rate for this outlet is high. In the past, the staff used to be very generous with their servings. It was an older woman and a man. But they changed to young women cashiers who I saw were rude. So I never ordered. Now with this incident, I definitely won't be going back.

Feedback contact form in their website received no reply.