A couple of days ago, I received my first Clickbank affiliate commission cheque. Though this is a small $90.33 ( USD) cheque, I am happy as this shows that affiliate marketing does work. I have not put any effort into my affiliate marketing so this cheque may be the catalyst for me to take affiliate marketing a little more seriously.

About half a year ago, I received my first ever affiliate commission payment from a program that I wrote about in one of my blog post. That was a bigger cheque amounting to over $300.

Affiliate marketing looks easy but it isn’t that easy in practice. There are so many things to learn that one often becomes overwhelmed by the avalanche of information. We get bombarded by offers from all sorts of so-called internet marketing gurus that it is often difficult to distinguish the fake gurus from the real gurus.� All these gurus are trying to pitch their programs to you as the “must have” program to succeed in internet marketing. So you end up buying one program after another and in the process get yourself totally confused by what you should do next. I know because I have been through that.

I think the better way is to seek out a guru who is really successful and then stick to his program with laser-like focus. For me, one of the first guru that immediately pops into my mind is Ewen Chia of Singapore. He is regarded as one of the top affiliate marketer in the world…..indeed he is considered a super affiliate marketer! For the record, he makes a seven-figure income (and in US dollars) annually from internet marketing.

The last day of 2009 will end in a few hours. It is time to say goodbye to 2009 and say hello to 2010.

Goodbye 2009

As I look back at the past one year, I honestly think 2009 has been a� good year for me. I feel blessed in many areas of my life and I am filled with a great sense of gratitude to all those who have touched my life.

My wife and my two sons have been a source of immense joy for me. My wife has given me full support in what I set out to do and has always been the pillar of my life. My son Clarence has been a source of my inspiration for what he has been able to achieve in his professional career. And my younger son Leslie completed his Bachelor of Commerce in June this year and is now attached to a reputable audit firm. I am really awed by his prudence in money matters. To both of my sons, I just wish to say that I am proud of you two.

This year has seen a few milestones in my life:

1. I started this blog on March 17 of this year so this blog is now almost 10 months old. I am glad that I have persisted in keeping this blog active and updated regularly. In a couple of months, this blog will be 1 year old….I look forward to that day!

2. In April this year, I attended the Global Internet Summit in Penang. That was a real eye-opener for me and I am so glad that I took the initiative to attend it.

3. On October 22 this year, eBay granted me the Top-Rated Seller status. That is a real milestone in my eBay business and I am indebted to all my eBay customers who make it possible.

4. Several of my investments in online investment programs paid off handsomely this year. I am glad that I did my due diligence on these programs and invested in them. Why leave all your money in bank earning a meagre 2-3% per annum when you can get almost ten times that return PER MONTH investing in reliable online programs?

5. I read a couple of books this year that have changed my mentality about money and life, notably “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne and “How To Be Wildly Wealthy Fast” by Sandy Forster. I am learning to have a prosperity conscious mind and it has been an interesting journey.

2010 is just a few hours away.� I look forward to the new year with great anticipation and I am confident 2010 will be an even better year for me. And I wish you all success in whatever you do in the coming year. May you be blessed!

Did you read the following news article about some leakage a few days ago? What a joke…..hahaha…..rofl!� No, it is not about oil leakage…..it is not about house leakage…..it is about ringgit leakage….leakage amounting to BILLIONS of dollars! All Malaysians particularly those from Sarawak are eagerly awaiting to find out where the other 60% “leaked” to……if only a very tiny portion of this leakage flows to my bank account, I would be an orang kaya di Miri…..hahaha!

Sunday November 29, 2009

Billions siphoned – Sarawak govt steps in

By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: The Sarawak Cabinet has ordered an internal investigation into claims made by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that up to 60% of government allocations � running into billions of ringgit � meant for vital infrastructure projects between 2002 and 2008 have been misappropriated.

MACC investigations showed that only 40% of the money set aside by the Government were spent on the projects. The remaining 60% were said to have been �leaked elsewhere.�

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said yesterday the state government�s internal audit department would carry out a detailed probe into the allegations.

�The state government is investigating. We also want the MACC to give us a full and detailed briefing on these claims. We (state government) view these claims very seriously and if such abuse of government funds had taken place, we must find out who was responsible and take appropriate action against them.

�This is government money that comes from taxpayers. If indeed funds from the Government meant for projects for the rakyat and the poor had been misappropriated, the state government wants action taken,� he said yesterday.

He was commenting on a statement by MACC deputy commissioner Datuk Zakaria Jaffar that the MACC had uncovered cases in Sarawak where up to 60% of government allocations had been �diverted�� away from the projects.

Zakaria had said this in Kuching during an anti-corruption seminar a few days ago. He claimed that the misappropriation of funds took place between 2002 and last year, adding that MACC investigations showed that only 40% of the money allocated by the Government were spent on the projects.

He, however, did not disclose what the projects were or which part of Sarawak the projects were being carried out.

He noted that the projects involved infrastructure constructions for roads, housing schemes and mosques, among other things.

Zakaria said MACC investigations found that many of these projects were poorly-implemented while some had not even begun despite the fact that the Government had already channelled the money for them.

�The MACC found that there were fake claims made by officials and contractors involved in these projects,�� Zakaria said.

Dr Chan, who is State Industrial Development Minister and State Minister for Agriculture Modernisation, said yesterday that the state government had always been very strict with how allocations from the Federal Government are used.

He said the Sarawak Cabinet had always been transparent with taxpayers� money.

�I am happy that the MACC had exposed the issue. If they are doing their job properly, we are thankful because this is for the good of the rakyat,�� he said.

State Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg wants the MACC to give him more details about the housing projects said to be affected by the misappropriation of government funds.

Whenever we hear of deal making, one of the first name that pops into our head is none other than Donald Trump. His name has become synonymous with deal making. He authored the book “Trump: The Art of the Deal”.

Donald Trump.....The Deal Maker

I am very sure you have never heard of Kyle MacDonald….oh no, he has nothing to do with the fastfood chain McDonald’s. This guy is a great example of successful deal making in action.

Kyle MacDonald

Kyle traded his way from one single red paperclip to a house in the space of about one year. His project stirred up a great deal of publicity. This is what he did:

1. He started his website offering to swap his one red paper clip for anything.

This red paper clip started it all.

2. He swapped it for a fish-shape pen.

The fish-shaped pen

3. He swapped the pen for a hand-sculpted doorknob.

The hand-sculpted doorknob

4. He swapped the doorknob for a Coleman camp stove.

The Coleman camp stove

5. He swapped the barbecue for a portable Honda generator.

The Honda Generator

6. He swapped the generator for a keg of beer and a neon Budweiser sign.

The empty keg, an IOU for filling the keg with the beer of the holder's choice, and a neon Budweiser sign

7. He swapped these for a Ski-doo snowmoblie.

The Ski-doo Snowmobile

8. He swapped the snowmobile for a two-person trip to Yahk� British Columbia.

Two-Person Trip to Yahk

9. He swapped the trip to Yahk for a cube van.

The Cube Van

10. He swapped this for a recording contract with Metal Works in Toronto.

The Recording Contract

11. He swapped this for a year’s rent in Phoenix, Arizona.

The One Year House Lease

12. He swapped this lease for an afternoon with the rocker Alice Cooper.

An Afternoon With Alice Cooper

13. He swapped this for a KISS motorized snow globe.

KISS motorized snow globe

14. He swapped this for a role in the film “Donna On Demand”.

Role in movie

15. He swapped the movie role for a two-storey farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan, Canada.

House in Kipling, Sakatchewan, Canada

Kyle is now looking to trade the house for anything. He is looking for nothing in particular. He just wants to make a trade and sees where that will lead him to. So if you have anything you’d like to offer in exchange for the house, and I mean anything, be sure to send in your offer to Kyle at oneredpaperclip@gmail.com.

Details about the red paperclip house:
Located at 503 Main Street in Kipling, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Fully furnished.
Two floors + basement
Three bedrooms
Two bathrooms
Refinished hardwood floors.
Fridge, stove, sinks, drawers, shelves…all the regular kitchen stuff.
Electricity!
Large grass front yard + large grass backyard.
Gas hot water tank + gas furnace.
Close proximity to schools, restaurants, grocery stores, hospital, etc. Kipling has most services in town.
World’s largest red paperclip on the front lawn.

So what lessons can we learn from Kyle? Well, for starters, these are some of the lessons:

1. Never give the excuse that you do not have anything to start with.

2. Have a goal.

3. Make use of free publicity.

4. Be open to opportunities.

5. Be flexible.

6. Network, network and network!

Ask yourself this question: What do I have that others might want? And think broadly here. What you have includes not only physical possessions but also your skills and your knowledge. Trade your way to success!

As usual, I logged in to my eBay account a short while ago after brushing my teeth. It has become sort of a ritual for me every morning. But this morning I got a very pleasant surprise. eBay has granted me the status of Top-Rated Seller and the top-rated seller icon is now displayed next to my eBay user ID e-cybiz.

eBay awards this recognition only to a seller who consistently receives highest buyers’ ratings and has earned a track record of excellent service and very prompt shipping.� And it is based on feedbacks from customers.

Thank you eBay for your granting me this recognition. To all my eBay buyers, I wish to thank you all for your feedbacks and your support. This makes it all so worthwhile!

15Malaysia is a project of 15 short films directed by 15 Malaysian directors and is a collaboration between the 15 film directors and WiMAX telecommunication company Packet One Networks Sdn Bhd. The mastermind behind 15Malaysia is singer/songwriter/actor Pete Teo.

Malaysian singer/songwriter/actor Pete Teo

The 15 films feature an interesting cast of actors, musicians, local celebrities and POLITICIANS. The politicians featured in some of the films are Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief Tian Chua, UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Dewan Negara Senator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. The films deal with social-political issues ranging from race relations, bribery, corruption, Islamic Banking, party hopping, Mat Rempit, halal cooking, the state of Malaysian football, social apathy, freedom of expression and paedophilia.

The 15 films and their release dates:

(01) Potong Saga by Ho Yuhang (released on August 17 2009)

Potong Saga by Ho Yuhang (starring Namewee)

(02) Chocolate by the late Yasmin Ahmad (released on August 19 2009)

Chocolate directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad

(03) The Tree by Amir Muhammad (released on August 21 2009)

The Tree by Amir Muhammad (starring PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat)

(04) House by Linus Chung (released on August 24 2009)

House directed by Linus Chung

(05) Halal by Liew Seng Tat (scheduled for release on August 26 2009)

Halal by Liew Seng Tat

(06) The Son by Desmong Ng ( scheduled for release on August 28 2009)

The Son by Desmond Ng

(07) Lumpur by Kamal Sabran (scheduled for release on August 31 2009)

Lumpur by Kamal Sabran

(08) One Future by Tan Chiu Mui (scheduled for release on September 2 2009)

One Future by Tan Chui Mui

(09) Slovak Sling by Woo Ming Jin (scheduled for release on September 4 2009)

Slovak Sling by Woo Ming Jin

(10) Gerhana by James Lee� (scheduled for release on September 7 2009)

Gerhana by James Lee

(11) Meter by Benji & Bahir (scheduled forv release on September 9 2009)

Meter by Benji & Bahir (starring UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin)

(12) Duit Kecil by Johan Johan (Scheduled for release on September 11 2009)

Duit Kecil by Johan John

(13) Healthy Paranoia by Khairil Bahar (scheduled for release on September 14 2009)

Healthy Paranoia by Khairil Bahar (starring Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai

(14) Lollipop by Nam Ron (scheduled for release om September 15 2009)

Lollipop by Nam Ron

(15) Rojak! by Suleiman Brothers (scheduled for release on September 16 2009)

Rojak! by Suleiman Brothers

Ho Yuhang’s Potong Saga is the first film to be released and has proven to be a big hit. It features Wee Meng Chee or better known as Namewee who gained enormous publicity and notoriety for his infamous Negarakuku song in 2007. This film offers a comical exaggeration of the Chinese community’s misguided assumptions about Islamic Banking. Do watch it and have a hearty laugh!

The final film “Rojak!” by the Suleiman Brothers is aptly scheduled to be released on September 16, the anniversary of the formation of Malaysia. To catch all the 15 films, take note of the release dates and watch them either on YouTube or the 15Malaysia website:

http://15Malaysia.com/films/

Derrick VanDyke just released this amazing software that will automatically add thousands of new followers to your Twitter account… And the best part is it’s 100% FREE!

Derrick VanDyke...Twitter List Explosion

He’s also giving away a free “Twitter Trick” report that shows you how to generate clicks, leads, and sales from your Twitter account.

Twitter is a MASSIVE powerhouse for generating targeted traffic to your website, but 99% of Twitter “advertisers” are doing it all wrong…

The special report you’re about to read will show you how to use Twitter the right way to build a massive following and get people out of Twitter and on to YOUR LIST!

The one-click software you’re about to access will work around the clock to add thousands of new followers to your Twitter account on complete autopilot…without cluttering YOUR account with Spam and random tweets.

This is very cool…and get ready for a Twitter List Explosion! Go create an account below to get instant access to the list-building software and the “Twitter Trick” that will change your whole perspective on using Twitter as a list-building tool. And I know you will LOVE it!

http://twitterlistbuilder.com/senyi88

I found this great site that is totally FREE and you actually MAKE MONEY while zipping round the Internet.
http://www.invite5.com/97054HT

It looks very cool indeed!

Really simple sign up process!

Grab your own referral link!

Refer as many people as possible to YOUR link once you have signed up. This is one easy way to make money online without having to fork out any of your own money. Forget all those so-called internet “gurus” who are trying to sell you pricey packages or products. Check out the potential income with the Income Calculator at the site!

Start earning pots of cash.

WHAT THE BAR IS

Absolutely FREE. The Bar is a unique toolbar that lets you make money wherever, whenever you choose. The difference between the Bar and other toolbars� MONEY. The Bar is a private communication channel between members and advertisers through the Ads by ER Exchange. Members remain completely anonymous and their personal ID is never shared.

The process is simple. Visit a web page, click the ER icon to display ads, interact with ads that interest you and make money. That’s it. The Bar provides ‘advertising on demand’. The world’s most exact advertising is the most cost effective for advertisers and the most beneficial for internet users.

Once again, GO GET YOUR BAR NOW:

http://www.invite5.com/97054HT

Today is Gawai and I am starting my new blog about work from home income streams. Over the past couple of years, I have done a lot of research on work from home income opportunities, in particular the online ones. I have done well in some of the online opportunities but I have also fell victim to some scams. The internet is like a minefield filled with all sorts of scams. You can really lose your shirt if you fall in love with a program that turns out to be a scam.With my past few years’ experience, I am now able to better identify the genuine programs from the scams. I will be sharing my experience and my research on this new blog of mine.

A lot of people dream of working from home. Some of the top reasons are:

1. They do not want to have to drive and make a commute to their place of employment.� This is particularly true in big cities where traffic jams can be a daily nightmare.

2. They want to spend as much time with their family as possible.

3. They hate their bosses/managers/etc or they just hate their jobs.

4. They’re lazy. They dream of living a life of leisure, or they just want to make a living while doing a minimal amount of work.

5. They want to explore other areas of life they would never have time for with a job, or they have a passion that they never have time for.

6. They enjoy not having to wear some fancy (or ugly) uniform while they work. They’re free to work in their underwear if they please, or they don’t have to wear anything period while they work.

7. They never have to feel like somebody is watching them while they work. They can fool around, listen to music, look up non-work related sites on the internet, or anything else that would be frowned upon in the work place.

8. They can eat whatever they want, whenever they want. No more being limited to short tea breaks, no more cafeteria food .

9. No more obnoxious, weird co-workers.

10. You are your own boss. You’re not making some CEO or whoever richer while being underpaid.

I will be posting articles on topics like eBay, domain processing, blogging, Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, paid to surf programs, high yield investment programs or HYIPs in short, sports arbitrage, online investments and forex trading.

My new blog is : http://workfromhomeincomestreams.com

You’re most welcome to drop by. See ya!

I’ve just signed up for the Video Lounge access at Mega Red Packet and before I forget, I am writing in to tell you this.

Vince Tan, Edmund Loh and Stephen Luc are teaming up to release the Mega Red Packet on 4th May 2009. In case you’ve not heard of these dynamic trio here’s a quick background on them…

Vince Tan and Edmund Loh were two of the key speakers at the Global Internet Summit that I attended recently in Penang. And they are awesome!

Vince Tan is a World Internet Summit speaker and the same man who pulled off the Biggest Firesale event in Year 2008 which broke the 6 figure record in just 3 days and then brought in $170,000 in only 10 days.

If you use Private Label Rights products often for your Internet Business then I suppose Edmund Loh doesn’t need an introduction; he’s the person behind more than 260 Private Label Rights titles under the PLRGold brand. Just late last year, he teamed up with expert video maker Stephen Luc to pull off a product launch called PLRGold: Videos and raked in $100,000 in 10 days too. Collectively, the dynamic trio has made more than a million dollars in sales.

So what is Mega Red Packet all about? (since it’s 3 months after the Chinese New Year)

When I first visited the Mega Red Packet website, it branded itself as a “Recession Show Stopper”. I didn’t think much of it initially since a lot of Internet Marketing opportunist won’t let go any chance to cash in on the latest trend. But I take back what I said when I saw the Video Lounge area.

Vince, Edmund and Stephen have produced and positioned Mega Red Packet to turn the tide for many people who are not only struggling in their pursuit of building an online business but also people who are affected by the current recession period.

Mega Red Packet is focused on this core of success: product + traffic = residual income. This is the closest definition to push button marketing where all the work has been done for Internet Marketers of all levels – whether you are new or seasoned. The Mega Red Packet team has invested nearly $100,000 and 6 months in conceiving this push button program and infrastructure, which gives the user a variety of products to get reseller and Franchise rights to new, original products and sell.

Mega Red Packet is NOT about potential. It’s about empowering the Internet newbie to have his string of proven businesses in the form of Reseller Memberships for you to take full control of, and Franchise rights to proven Internet Businesses so that they can be put into the shoes of these 3 top Internet Marketers. The new Internet Marketer can now leverage off the credibility and proven model that the dynamic trio have discovered over the collective 11 years of marketing experience.

Traffic generation is another topic of great interest to some, and a great struggle to many others. The Mega Red Packet collection solves this more efficient and effectively than anyone, myself included, can ask for.

Vince, Edmund and Stephen are also taking this chance to launch their newest home study course named “Traffic Leopard” – aptly called ‘the next generation of traffic building’ that features a series of proven tactics to drive in traffic to your website, accompanied by a rich archive of case studies as used and experimented relentlessly by all of the 3 top Internet Marketers.

There’s also the Traffic Networks where Vince and Edmund have negiotiated with some of the top traffic building site owners to give generous credits to members of Mega Red Packet.

All in all, there’s more goodies in store in Mega Red Packet that I believe every Internet Marketer must look forward to. It’s ground breaking and non-conventional, not something you know so well of. Literally, all the work is done and I haven’t even talked about the new Private Label Rights products and software they are releasing in the Mega Red Packet event, that lets you do instant One Time Offers, Upsells and even Cross-Sells.

You can take my review with a pinch of salt but I strongly urge you to check out the site now and sign up for the free access to the Video Lounge (worth $297) and get onto their Advanced Notification List. (by the way speaking of that, they are also going to pick randomly 3 different names from the list to give free copies of Mega Red Packet on their launch day – you could be one of them!)

Click on this link and sign up for the Video Lounge and Advanced Notification List access for free now before the big event kick starts on 4th May 2009:

http://megaredpacket.com/?aff_id=7337