I was intrigued by an advert being shown via Google's Adsense as the Soulmate Calculator. It promises to reveal your perfect soulmate's first name after asking a few simple questions.

It's all very harmless until you get to this screen.

The calculator asks for your first name and then it has a checkbox that needs to be clicked stating that you "Agree to Our Terms". The problem is that it doesn't disclose their terms anywhere at all. And if you don't check the box you can't progress forward.

If you do check the box you're taken to another screen asking for your mobile phone number so that they can text you your soulmate's name.

Isn't there legislation outlawing this practice?

Who knows what these terms may imply but I'm guessing that it has something to do with agreeing that this company can continue you to send you names until you text back "Stop sending me the names, please" with the correct syntax. And they're probably charging you $5.50 for the privilege.

So, my only answer to this outlandish advertising is to make them pay for it. Any time you see this horrid advert - it kept coming up for me at StatCounter - make sure you click it so they pay for some wasted advertising.

And, if possible inform as many others so that this company gets a ton of bad press - [No linking to their site, please!]

Posted by Stuart at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bendigo, a thriving metropolis east of Melbourne, is the recipient of a new 3.5kg (110 oz) gold nugget. The anonymous prospector found it buried only 3ft beneath the earth's surface with a metal detector that he had recently purchased.

Worth nearly A$100k at today's current gold prices (even more if not smelted and kept as a nugget) the find is sure to boost the areas prospecting bug again. The Bendigo and Ballarat areas were well sought after in the 19th century gold rush era and many prospectors still fossick in the tailings.

Link

Posted by Stuart at 6:47 AM | Permalink

Unless you made like an ostrich and buried your head recently you probably may have heard that Google bought You-Tube for a *very* disclosed sum of US$1.65 billion. Chad Hurley and Steve Chen who founded the online video casting service are instant millionaires after their 20-month project netted the biggest tech sale ever.

And as the dust settles and every analyst's head has regained a normal orbit of the sun the sale begs the question "What did Google get out of this deal?" On face value - not a lot. A mere brand that while only 20-months old is internationally recognizable and a video interface. That's it.

But there has to be more to this picture, surely? And there is. Google isn't about to waste $1.65b on an overnight fad.

If you begin to join the dots it begins to make a lot of uncommon sense. The advent of the TV in the 50's and 60's saw newspapers and magazines lose the lion's share of advertising dollars. Not immediately, but over time advertisers began to see that people were glued to this new phenomena that became as regular to our lifestyle as brushing your teeth or taking the dog for a walk.

Then the PC became a fixture in our homes. And while it started humbly enough, a station for games or productivity its usefulness escalated when we began accessing the World Wide Web. Still in its infancy, the novelty of emailing your friends and visiting low res websites intrigued us all.

And then broadband arrived.

Overnight, the world became much smaller. Lightning speed access to multimedia and chatrooms that encouraged real-time interactivity piqued the interest and spare time of Gen Y and they chose this format over watching TV. The reason - choice. TV is limited by channel selection. The internet is limited by time availability. Gen Y was able to choose who they listened to, be on the cutting edge and equip themselves with their own knowledge.

In the same way a Jeffery Archer novel changes chapters, other factors in the world are also joining in the equation. TV's are becoming bigger and play a far more prominent role in the home - and budget. Media restrictions limit moguls from capitalising on TV and payTV and the viewing of these services are becoming more fragmented.

The TV advertising revenues for the US alone are greater than $67 billion each year and marketers are realising that this medium is failing to deliver.

Yet, we've already mentioned that teenagers aren't watching TV. So why are they buying Plasmas? Because accessing the internet from your TV screen is the future.

Think ahead a few years. Google, who makes its huge incomes from the sale of advertising partners with You-Tube, an infinite selection of ready-made entertainment. Disillusioned with TV, marketers begin pouring their advertising budgets into You-Tube hoping to reach an increasingly fragmented demographic.

Even if Google only get 1% of this market, within 3 years they've paid their investment back. This is no dumb move.

Posted by Stuart at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In a crazy Meet the Parents - Ben Stiller-kind-of-way, Riccardo Paulin, a 65 year old Australian pensioner was removed from a SilkAir flight when he asked a flight attendant "Where is the Bomb?" as he placed his luggage into an overhead compartment.

Paulin was then charged and fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (US$6,420) but could have been looking at a maximum 100,000 dollars and up to 5 years imprisonment.

All for saying the word "BOMB" on a plane.

I keep seeing the scene from Meet the Parents as Stiller has a heated discussion with a flight attendant when he tries to assure her that "It's not like I have a bomb in my bag", to which she quickly hastens "You said the word bomb." He continues like a spoilt child "Bomb! Bomb! Bomb! Bomb! Bomb! Bomb!" as we see him unceremoniously exited from the plane by two oversized security guards.

Has our society gone completely berzerk? I won't defend that Mr Paulin couldn't have been a little wiser in his remark but to take this as a 'Bomb Threat' is a little over the deep end - one would assume.

Posted by Stuart at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah is warning Bruneian's via a Titah to be frugal as they celebrate Hari Raya, a celebration that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

This coming from a man who has no understanding of the world "frugal".

Listed by Forbes in their top 100 Richest people in the world and recorded as having the largest private collection of Rolls Royce marques, the infallible Sultan is wanting Bruneians to keep a tight rein on their spending.

Brunei is a developing nation ranked 45th in the world per capita GDP and with a population of less than 400,000 people it's hardly a poor country.

So why the Titah? Maybe the oil price slump is beginning to have an effect!

Posted by Stuart at 6:34 AM | Permalink

How long will society accept ringtone providers exploiting our children?

Ringtone providers are the 21st century equivalent of con artists and shysters. They peddle their wares to impressionable teenagers eager to keep up with the latest trends and unwise to know when to stop.

It seems every prime time TV show is now a carrier for ringtone adverts. Their message is simple, "Buy now so that you aren't left behind." Teenagers race for their phones and dial the number and instantly they're rewarded with a ringtone of the latest song.

However, they managed to miss the fine print at the bottom of the advert stating that it is a service that will continue to send messages (for which they will be charged for). And the only way to stop it is to sms the company back, if you happened to remember their phone number, with the words "Stop now O Mighty Ringtone Provider" (all case-sensitive of course!) Failure to get the syntax right and the charges keep coming.

Sure, this is the blatant extreme. But what about those seemingly once-off purchases? Even in this example (pictured above), the only time you come in contact with a price is when you have chosen that must-have song and are about to download it. Then, and only then, is the price revealed albeit in faint grey font!

Ringtone providers are flawting what little legislation there is that regulates this industry. They prey on teenagers irrational thoughts and trick them into purchases that are exploitive at best. Not to mention the price of these ringtones being exhorbitant - ($6.60 for a piece of digital bits when a CD single costs less than $5 and includes an actual physical product!)

When will governments see that this is hurting our young people and legislate accordingly?

Posted by Stuart at 5:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In an amazing twist of events it appears that teaching students from a school-based curriculum about personal finance isn't working.

Duh!! Even blind-Freddy saw that one coming.

It's like assuming that kids are going to learn all about relationships after reading Pride and Prejudice.

The keys to personal finance are not taught, they're learnt. And they can only be learned from putting principles into practice and allowed the freedom of failure.

See, the problem is that while most students are taught the basics of personal finance at school such as saving, using loans for appreciating items, the risks of credit cards and hire purchase etc what they see is modelled from those that are close to them - namely their family.

If Mum and Dad are able to buy whatever they want, whenever they want, by using the credit card why is a young person going to save their dollars for the proverbial "rainy day"? In this article the quote is made;

"Personal finances are not being taught in the home," said Patricia Hummel, a parent who also teaches financial literacy at Winters Mill High as a permanent substitute. "Studies have shown that only 26 percent of 13- to 21-year-olds reported that their parents actively taught them how to manage money.

The problem is a Catch-21. Parents don't know how to use their finances well and therefore it's like the blind leading the blind when it comes to teaching their children. They were never taught how to handle their money and so their bad habits are modelled before their children's eyes who are ever-ready to replicate what they see.

So what is the solution? In my humble opinion I believe that families need to learn personal finance together. Obviously this isn't the education system's mandate but I believe there might be a business opportunity here for some entrepreneurial soul to solve this.

I'm not talking about financial counselling but from the other end of the equation prior to families becoming so entrenched in debt and bad habits. Personal finance mentors are needed to work short-term with a family helping them to budget, reduce debt, start their emergency funds, and begin to invest for their financial future.

It's the only way we're going to turn the tide of debt poverty in our nations.

Posted by Stuart at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Don't you hate it when you feel conned after having your emotions tickled?

Let me put this in context. I'm reading this article titled "Serious and Frugal, Far From Flashy, Davis Sees Himself as a Regular Guy" by Lloyd Dunkelberger on the life of Tampa's Jim Davis. The article starts out by portraying a man who having wealth, power and influence decides to steer his life without them. It's a picture we don't rarely see. In fact, it's a picture that seems to be too good to be true. But, we follow the ensuing detail imagining a man who is about to achieve some incredible humanitarian task - like offloading his family wealth to some poor third world nation.

Instead, three paragraphs in, we're slammed to the ground with;

That background, Davis says, gives him a connection to most Florida voters who are also struggling to pay for insurance, are worried about rising property tax bills and want better schools for their children.

Aaarghh! What happened? One minute I'm envisioning a man about to change the course of the world through some benevolent action and the next I'm brought to the ground with a "Vote for me" thud. But wait! Surely the editorial of some reputable news service would dig deeper to reveal why this comment needed to be made.

Alas, the article continues along the new chartered course without any mention for its deviation. We've been conned by a journalist playing with our emotions again and to think they didn't even disclose the sponsorship of the editorial. Please tell me it wasn't a paid article?

Posted by Stuart at 8:17 AM | Permalink

Just when you thought everybody was falling backwards over themselves, and everybody else, just to court Beijing's growing economy, someone decides enough is enough!

For those who don't know who Jimmy Wales is, he's the guy who founded Wikipedia (if you haven't heard of Wiki then upgrading your dial-up to DSL was probably a waste of money). It seems that in another round of censoring everything that has the word "China" in it, Jimmy Wales has decided not to back down. He's stood his ground while Google, Yahoo and every fragile humanitarian organisation have fled.

The result; the Chinese seem to be back-pedalling. Their lust for competitiveness requires knowledge and who holds the Wiki-key - you guessed it, Jimmy Wales...attaboy!!

Posted by Stuart at 11:29 PM | Permalink

Markus Frind, creator of Plenty Of Fish has thrown his hat into the ecommerce ring. Frind currently runs a very lucrative online dating service financed predominantly through Google's Adsense program.

In a post on his Wordpress blog, Frind claims that opportunities exist in monetizing whole online communities. While his methods may seem new and exciting commenters have already pointed out several existing programs.

I, like some of the other commenters, would say to Frind that it's no use just talking about it and slamming those who diss you. Entrepreneurs, real entrepreneurs, don't cry on shoulders but find ways to make their dreams happen. There is always more than one way to skin the proverbial cat and a entrepreneur the size of Frind should have no trouble trying to make these possibilities into a reality.

Less talk - more action Markus.

Posted by Stuart at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The picturesque state of Montana, in northwestern USA, could become the next playground for energy consumers if governor Brian Schweizer gets his way. He's currently courting energy producers to invest in his state in the hope that their coal-rich mountains could be mined to produce diesel.

Could this be the saviour of the energy crisis as oil heads over the US$70 per barrel price tag? Possibly. However, coal-to-diesel projects are extremely expensive costing more than US$6 billion to produce a mere 80,000 barrels per day (less than 0.5% of the US daily required oil diet). Their operating costs are high and unless oil stays well above US$30 - 35 per barrel they would become a loss making venture. But then is oil about to drop below $35 per barrel in the short term? Possibly not. Analysts are predicting an increase in the price up to $270 per barrel within the next 5 years.

The risks are huge and it's not the first time this has been attempted. The 1970's saw a whirlwind of projects start up and fail due to the drop in the oil price. However, the oil price horizon seems a little easier to define and forecast now than in 1970.

Source: South Africa has a way to make oil from coal

Posted by Stuart at 6:58 AM | Permalink

“Hangovers account for an average annual opportunity cost of $2000 per working adult.”

Assuming there are many people like myself who rarely drink and never get drunk this is an enormous cost. In the US, companies actually budget for hangovers. It's become such a problem for efficiency that businesses are now recognising it as a major problem.

Fortunately, there is a new drug that can assist workers to overcome a hangover and clean out their body of toxins. Great! You can screw up your body overnight and then fix it with a quick pill.

One benefit of this pill for employers is it takes away many of the excuses for 'Monday-itis.'

Posted by Stuart at 8:11 AM | Permalink

NEWS -- A new website has just started at Business Review World aiming to educate would-be home business operators about legitimate home based businesses opportunities. The site reviews many current business opportunities and exposes the scams that this industry is fraught with.

As I get many people asking which home based businesses ideas are good ones this is one site that reviews them all.

Source: PRWeb

Posted by Stuart at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's always a sad story when you hear that a company that you've been part of has gone down the gurgler.

The reason for its demise?

Mr Rocke said the business was struggling with sales slumping to $12-$15 million per annum because in boom times members were less inclined to supplement their incomes by selling Omegatrend products.

This is certainly an interesting way to fail. Who would have thought it were even possible that as the economy increased your business prospects decreased?

Certainly in the '90's after the sharemarket crash of 1987 in a world of spiraling interest rates and businesses were going bankrupt at a great rate of knots, finding a way to bring in some extra dollars was almost a God-send. Omegatrend's founder, Mr Loren Watts, set about to create his own "Amway" and found increasing success for the first decade. Many mum's and dad's joined the business hoping to achieve some of their 'dreams' that could only be achieved through a sales system that was Omegatrend - at least that's what they told us.

As administrators were appointed there was still a salesforce of 13,000 but only 1500 were active. The business still owed creditors A$2m and 70 employees were laid off.

Look on the bright side. At least there's one less phone call we'll receive from an overzealous friend looking to build his empire.

Posted by Stuart at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The ultimate in spontaneous spending is finally hitting the globe - the World Cup. If you need a reason to spend money then a sporting festival of this magnitude may be the excuse you've been looking for.

For those who've headed over to the World Cup reports have run amok that if you hadn't bought your tickets prior to the games, scalpers were willing to pass up basic seats for a minimum EUR250. Some were getting as high as EUR500 for seats that didn't even have the greatest views. Add your limited accomodation requirements on to the bill, plus the increased food charges, have-to-have sporting paraphernalia and you can kiss your budget goodbye.

But the frenzy doesn't stop in Germany. Direct Line Home Insurance conducted a survey of 2500 adults and found that one in 5 were planning to purchase a new TV prior to the world cup. Add to that new satellite connections, DVD Recorders, surround sound systems and Direct Line is predicting more than £1 billion will be generated from those who didn't make the pilgrimage.

If these purchases were made due to people saving then it we would all give them 3 cheers and congratulate their perseverance. Alas, most of these new gadgets will come at a price that will continue well after the World Cup has finished.

And some marketers will be rubbing their hands with glee, congratulating themselves on the success of an advertising campaign that helped people spend money they didn't have for things they eventually won't need.

Posted by Stuart at 8:11 AM | Permalink

Is there anyone...anyone at all who is also more than mildly disturbed by rising fuel costs? Why is it that every time I drive past the service station the price for fuel has escalated quicker than my Adsense earnings. It is getting tougher and tougher to keep my car on the road and yet it seems that alternatives to the oil crisis are not being sourced. Why? Do I need to stop driving my car?

This article in the Patriot News highlighted the depth of the dilemma society is now facing.

Americans [Australians too] have begun to make lifestyle changes in order to maintain some sanity. Saving energy is one thing but to be forced to carpool/vanpool, walk to work or practice frugal driving habits because we can't afford gas is ridiculous.

I've thought about ways to beat rising fuel costs like cycling to work, car pooling with friends and I've even contemplated buying a scooter. But I can't help thinking that there's more that could be done by the power's that be.

One example is that in Australia our fuel is heavily taxed. I have no qualms with the excise going to fund better roads but I'm concerned that with the rising oil price these taxes will fund better surpluses instead.

I also wonder about mining companies who tap oil and leave it to sit. They do this to control supply therefore controlling prices as well. Rising fuel costs are not a problem to them, in fact it's what they are after.

So, while us humble day-to-day people struggle to fill our cars with fuel those who could do something about it won't. Why? Because they're greedy.

Posted by Stuart at 5:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The King of Bling Bling, rapper LL Cool J is urging fans to be financially responsible.

The platinum-selling rap star spoke Saturday at the Hip Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment. It mixed stars with financial experts to offer advice on home ownership and personal finance.

"The biggest misconception probably comes from the hip-hop community that the money lasts forever," LL Cool J said. "You have to do the right thing with it."

Fellow chart-topping rapper Nas said it was important to teach young fans about financial responsibility. "We've got to think about growing old in this game."

Reposted from Rappers recommend being frugal

Posted by Stuart at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We tread the internet in tip-toe fashion, trying not to clumsily step on anything hazardous to our online health or alerting the attention of unwanted hacker publicity. Why? Because we know that lurking in the not too distant background is the possibility that our identity could be stolen and used innappropriately or credit card details could be used to transact a criminal's spending spree.

We're just trying to download the latest offering from iTunes or pay for a successful auction win on Ebay unaware that the threat is real or that it may be greater than we first assumed. Most internet users, myself included, assume that e-crime is something that happens to other people and optimistically prescribe to the notion that companies are getting better at dealing with these security risks. They're not!

In fact, most online companies while employing a 128bit SSL for their transactions fail to secure the backend of their data, inadvertently creating a back-door for would-be hackers. Now imagine for a second that your data, address, full name, date of birth and credit card details are sitting insitu on some (unfortunately not-so) secure server with the backdoor left wide open. It's like a red-rag to a bull teasing hackers to try their luck.

And who's to blame for the increase in e-crime? Well, while we're pointing the finger it must be directed toward the door of the reigning governments initially. Are they fair dinkum (an Australian colloquialism translated as "genuine") about resolving this type of crime that will inevitably cost the community? There seems to be little that is being legislated in this arena and the resourcing for crime prevention compared to the resourcing of criminals borders on obscure.

My life, like many others, is becoming increasingly dependent on the web. Unfortunately though, it can be that life can be rubbed out quicker on the internet that it can in real life.

Read this article.

Posted by Stuart at 8:43 AM | Permalink

Have you checked out what the newspapers have been saying about 'credit cards' lately? If you have and you're not sure whether the world can recognise the difference between Arthur and Martha anymore, you may be right.

Here's the first turn-up of the day; India fastest growing market for Visa credit card while the very next article implores that Someone Needs To Put A Leash On Credit Card Issuers. Are they inferring that Indian's should be treated as slaves, or worse still - as dogs?

While in another paper the headline screams No-fee credit card takes off as another (obviously with conspiracy issues) argues that RPT-EU warns credit card companies about overcharging. I actually think at that rate they could probably have an increase of 2-300% and not notice a change.

And if you thought credit card fraud was not being dealt with fast enough it seems the tables are turning. In one breath this article Banks urged to get tough with card fraud followed by No clues yet in credit card racket and then in a blind, sweeping move Shenzhen cracks biggest credit card forgery case. The Chinese authorities are obviously more effective than an episode of Cold Case and Miami CSI working together.

Just goes to show that you can never quite be sure that the world is telling you the truth.

Posted by Stuart at 7:51 AM | Permalink

Apparently, yes! That is if you have a steady job and income. If you're a bum who has seasonal employment and changes residences more than you change your pasty Target underwear, you're probably okay. It may become harder to get another credit card once they've revoked your allowance on the one you've just sky-highed, but at least you won't be sued.

It seems then that credit cards are only for the poor and destitute, or at least those who are willing to run when the bailiff knocks on the door.

Read this article from CreditorWeb.

Posted by Stuart at 7:20 AM | Permalink

I'm into frugal...I actually get it! But I always assumed frugal was for those on a budget not those that had a budget the size of a small nation.

I've just read Reuter's interview with IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad who happens to be the fourth richest person in the world. He takes pride in driving a 15 year old Volvo (I'm amazed he takes pride in driving a Volvo period) and flying the world economy class.

For the record, I am impressed with his leadership example as he lives out what he expects from his employees at IKEA. However, if I had $28billion to my name I'm not sure I would be trying to save for a rainy day. Maybe that's why I don't have $28billion at my disposal?

Posted by Stuart at 7:02 AM | Permalink

It appears the US is surging ahead with enabling their young people to get a better grasp on finances. While many students graduate understanding a great deal of academia required for a tertiary degree, or at least a good job, few leave understanding how to manage their money.

This article by the Daily News Tribune cites a bill endorsed by the Legislature’s joint Education Committee which will see personal finance become part of the curriculum.

This is so timely with credit card debt at its highest levels and more and more young people falling victim to crippling personal debt. I'm hoping that Australia will also stand up to the challenge to educate our kids in personal finance matters.

Posted by Stuart at 6:55 AM | Permalink

It never ceases to amaze me how much my car will cost every time it gets serviced. Why is it that mechanics earn almost the same hourly rate as doctors? I know, that's a little extreme but it seems that their prices escalate with each visit and with each car.

What seems more absurd though is that to have my car serviced at the dealership where I bought it (in order to maintain the warranty) I'm paying nearly a 1/3 more than if I had it maintained down the road at a reputable service centre. Is a warranty worth that much?

Take a look at this report and you'll understand what I mean. Car maintenance is not cheap!

Posted by Stuart at 6:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When an economy's debt problem begins spiralling it makes sense to limit the amount of debt issued. In Taiwan's case many of the credit providers are feeling the pinch due to higher NPL (non-performing loan) ratios which for American Express are more than 3%.

American Express will still support their current clients in Taiwan but will cease issuing new credit cards until the country's bad consumer loan problem improves.

Read the full article.

Posted by Stuart at 6:21 AM | Permalink

If you're an Australian resident and keen to find out more about the ASX (Australian Stock Exchange) then this is the most risk-free way to do it. The game is available to the first 20,000 competitors who register and runs from 23 February 2006 to 15 June 2006.

Each contestant is given a pseudo amount of $50K in which to purchase shares from the top 100 ASX listed companies and their portfolios compete against each other. There are also top prizes up for grabs with the winner claiming a $5000 share portfolio from Westpac Broking.

Posted by Stuart at 6:37 AM | Permalink