The Notebook (DVD)

Teresa Telenovela - Adapted to screen from the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, The Notebook is one of the best romantic dramas to hit the big screen in decades. Garnering high marks from a wide-range of critics, The Notebook is a funny and emotional film which deals with love, relationships, and the risks people take. James Garner turns in a notable performance as the elder man, Duke, who reads the pages of his notebook to dying nursing home resident Allie (Gena Rowlands). Overall, this is a classic "chick flick" with a dramatic twist. Set in the World War II era, The Notebook is a great film.

Duke (James Garner) regularly reads from the pages of a notebook to an older woman in a nursing home. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease, her memories of the parts which he's read in the past appears and disappears without order, but Duke continues to read to her because of their deep and enduring friendship.

The notebook's story centers around the lives of a teenage boy and girl who meet at a carnival in the late-1930s. At first, Allie Hamilton doesn't know what to think of Noah Calhoun, but she soon gives into his insistence that they go out on a date. When Noah and Allie fall deeply in love, Allie's parents try to break up the couple. The Hamiltons are rich, and Noah and his father are from the poor side of town. Nevertheless, Allie and Noah are determined to be together.

When World War II breaks out, Noah is sent into conflict. He writes numerous letters to his love, but they go unanswered because Allie's parents are hiding the letters as well as her replies to Noah. After several years apart, Allie becomes engaged to successful businessman. But after reading a newspaper article concerning Noah's restoration of a historic home he once promised her, she decides to go visit him.

Allie's visit with Noah turns both their worlds upside down when they learn the truth about the letters. Now, Allie must choose between the fiancée she truly loves and the man who is her real true love.

Actor Ryan Gosling is entertaining and likeable in his portrayal of the young and energetic Noah Calhoun. The Notebook as a film is better served by featuring his superb talents. Likewise, up-and-coming actress Rachel McAdams is brilliant in her role as Allie. The emotions of her young romance are clearly conveyed by a natural and instinctive penchant for delivering her lines in just the right way. Call it onscreen charisma or whatever, but McAdams is one to look out for in the future.

In short, The Notebook is as good a film as it is as a book. Few books translate onto the big screen as well as they read in print, so The Notebook is to be heralded for its ability to do so. Charming and easy to like, the film glorifies the romance of a young couple who find true love - a love that lasts forever. Well-produced and featuring some amazing shots of natural locations, The Notebook ranks as a definite must-see film. Do yourself a favor and go see it today.

Kemontokan Bela Saphira Kalahkan Andi Soraya

Triunfo Del Amor - Bela Saphira yang meskipun usianya tidak muda lagi, namun masih mampu bersaing dengan artis muda, dalam soal kesintalan serta keseksian tubuh yang dimilikinya. Film yang baru dibintangi bersama Andi soraya yang sudah tida cantik lagi serta kurang menarik, tentu saja membuat Bela saphira lebih dikenal dalam film Arisan Brondong yang baru saja rilis kemarin pagi.

Bella Saphira memulai debut layar lebar di film Arisan Brondong. Di film yang juga dibintangi Andi Soraya itu, ada adegan Bella berbikini. Melakoni adegan itu, Bella dibayar ratusan juta rupiah.

"Enggak boleh muna (munafik) juga sih. Yah lumayanlah. Yang pasti ada kesepadananlah antara akting dan bayaran. Kalau dibilang sampai ratusan juta sih amin," kata Bella di acara press screening film Arisan Brondong di FX, Jalan Sudirman, Jakarta, Senin (15/2/2010).

Bagi Bella, honor film baginya bukan yang utama. "Kalau main film cuma buat uang itu namanya melacur. Dulu pernah dapat tawaran di mana ada adegan aku tampil dengan baju yang cetakan dada aku terlihat jelas. Mereka berani kasih honor gede, tapi aku enggak mau," jelasnya.

Mantan bintang iklan sabun mandi itu tak berani sembarang menerima tawaran film. Bella melihat skenario cerita dahulu.

"Kalau aku suka ceritanya, aku mau. Tapi kalau mengharuskan aku tampil yang seksi banget sampai buka-bukaan, jelas aku enggak mau. Kalau dapat tawaran tampil seksi, lihat dulu. Tampil seksi hanya di film saja kali ya," ujarnya.

Bella berkilah tujuannya tampil seksi di film bukan untuk memperlihatkan aurat. "Sebenarnya aku memang enggak mau tampil buka-bukaan. Tujuan aku pakai baju seksi bukan untuk memperlihatkan aurat. Kalau selama ini aku kan enggak sengaja pakai baju seksi," katanya.

Steps in Car Accident Insurance Claims

Car accident is one of the leading causes of personal injury. A few suffer minor injury but almost half of that involved severe injuries, permanent disability and death.

A recent study shows that car accident results thousands of deaths each year. In fact, it is the leading cause of death of people between the age of 6 and 27.

Having been involved in a car accident is a traumatic experience. Aside from the physical pain and suffering, there is emotional distress, loss of income and property damage. All of these constitute financial compensation, which one can recover from the party at fault or from his insurer.

How to determine damages after a car accident

After a car accident, the next thing to do is to ask for compensation for the injury and other damages suffered. With this, the help of a capable car accident insurance lawyer is certainly needed.

The following are the steps to consider in filling your claim.

• Secure a copy of the police report.

• Know what protection your insurance policy will provide.

• Sign a medical release so that a copy of the medical record will be presented to the insurance company.

• Make a claim for physical injuries under medical pay coverage.

• If the other party is at fault, make a claim under the uninsured motorist coverage.

• Secure at least two car repair estimates if your car is totaled.

• Present estimates and allow your car to be photographed.

• Present bills for storage and towing cause.

• Ask your agent to help arrange a temporary substitute vehicle if you have rental reimbursement coverage.

• Notify your agent for any damages discover during the repair.

After filling your claims against the party at fault, you can also file a claim against your insurer. Filling a claim against the latter requires patience and hard work. The following are essential dos and don't that will guide you to facilitate your claim.

Do’s

• Do contact your insurance company immediately after the accident.

• Do take time to read your insurance policy. This will guide you on what kind of claim you are covered.

• Do your best to get details of the accident. You can also take pictures of the damaged vehicle or get the number of the witnesses.

• Do make a note of the insurance detail of other persons involved in the accident.

• Do keep a written account of your conversation with the insurance agent and other people involved in the accident.

• Do keep receipts and bills of all expenses incurred in the accident to be presented to your insurer.

• Do be frank and honest to your insurance collector so that your claim will not be denied.

• Do check if you have other insurance policy that provides coverage for the same accident or injury.

• Do consult a car accident insurance lawyer.

Don’ts

• Do not admit any liability. Just stick on the facts without giving any opinion.

• Do not give anything in writing to your insurance officer especially if you do not understand some part of our claim.

• Do not let any time limit of your insurance claim runs out. Most of insurance company provides a period for filling claim after an injury. Do not disregard the period or else your claim will not be considered valid.

• Do not take everything that your insurance agent tells you especially with regard to your claim. Most insurance companies like to settle claims in an amount smaller than that actually suffered.

• Do not sign anything that is a release or a waiver of anything. If you are ask to sign and you are not sure of it call an attorney.

• Do not take a check as a full and final payment unless you are certain that it is a fair compensation of your claim.

Looking for discounted designer jewellery in the jewellery sale

Camille Grammer - We all love to wear designer jewellery but not all of us can afford the high prices that some of the designer pieces are. There are two things we can do. We can either look around or buy one of the many fakes that are out there or we can search for discounted jewellery. I think that if I wanted a piece of designer jewellery I would want the real thing not a fake so my choice would be to look for a piece of discounted jewellery.

So where would we start to look for a piece of discounted designer jewellery. There are many jewellery sales being held but not all of them are designer jewellery. The first place to look is some of the specialty designer boutiques that sell to the high end. See if they are advertising a jewellery sale and have designer jewellery. These boutiques are probably going to have pieces of discounted jewellery that are unusual and unique. They may have new jewellery designers that are producing beautiful and contemporary pieces of designer jewellery. What a find that would be if you could find a piece of discounted jewellery in one of these jewellery sales.

Another place to look is in the up market stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols. These and many other high end stores have departments that are dedicated to designer jewellery. Take some time to visit these stores and spend time looking around the designer jewellery departments to see if any of them Are having a jewellery sale. Sometimes you can find discounted jewellery that has been reduced by as much as 70%. Looking for designer jewellery in the jewellery sale is the only way that some of us can afford these treasured pieces of designer jewellery.

If you can purchase a pair of designer earrings they will be something that you will have in your jewellery box all your life. When choosing them try to go for a pair that are a classic style rather then high fashion as they will not date and you will want to wear them a life time. They may have been bought in the jewellery sale and be a piece of discounted jewellery but you cannot afford for them to be out of fashion soon.

Bracelets are very high fashion at the moment so try not to be tempted to buy something that will date to quickly. These pieces of designer jewellery are very tempting so if you have found some bracelets in the jewellery sale again go for a classic design and don’t be seduced into buying a piece if discounted jewellery that is going to date quickly. The idea of looking through the jewellery sales is so that you are getting a bargain.

You may also find jewellery sales advertised in glossy magazines and this is a great way of finding discounted jewellery. So good luck in your search for designer jewellery and only buy what you need or it is not a saving.

Import from China

Bikini - First establish who the supplier is! It seems obvious but there are many routes to buying products in China through agents, trading companies, wholesalers and factories or any number of “back door” sources. Agents operate on a commission basis whilst trading companies include costs in the quoted price, most wholesalers and factories do not have export approvals so have to operate through a registered agent or trading company to export to you at all.

In my experience almost every sales person that I have met in China who is not the owner of the business has shown interest in either setting up on his own by “stealing” his employer’s customers and product designs or simply doing his own deals on the side through friends, contacts or family.

On the internet there are many scams and dubious “traders”. But accepting that you are lucky or diligent enough to find a legitimate agent/trading company, you will find that Chinese business ethics are very different. Most Chinese friends and contacts, that I have spoken to on the subject, believe that ”cheating” is the name of the game for people in business.

Negotiating the price is an art form poorly practiced in the West in my view. Certainly in street purchases in China you may well think that you have done well to reduce the price first quoted by 20% or more (often the normal negotiating “add-on” is >50% in street markets) this figure can be very much higher for foreigners. Whilst the situation may be quite a bit different for more formal purchasing the principals are much the same.

But then there are all the “extras” like packing materials, printing and minor changes, inland costs etc which can be used to hike the price back up, or a possibly a worse scenario is the practice of cutting corners on materials and quality to regain the lost margin.

Having a good feel for the all inclusive price from a number of suppliers for the specific product you want gives you the purchasing power to negotiate and buy the right product from your selected supplier at a reasonable price hopefully without any “extras”.

Payment terms are more often than not 30% down payment with the residue on completion of manufacture. But beware the requests for payment in full with a money order through Western Union, these payments are to individuals and generally are not traceable once made. No terms, no security and probably no goods and only bitter experience to be gained !

Are the prices quoted ex-works, FOB, CIF, delivered warehouse – what has been agreed and who pays and at what stage ? Who raises the shipping documents, packing list and commercial invoice and will these documents enable you to clear the goods at the port of destination, assuming the goods exist in the first place never mind whether they are of merchantable quality when they arrive?

Developing long term relationships with a few suppliers who you know well pays dividends. Getting to this point with a new supplier needs extreme caution no matter what their pedigree until a personal relationship has developed but even then be careful. The supplier’s staff may also be offering your products to your customers or competitors at lower prices if they can find out who they are.

Products

Is there a specification? Has this been agreed with your supplier. Do they actually understand the specification ?

What sort of things do you need to specify ? Have you included labelling, marks, packaging including quality of cardboard etc as well as materials or components to be used, type and colours of paints and finishes, instructions in a language suitable for your client. Instructions in Chinese don’t go down too well in Europe. Also consider the tests to be conducted during manufacture and on completion. Do you need CE or RoHS approvals for importing electrical goods into Europe? If wood is contained in the product or the packing are fumigation certificates required ?

Does the supplier own the intellectual property rights of the product ? Don’t believe you can import well known international brands unless you intend to buy them from the brand owner. Gucci, Samsung or Philips or any owner of a well known brand certainly won’t allow a Chinese supplier to sell their branded products at low prices through the back door! China is probably the world’s largest source of fake or pirated goods with well known logos and branding on packaging that are simply copies or worse still just a logo stuck on a similar looking product.

Not only will there be little or no warranties but worse you risk serious legal action and possibly a criminal conviction if you cannot show proof of ownership of the brand name or an agreement exists from the brand owner when you import.

“This is Hertfordshire online” reported that a Tolworth man has been ordered by Kingston Crown Court to sell his flat and car to pay back £55,000. He was jailed for 12 months in March after building up a criminal business by importing fake designer clothes from India and selling them as genuine on eBay.

China exports to countries all over the world and to many third world countries and of course supplies the Chinese domestic market where quality standards of the West are unknown or irrelevant. The factory may be oblivious to relatively strict European Standards if they have never exported before or have not exported to the EU before. So it may not be a matter of cheating you they may simply just not know what is needed to comply with EU import regulations.

Likewise if they have not exported before they may have no idea how to comply with Chinese Export control regulations covering such things as foreign exchange, tax, licensing etc so whilst their intentions may be good the transaction may fail as they are unable to perform their part of the contract. This could mean that they can’t convert the foreign currency at a sensible rate, they misunderstood the costs and procedures for exporting the goods through a Chinese Trading company including transport, customs clearance, documentation, tax and duties etc. These things can slow the transaction by weeks or it may become impossible to perform the contract at the price agreed and the transaction fails. But you have paid your money and either the supplier has it or it is still with a Chinese bank who won’t release it.

As attractive as you may think that buying from China appears, the prospect of selling to the West by inexperienced employees in China sounds just too good to be true ! The end user prices blazoned across the internet by Western retailers are absolutely out of this world to a factory worker who receives probably no more than US$100 or a salesman on US$200 cash a month. The temptation to give exporting a try sounds just too tantalizing, it seems everything to gain and almost nothing to lose !!

Quality

ISO 9000 in my view is about applying common sense to the supply process of specifying and checking that what you order is what you get and is the basis for best practice.

If you don’t specify what you want your expectations are unlikely to be met ….. crystal balls don’t work too well even with the internet to help. Especially so when one party speaks English and the other is battling with Mandarin instead of his local Chinese dialect probably through an interpreter and with a very different technical and cultural background.

Products need to be specified in detail and cover such aspects as packaging and labeling, it then makes sense to get someone to check that what you have specified is understood and produced by the supplier before you release the final payment.

Suppliers in China, like anywhere else, come in many shapes and sizes, from huge State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Joint Ventures (JVs) with Western and/or Asian partners, private companies, Wholly owned Foreign Enterprises (WFEs) and family businesses. It’s not going to benefit you by going to the biggest state owned group of factories in China if you intend to order only a few cartons a month. Likewise the small family business won’t cope, though they may say they will, with 20 or 30 containers a week.

The Chinese Way

I have often been told “ah! but we do it the Chinese way here”

I believe that one of the greatest difficulties for newcomers involved in importing from China is coming to terms with the fact that doing business in China is very different to doing business in the West. The thinking processes, ethics, morals, life experiences, expectations, culture, politics, laws, education, and government involvement in everyday business life is very very different and not at all easy to predict even by long in the tooth, experienced ex-patriates from the West let alone newcomers.

Here is as an insight to some different thinking from my personal experience.

In many factories in South and Eastern China shop floor employees are mostly migrant workers from poor rural areas. They speak their native language and may struggle to communicate with the city dwellers around them. Their living accommodation, food, clothing, recreation and welfare, such that it is, will normally be provided by the employer. The wages paid in cash are usually very low as a result. Workers may only travel home once a year. Normally there is no schooling available for migrant worker’s children in many of the big cities so money is sent home where the family is based.

Consequently the enterprise cost basis is very different to the West and would be considered more like an overhead than a variable cost in Western accounting terms. It is likely that the success of the factory, if of any size at all it will have direct government involvement, and may well be measured by the number of people employed rather than the financial performance.

Several Chinese friends have explained to me that discarding litter in the street provides jobs for those who have to pick it up and I sometimes really wonder if faulty product also creates those extra jobs too! A cynical viewpoint not to be taken too seriously but perhaps provides an inkling of possible different logic, value and thinking patterns.

Branded Products

Many very well known, high quality Branded products are made in China. Some of the largest and most successful manufacturers of Chinese products that are best known in the World are often made by Joint Ventures or Wholly owned Foreign Enterprises.

These products are manufactured to very high standards in factories with professional management and high levels of investment in plant, people and processes. The products are world class and sold and marketed by the Brand owner.

These Branded products are not legitimately available to non-approved importers and if they are offered to you in China they are undoubtedly fake copies or stolen or simply similar product with a famous logo attached. Chinese copyright law exists but has not yet caught up with the thousands upon thousands of companies that copy other’s products either unsolicited for domestic or export consumption or as requested by foreign importers.

Don’t be fooled….. it is illegal to import or sell these products in Europe and a criminal offence with severe sentences and penalties

Summary

Whilst you may have got some very negative vibes from this article that is not my intent. The future for manufacturing is in China. Business is done very successfully here by resourceful, competent very able and very willing business partners that really want to make it happen for you and themselves in the long term and on a reliable and successful basis.

My intent is to add to your awareness of how different things may be, just don’t throw away common sense with your enthusiasm. Others make it happen so can you !

Cell Phone Etiquette

Bikini - In spite of their convenience and necessity, cell phones are now another means whereby we can irritate our fellow man. Theaters, restaurants, trains–even public restrooms–are no longer safe from the possibility of an untimely call. Two weeks ago I even heard someone having a cell conversation in a toilet stall. At that moment I knew that if ever there was a reason for voicemail I had found it.

Somehow cell phone ownership seems to affect common sense. And on a more serious note, poor cell phone etiquette can ruin a career. Are you committing any of the following sins?

Sin 1: Annoying or Cutesy Rings

The cha-cha, the latest pop single, your lover’s voice–I don’t want to hear any of these, and neither does anyone else. Have mercy on the general public when picking a cell phone ring. Your latest Romeo saying, “Ooh, baby, baby” may be funny to your friends, but it’s a credibility wrecker at the office. Believe it or not, that actually happened to a friend of mine. She went to a business meeting and forgot to turn off her ringer. Midway through the meeting, her purse started talking. She had a fancy ring that was a recording of his voice telling her how beautiful she was. Thank goodness he didn’t use her name, so like everyone else, she pretended she didn’t know the source of the mysterious voice.

Sin 2: Holding Court

“We just landed, and I’m waiting to get off the plane.” I must hear that from at least four or five people every time I take a flight. In the midst of all the benign information that follows, what these rude cell phone users don’t say is, “There is a short, homicidal looking woman standing next to me. I can tell that she is getting ready to beat me senseless for talking loudly about nothing on my phone.” People, please: if there is nowhere for the rest of us to go, think about whether you really need to have that conversation.

Sin 3: We Can Hear You

For whatever reason, many people talk at top volume when they are on a cell phone. Microphones are sensitive. The person you are calling can hear you. We don’t need to. Enough said.

Sin 4: Your Help Is Ruining My Conversation

In the last few months, I have seen signs in fast-food restaurants and retail stores that say something to the effect: “We will gladly help you when you are done with your cell phone call.” It doesn’t surprise me. Many times I have watched people talk on phones while in line (see Sin 2) and then not even address or acknowledge the employees whose assistance they need. Simple courtesy will go a long way toward getting you on your way.

Sin 5: Taking a Call When in a Meeting

As the old saying goes, just because something can be done doesn’t mean that it should be done. Whether you have called it yourself or are merely attending at someone’s request, invitation, or order, a scheduled meeting is not the time for cell phone calls. The rings alone are intrusive; answering them is an even worse breach of etiquette. The message received by those at the meeting is that they are less important than the disembodied voice coming through the cell. Unless your intention is to make others feel insignificant (definitely not a cool move if your boss is waiting for you to get off the phone), then don’t answer, turn it off, and get it out of sight.

Sin 6: Are You Talking to Me?

With the invention of hand-free cell phones came the double-edged sword of convenience and mistaken identity. Who among us has not been taken aback by the presence of another human trawling the aisles of Wal-Mart while actively engaged in what, on initial inspection, would seem to be an animated discussion with himself or herself? After giving this person, who is clearly having a psychotic episode, a wide berth, we realize there is actually a streamlined headset attached to the person’s skull yet well hidden underneath a hat. At the risk of being mistaken for a pop singer or air traffic controller who has wandered away from work, leave the headset in the car.

Sin 7: Too Much Information

Discussing anything of a private nature that others within earshot might be able to hear is unwise on a number of counts. Think about it: do you want your coworkers to know the results of your latest lab tests your doctor’s office has just called to share with you? or see your “dark side” when your contractor calls to tell you his work will take two months longer and $2,000 more than he had originally stated? or hear your travel agent has booked you on that cruise to Nassau for the same week you’d requested to have off for surgery you so desperately needed? Unless you want to raise a lot of questions and eyebrows, take calls from those who probably have unpleasant, upsetting, or incriminating information when you have total privacy.

On a very serious note, too much information given over a cell phone while others are in your presence could cost you dearly. A friend recently shared with me his experience of standing behind a woman talking on her cell to a repairman who was coming to her home to do some work while she wasn’t going to be there. By the end of the call, my friend had learned the woman’s name, address, neighborhood (complete with directions on how to get there), and the location of the spare key she had left for the repairman to gain entry to her house. Had he been so inclined, he could have reached the woman’s place before the repairman and cleaned her out—or worse.

Go forth, and sin no more. These tips just might save you your credibility, image, job, belongings—even your life.