Great Prices Here

If, like me you love to read, then e-books are a great idea being supported by people as a green way to read. Simply because this way you decrease the demand for the paper on which books are printed and consequently save trees! Also, with eBooks you don’t have to pay for shipping or wait until the book is shipped to you. It is a good idea, (though I still feel that curling up with an actual book is the best way there is to pass the time) so I wanted to take a dekko at the eBook sites on the internet.

This free eBook site gives you the option of downloading for free, all kinds of eBooks, on subjects as diverse as education, philosophy, fitness, business, fiction and many, many others. I wanted to download and finally read The Doll’s House which was an extremely influential play of its time; it was easy to do, after a relatively painless registration. The fun thing about this site is you can even upload your book on to this site to share with others. You know what they say, there’s a book inside all of us!

This site gives you access not only to books (you can search by title or author) but also gives you access to news and public domain material, features such as celebration of women writers and banned books and more book links.

With the success of eBooks like The Daughters of Freya books by email is a concept that is really catching on. Daily lit is a site that offers to periodically email you books part by part. Classics are usually mailed to you free of charge, while you pay for reading the more current books (The Daughters of Freya is $4.95). You can even gift these books (including the free ones!). Thought this was a great idea.

If, however, you are still convinced that holding a book in your hand and turning the pages is the best way to read, there are of course a lot of sites that offer big discounts on conventional books as well. Book close outs is a site that offers up to 75% discount on books. Swim with the Sharks without being Eaten Alive, for instance is available at a 69% discount. Amazon also has a bargain book section where you can buy bargain books for under $5, $10 and $20 and so on. The All Discount Books site promises to find you the best prices for any book that you want, though this site leans more towards providing access to cheap text books.

I think books can be our best friends, and one of the best habits we can pass on to our children is the habit of reading. What do you think?

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Tags: Best Deals, Entertainment, Environment, Gifts, books by Nicole Price
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If you read my last post then you know that this one is a sequel. I did some of the best adverts or commercials then and now I want to see if I can find some really bad ones!

Straightaway we come to this self-explanatory site which claims to bring you the dumbest ads.

This ad is apparently for toilet paper, why it has a dog and cucumber slices could be anyone’s guess.

“I drove a co worker home. To my place” OK so far, but this is an ad for hair color!

These ones here are actually one line classified ads but really funny:

Lost: Small apricot poodle. Reward. Neutered like one of the family.

Dinner Special: Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00.

For Sale: Antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.

Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home too!

No matter what your topcoat is made of, this miracle spray will make it really repellent.

For Sale: Eight puppies from a German Shepherd and an Alaskan Hussy.

Dog for Sale: Eats anything and is fond of children.

Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it!

Man, honest. Will take anything.

Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first!

Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops.

Auto Repair Service: Try us once — you’ll never go anywhere else again.

Wanted: Preparer of food. Must like the food business, be dependable, and be willing to get hands dirty.

Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating.

And now, the Superstore — unequaled in size, unmatched in variety, unrivaled inconvenience.

Then here is a really dumb one for Old Spice:

And this one for a Mercedes Benz is actually really funny, not dumb at all but does feature a dumb blonde, so here goes:

Check out these super dumb product warnings on this page. You cannot stop reading till you reach the end.

As for the stupidest commercial in recent times, I would have to say it is the Absolut vodka commercial, which shows Texas and California (among other US states) as being part of Mexico. Admittedly this was an ad aimed at Mexicans but it has managed to piss of the Americans to the extent that the advert has been recalled, unconditional apologies issued, etc.

Talk about ‘absolutely’ shooting yourself in the foot! Your views? Let me have them!

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Tags: Advertising, Entertainment, Humor, Wacky by Nicole Price
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One aspect of making money that I have not covered so far is advertising. And advertising is such an important element of selling any product or service. If there were no advertising or commercials no one would have any information about what is available in the market and the buyer and the consumer would both be the poorer for it! Let’s take a look today at some of the best ads that I could find and then maybe next time we can take a look at the worst ones around (no dearth of those I’m sure)!

Personally I have more admiration for print ads or still commercials because they are able to convey their message with just one image, and therefore have to be more creative to create the maximum impact. Video ads on the other hand have more time and can use different mediums to get across their message. I surveyed quite a few sites and picked some that I really liked to share here with you. Please click on the thumbnail to view a larger image.

Here are some that I really liked from this site:

Very unique use for a post-it, remember the name of the person you slept with last night!

This UNICEF ad says “Everyone needs a family” and that slightly expectant look on the child’s face is a little heartrending!

I am not sure that I really like to see teeth in an ear but it is effective in the message it tries to convey, “Hungry for music?”

This site had the following interesting ones:

This one simply says “It’s sugar free”. Really simple and really clever!

This one is for Western Union Money Transfer and you immediately get the message that you can send the money from here to there really easily and only one word is used! Brilliant.

This site had lots of intelligent ones; some of them I didn’t quite get but I really liked these:

This WWF one is meant to convey that 15 square kilometer of rain forest disappears every minute. Poor ole Tarzan, probably caught short mid-yell there!

Olivia Women’s magazine is for women with attitude so this one tells you “heaven is full, no need to be nice”. You know what they say, Good girls go to heaven, and bad girls go everywhere!

I found this site from Digg, and is in a language that I do not recognize much less read, but the pictures speak for themselves:

As a rule I do not like AXE ads (loser being chased by gorgeous women, like some silly wet dream), but this one is almost subtle so I did.

This one draws attention to the great inequality in the world and tells you that you have the chance to redress it somewhat.

As far as I can tell, this one is for some diet food: Sharon Stone with a twist!

Hope you enjoyed these, I know I did!

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Tags: Advertising, Entertainment, Wacky by Nicole Price
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…..And the urge to travel is upon me. If you missed my previous posts about travel, take a look at the best destinations in Europe and read about budget cruises. So if you have decided on where you’re heading maybe I can help you with some travel accessories. We’ll take a look at suitcases, and other stuff you need to carry when on a trip out of town.

Let me start with something that my heart really warmed to: this very smart red 5 piece luggage set from Walmart. The whole set costs $89.88 which I thought was a steal! If you don’t know what you would do with five bags, take a look here at this Staples Trolley bag for just $7.90. On the other hand if you already have some suitable luggage, you should look to getting yourself a folding luggage trolley which is available for $16.99

If like the Japanese you are a good tourist, a camera will be an extension of your arm while you are on holiday, especially if you are sightseeing. I thought this 7 mega pixel Canon Powershot A470 Digital Camera was a super deal for $119 (there is an additional $10 off coupon available). The price includes a free 1 GB memory card too! Another really good deal is this Kodak Easy Share 8 Mega pixel camera for $119.95. And if like me you like to record every little thing that the kids do that is oh-so-amazing then go in for this Digital Video Camera for $199.99

For rest and relaxation while traveling, especially while flying, some of these travel accessories may come in real handy such as a sleep mask ($9), an inflatable travel pillow ($8) or kids pillows, or even an inflatable back rest ($11). For the beach or a poolside holiday you may want some of these accessories such as a waterproof waist pouch, or water-seal for your iPod etc. Take a look here for some great accessories especially for women (including a very innovative bra stash!). Another really handy accessory is this universal charger which charges up to 4 AA size batteries and also - if you leave the batteries in - will power most cell phones, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3s, iPods, CDs, MDs, multimedia players, and Bluetooth devices.

If you are traveling abroad, some countries will need for you to carry plug adapters so remember to find out what is applicable for where you are planning to go.

In my earlier post Dressing Up a Bit I told you about travel sets with bags that you may also find useful to take a look at.

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Tags: Best Deals, Entertainment, travel by Nicole Price
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When I talked about the world’s most powerful women in my last post, I was quite surprised that the likes of Oprah were not among those. It is these women in Showbiz who are rich beyond our own humble imaginations and they are the most visible and talked about in the media and do wield a lot of power, no mistake! In fact it is because of their vast wealth that they do wield such clout.

There seems to be some disagreement among the media as to who is the most powerful woman in showbiz. While the BBC quotes one magazine as putting J K Rowling of Harry Potter fame at number one, the Forbes list puts chat queen and teletherapist Oprah Winfrey at No 1. For sheer popularity and adulation, I would also put Oprah at number one and it seems the numbers agree with me. Her fortune totals a staggering $ 1,500 million. J K Rowling is not far behind with her personal fortune at $1000 million!

Martha Stewart, once CEO of Omnimedia, has led a checkered life which has involved a short jail sentence has an average personal fortune of $638 million. She oversees a media empire that includes a television show, a magazine, books, house-ware and a Satellite Radio channel.

Not surprisingly, pop diva Madonna is fourth on this list, her personal worth estimated at $325 million. While I have personally never been a fan of her music, I have always admired her and the way she has constantly reinvented herself.

Canadian singer Celine Dion is one more woman who possesses both talent and a sound business sense. Her entertainment show at Vegas rakes in the money as do her albums worldwide and her personal fortune is at about $250 million.

Mariah Carey has had an up and down career and I always felt her music belies her massive talent. Her talent is impressive, but she insists on making these unremarkable and unmemorable pop songs, but that’s just me, her personal fortune says otherwise. People obviously love her music because she is the sixth most powerful woman in showbiz and is worth $225 Million!

MJ’s younger sister may not be as famous as her much maligned elder brother, but she has done fairly well for herself with her personal fortune worth $150 million. 50 million records sold worldwide and a successful touring schedule as assured her success.

Next on the list is the beauteous Julia Roberts. She is the highest paid (over $20 million per movie) and one of the longest reigning female stars of Hollywood. In fact she got paid $25 million for her role in Monalisa Smiles. Her net worth is estimated at $140 million.

Well known for insuring her butt for an exorbitant sum, the versatile Jennifer Lopez is a lot of things. Singer, actress and performer, she is also a very sound businesswoman with a perfume line, clothing line, a restaurant and a reality show on TV as well. She is worth a very substantial $110 million.

At number 10 with a net worth of $110 Jennifer Anniston is not someone to feel sorry for, but I have nevertheless had sympathy for her because of the raw deal she got from her husband of several years Brad Pitt. And just for the record, Friends is my all time fav sitcom; I still watch reruns!

The Olsen twins occupy the number 11 spot and after that is the rudderless Britney Spears. Judith “Judge Judy” Sheindlin is next at number 13 followed by Sandra Bullock. At number 15 is Cameron Diaz and super model best known as the Victoria’s Secret model Gisele Bundchen is at no. 16. Chat host Ellen Degeneres is at no 17 followed by Nicole Kidman at no 18. Christina Aguileria is at number 19 and Renee Zellweger is at No. 20 with the personal fortune of $45 million.

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Tags: Entertainment, Rich List by Nicole Price
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Yes, yes, but I can buy myself some ultra cool Beatles stuff! Read on if you are a Beatles buff, and especially if you are not and Beatle-mania left you unscathed. (I am a huge Beatles fan and think that they (sorry Elvis) were the greatest rock band ever!)

I was actually looking up some lyrics when I came across giftapolis.com. This site has a huge collection of all kinds of Beatles merchandise: T-shirts, coasters, mugs, posters, wall clocks, bags, boxes, photo frames, and all kinds of really neat stuff, which I wanted all at once! My favorites were the Yellow Submarine wall clock at $24.95, Beatles Salt & Pepper Shaker Set Drums Style at $14.95, a yellow tote bag and notecard set in a matching box at $14.95. This is just a small sample of all the goodies that they stock.

Rockmerch is another site that has a lot of Beatles stuff: buttons, posters, patches, lanyards, stickers, key chains is also a must visit. I thought the Zip up hooded fleece was great at $26.95 especially since it has the Beatles logo in the front and the Let it Be artwork at the back. I also like the 62×21 door poster at $12.95.

Cartoonstock is a site that has giftable cartoons of the fab four and is worth the visit if not to buy, at least to take a look and a have a good laugh at the cartoons on display.

Wicked cool stuff is a site that has a lot of great gift ideas but is a bit thin in the Beatles department. Yet, there is this nice coffee mug, at $ 11.95 (available at giftapolis for the same price). An 18″ talking John figure at $44.95 was not that appealing to me (but don’t mind me, I am principally a Paul fan). I also liked the fab four cookie jar at $48.97

A very interesting site for Beatles collectibles is this one but quite frankly I would not describe any of the featured merchandise as a bargain. I mean Ringo bubble bath for a whopping 150 pounds (not dollars) and Paul bubble bath for 120 (and why is Ringo more expensive than Paul anyway!) is way too steep for me. They have several really fascinating ideas, but not bargains so let’s move on.

The guys at Beatle bay take their memorabilia buying and selling very seriously. We are talking original stuff here: autographs, posters, albums, original merchandise etc. They are also very happy to buy Beatles stuff off you.

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Tags: Best Deals, Entertainment, Gifts by Nicole Price
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I take up where I left off in my last post, and continue talking TVs.

Fact is, even the cheapest of these very nice TV sets aren’t really cheap, so we should take a long look at the common or garden variety of tube TVs (or analog or standard), the ones that have served us so faithfully over the past many decades. Their fancier cousins notwithstanding, these TVs are not going away any time soon. But deals on this variety of TVs were not so easy to find!

The chief drawbacks for this kind of TV are their bulky size, considerable weight and obviously the limiting factor of the screen size. The screen size cannot match its Plasma and LCD counterparts and the bigger screen sizes can make this kind of TV take up a lot of space and can weigh 200 pounds! In spite of the drawbacks however, the good old tube TVs are still very popular and people who go to a TV showroom come away with a tube TV simply because of the cost factor.

So you can get this Philips set for the very reasonable price of $169

or this 27” Toshiba for $300

Since a lot of manufactures such as Samsung are continuing to better the technology of the analog TV, there is the slim fit tube technology available that is less bulky and most space effective. You can get this very good looking Samsung set for $349.

Another really little bargain that I came across was this really cute pink 13” TV for a mere $70 which I thought was a great gift for a little girl!

Oh! And what of HDTV (high definition TV), a term that is so often bandied about? Is that one more kind of television to confuse me? It isn’t so much a kind of TV; it is what goes along with your TV. To put it quite simply, it is the sort of service you opt for where you watch TV, so your TV is either compatible with the high definition technology or is not. There are some good deals out there which combine the TV and HD service package, so happy viewing.

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Tags: Best Deals, Electronics, Entertainment, Gifts by Nicole Price
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Let’s take a look today at televisions, only TVs are no longer just TVs. Time was you wanted to buy a TV, you decided which brand you liked best, perhaps the color and screen size and your budget; it wasn’t difficult. These days it can be positively nerve racking! They’re flat, they’re LCD, they’re Plasma, they’re High Definition, enough to befuddle my not-very-tech-savvy self! Poor us, spoilt for choice! If you thought settling on a DVD player was complicated, here’s some more complication for you:

It wasn’t enough to give us flat screen TVs, they had to improve technology to the extent that you can put your TV up on the wall so that it takes up only as much space as a painting or something! So the question I asked myself is which is better to buy, a Plasma TV or an LCD TV. On the face of it I couldn’t see any difference but research revealed that they are both based on completely different technologies. After reading a lot of different articles here and here, (just in case you are interested), I came to the conclusion that it has to be the consumer’s personal choice: both have their own pros and cons, and if you cut out the mumbo jumbo, it is twelve of one and a dozen of another!

I put them side by side (that is an LCD on the left and a Plasma TV on the right) but for the life of me I cannot tell the difference, they are both really pretty, I grant you that!

So here are some good offers for LCD TVs that I came across, all of them under $1000. These are for recognized and well known brands that consumers have rated and given a ‘thumbs up’ to. The JVC 37” mentioned here and available at Vanns.com costs exactly one grand and includes free shipping. The 32” Samsung is highly recommended here and costs upward of $679.95. The 37” Sharp mentioned here and available at Office Depot costs $800.

Among the Plasma TV range, the 42”LG plasma costs $889 if you don’t want it shipped + a hundred more if you do.

The 42” Philips plasma TV costs $900 + $100 shipping.

To be sure there are cheaper sets available, in the smaller screen segment which you may also want to check out. The offers I have told you about may vary from day to day.

Now we come to the good old standard or analog TV, which I am afraid will have to wait till my next post, because I have already rambled on long enough in this one, and your poor head is probably spinning as much as mine!

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Tags: Best Deals, Electronics, Entertainment by Nicole Price
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As promised, this is one more in our Valentine day series. If we got some good deals on DVDs, we now need a player on which to play them, don’t we? So today let’s take a look at all the permutations and combinations available in the DVD player segment. Later we can do HD and LCD TVs and also take a look at Home Theatre systems.

Without revealing my age, I must tell you that I am of the generation that is rather conversant with the VCR (the Video Cassette Recorder, duh!). So when I looked to replacing the almost obsolete VCR, I thought to myself I still want to be able to tape TV programs so I don’t miss anything and be able to play DVDs as well. Apparently a lot of people thought like me and there is a plethora of DVD players available in the market, there are even DVD/VCR combination players available! Then there are DVD recorders with which you can copy DVDs and DVD recorders with hard drives, which you can use for ‘taping’ TV programs. Confused? I was too, still am a little confused, truth be told! It took me a lot of time to sift through all the ‘DVD deals’ on the internet, and here is what I came up with:

Let us first take a look at the simple DVD player: connect to TV, insert DVD, press play, watch movie. You can get a Philips DVD player here for as little as $36.99!

[Read more →]

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Tags: Best Deals, Electronics, Entertainment by Nicole Price
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Let’s call this a sort of Valentine Day series… We plan to continue our celebrations over the weekend. The day before I told you about some great deals on out sized bean bags. Today I’ll try and see how to get great deals on DVDs.

I was thinking Roman Holiday, because it is a lovely bitter-sweet romance with the adorable Audrey (Hepburn) and the gorgeous Gregory (Peck)

May not be the first choice of my significant other, but he will have to lump it (after all we’re not getting togged up to go clubbing out of deference to him) and like it! I am willing to go as far as Casablanca or Gone with the wind but that is it!

So returning to the quest for bargain DVDs, on my perambulations across the net, I came across this very useful site Cheapest DVD Price. What this site does is this: when you type in the title of the DVD you want, it will do a search and give you a list of all the different editions of the film: Collectors’ edition, twin DVD pack, with or without bonus CD etc. You pick the edition you want and click the button that says ‘find the cheapest price’. What it then does it gives you a list of all the different places that you can buy the DVD and their discounted prices. It tells you not only the offer prices at sites like half.com, amazon, A1Books and Overstock but also gives you the respective shipping rates, and coupon information (in any). When you select the one you’re interested in, it takes you to the very page on the site in question. Real simple!

Oh! and since I love, love, love books (reading and gifting) I have to tell you that this site offers you similar services for books, this one for CDs and this one for textbooks as well. You can browse the textbook site by subject as well.

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Tags: Best Deals, Celebrations, Entertainment, General by Nicole Price
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