Don’t be mortified to bargain. If you view haggling as a discussion of joint intrigues and put fair terms on the table, it will be a win-win for all parties.

Armed with increasingly sophisticated price-tracking implements on their Smartphones and other contrivances, consumers have become gutsy. They know they often have the upper hand over sellers, particularly on astronomically immense-ticket items — and anything you can purchase online.

No need to sweet-talk, smooth-talk or expeditious-talk anyone, just be straight up and ask for the best price, terms and conditions.

There are the customary items we are ecstatic to haggle over price such as cars and authentic estate but here are some less conspicuous ones.

Give it a go, if you don’t ask, you won’t receive.

HOW TO HAGGLE:

Ask: If you don’t ask, you don’t receive.

Be polite: You don’t have to smooth-talk anyone into giving you a good deal. You just have to be polite and ask them for their best price.

Be hysterical: Humor can lighten up the atmosphere and soften the seller’s defenses

If in doubt: You can haggle at any store with sales staff.

Don’t waste their time: Establish yourself as a solemn buyer and salespeople will be more inclined to strike a more preponderant deal.

Do your research: It avails to research prices online to get a conception what different providers are offering.

Speak to the right person: Don’t waste your time endeavoring to bargain with someone who isn’t in a position to avail you. Speak to the manager.

Timing is everything: Ask for discounts when the manager is most likely working and the store is not diligent. For example, haggling on a car or furniture is best done during the week, not weekends. The sales staff is generally least diligent at the commencement or the cessation of the day.

And recollect: None of these techniques will work unless you convince yourself it is okay to negotiate.

Science is the secret ingredient of your in-flight favorite drink. Previous studies have proven that loud noises, such as an engine of an airplane reduces your ability to appreciate the flavorful taste of a drink by up to 30 percent.

Source: Fly Roni

A Bloody Mary could be one of the few drinks that tastes the same regardless if you are flying. Umami has been linked to this effect.

The tastes of sweet, salty, bitter and sour are familiar, but there is a fifth taste that we can perceive with our tongue and it’s called, Umami. Its taste has been described as rounded, rich and savory.

Charles Spence and his fellow authors suggest that it’s all about the fifth taste for the tomato-based drinks to be sought-after during a flight.

Tomatoes are rich in umami and so as Parmesan Cheese and mushrooms. These can be served as umami-rich menu during a flight. Why not?

But don’t forsake water for bloody Mary marathons just yet. The authors say more work is required to corroborate their hypothesis.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Digestive biscuit x 125 g/ about 9 pieces ( Personally, I used Graham crackers)
• Butter x 75 g
• Cream cheese x 300 g
• Icing sugar x 60 g/ 1/2 cup (Can use white sugar for substitute)
• Vanilla extract x 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice x 1/2 teaspoon / about half a lemon
• Double cream x 250 ml
• Blueberry jam (anything that you can grab from the grocery store will do)
• Whisk
• 20 cm cake pan
• Measuring cups/spoons

For the base, I have used Graham crackers (Photos not mine). I added it with brown sugar and butter and blended it to make sure the butter won’t melt in one part of the crushed grahams but to the whole base.

For the Cheese filling, Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.

Lightly whip the double cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate overnight. If possible, add a bit of jello to the mixture.

Once the cheesecake is well chilled, you can then spread the top with Blueberry Jam for the final touch.

You can also do this recipe with Oreo or might as well, invent your own no-bake cheesecake recipe. Next, I will post about how to make a Mango Float dessert. Yes, it’s still a NO BAKE recipe!

Family

Great family suburbs in the East are plentiful, and have good schools, but can come at a price. In the Waverly Council area, Queens Park, Bronte, Tamarama and Clovelly are lovely, as are nearby Randwick, Coogee and a little further out (but more affordable) Maroubra. North Bondi is also family friendly for those looking for a more famous Bondi beach address, but as you’d expect is generally more expensive. Randwick town centre has a shopping mall and is within an easy bus ride (30 minutes) of the CBD. The Spot in Randwick is a lively restaurant and café area, and you’ll be in walking distance of Centennial Park and Coogee beach. Best of all for families, the public schools in Randwick have excellent reputations.

Quieter and less expensive than say Manly and Bondi Beach, Coogee is by the beach and public swimming baths, has access to stunning coastal walks and playgrounds. Buses provide terrific access to the city from the East (around 30 to 40 minutes to the CBD), and trains run from the main hub of Bondi Junction. Bondi Junction features one of Sydney’s largest shopping centres, Westfield, for all shopping needs.

In the Northern suburbs, there are many great schools and suburbs, including Mosman just across the Harbour Bridge and Dee Why and Balgowlah further along on the northern beaches. Manly is a very popular family friendly suburb, busier and more built up however than beach suburbs further along. It does have a convenient location however, with ferry services making it easy to access the CBD. Of course, is you miss the last ferry, a taxi across the Harbour Bridge can be long and expensive. About 10 kilometres north of Manly, Dee Why and similar suburbs are less expensive and less crowded – a lovely leisurely pace of life with the ocean nearby and lots of parks and walks. Of course many consider it a long way from the city centre. Mosman and areas close to the Harbour Bridge like Kirribilli are more suited to those who don’t mind apartment living, with more boutique style shopping than chain stores and upmarket living and cafes to choose from.

For those working in the city, places in the Inner West are hard to beat for proximity (just 15 minutes by train) and affordability. Best of all, Erskineville and Alexandria have a community vibe that’s nice for families, and large green parks and cafes for mums and bubs.

For singles & couples

For singles and couples, being close to the harbour and beach is wonderful, as is being close to the city for work. Bondi Beach and Manly are popular for obvious reasons, but other areas like Balmain, Potts Point and emerging precincts in Rosebery are also popular because of location and lifestyle. Potts Point, Rosebery and Newtown are retro and cosmopolitan cool, where professionals live beside students, gays and straights.

The Inner West suburbs are also really multicultural which makes for a deliciously diverse cuisine scene. On the other hand, bay side suburbs like Balmain are big on pub culture, boutique markets and the leafy outdoors with bike paths and walks around the water.

Closer to the city, Pyrmont is in great proximity to the central business district (a short bus, monorail or walk across Darling Harbour), and has new and older apartments depending on budget and preference. It is ideal for those looking for convenience and who don’t mind spending on rent to save costs and travel time to get into the city for work. In this location, a car is not necessary. This area has a great restaurant scene also, being so close to the heart of the city, so is perfect for entertaining.

Potts Point has similar selling points, but is closer to Wooloomooloo Bay and Kings Cross, so offers ‘elegant excess’ and hip, cool eateries, bars and clubs for those who want to work hard, and play hard, in a central location. Both the eastern suburbs and inner west are accessible by bus and or train, while Manly and Balmain are accessible by bus and ferry (which makes for a more scenic way to return home each day if working in the city). Unless living in the CBD or areas like Kings Cross/Potts Point and Pyrmont, travel time to the areas listed above can vary from 30 minutes to more than an hour in normal circumstances, and longer in peak hour traffic.

When moving to an unfamiliar city it’s always important to get a feel for the different areas. Don’t rush into buying/renting straight away without having a well-informed opinion of the various suburbs, especially if you need to choose schools for children. The last thing you want to have to do is travel across town to battle the school run twice a day! A popular and practical concept being adopted by many people these days is to commit to just a short term stay in a serviced apartment in Sydney. This way you can utilise your time to really play ‘tourist’ and decide for yourself which area has housing which is affordable for your budget, reputable schools, and plentiful facilities. Going about it this way means that you have more chance of making the right decision, saving you time and money in the long run.

The amendment to the Radiation Protection Act will soon enter the consultation round. The reason behind the ban is the increased incidence of cases of malignant melanoma, or skin cancer.
When California faced the same issue advocates presented a report stating UVA rays are as much as 15 times stronger than a midday sun.

“Indoor ultraviolet tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.” Melanoma, of course, is the deadliest type of skin cancer, skincancer.org reports.
In Australia 1200 melanoma deaths occur each year, New South Wales has taken a more drastic approach – in three years, commercial tanning salons will become illegal for everyone.

The amendment presented by left-central government on Friday received 85 votes in favor, 24 votes against and 2 neutrals.

Denmark was the first country in the world to allow gay couples to enter into civil marriage in 1989. They were then given the right to receive church blessings, but Friday’s verdict will give them the right for a complete wedding ceremony in church.

Law declares though, that pastors don’t have the obligation to marry gay people if it’s against their beliefs.

Finland is now left as the only Northern European country where same sex marriage is not allowed. Norway took on the amendment in 2008, Sweden in 2009 and Iceland in 2010.

According to a recent Galaxy poll commissioned by The Sunday Telegraph, 50 per cent of voters surveyed now support laws allowing same-sex couples to marry in Australia.

The study covered about 60,000 respondents, where Gallup asked them about their feelings ‘yesterday.’ More than half of the stay-at-home mums said they feel like they are thriving while about 42 percent say they are striving. 

The percentage increases to 51 percent when a stay-at-home mum’s household income is less than $36,000. 

When one flips the coin, more than 60 percent of employed mums believe they are thriving while only 36 percent said they are struggling. In the same manner, the number increases to 47 percent when an employed mum has an average household income of $36,000. 

In this study, Gallup defined ‘employed’ as a woman who earn a salary and with kids below 18 years old. Stay-at-home mums, meanwhile, were defined as mothers who do not receive a paycheck. 

When asked about their emotions, 41 percent of work from home mums say they worry while only 34 percent of employed mums say the same thing. 50 percent of SAHMS also said they are more likely to experience stress compared to only 48 percent of employed mums. 

The study basically tells that stay-at-home mums with low incomes are likely to be the ones who struggle the most. Because they feel more pressure to manage the family’s money and juggle the demands of motherhood, they are more prone to stress, worry and sadness. 

The question then is raised what kind of support must be given to stay-at-home mums to keep them balanced and enable them to be more effective in managing the household.

Having an online shop is not just an option these days but has become a requirement when designers set out to open shop. Online shops go hand in hand with physical stores and are far reaching.

At the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia that started last April 30, 2012, local designers, David Jones and Myer were joined by buyers of online stores including ASOS, Moda Operandi, and Shopbop. Local designers are joining the bandwagon to take advantage of online consumer marketing.

Moda Operandi, a retailer known to carry luxury brands was seen at the We Are Handsome show, together with My Wardrobe and Shopbop. We Are Handsome specializes in designer swimsuits and swimwear.

Members of Moda Operandi can preorder items as seen from the runway show. According to We Are Handsome co-designer Jeremy Sommers, online stores have now become the biggest stores globally.

The We Are Handsome runway showcased print-heavy designs that boasted animal prints including eagle, lion, zebra and jellyfish-digital designed swimsuits. Other printed designs include city skyline and roses while one-piece suits featured scoop necks and backs.

These eye-catching designs have caught the attention of prominent fashion icons Jessica Biel and Nicki Minaj. My Wardrobe’s Asia-Pacific Region Head, Madeleine Allman only have high praises for We Are Handsome’s newest collection.

Jenny Fuchs of Shopbop found that Australian labels fit her site’s contemporary appeal saying that Australian designers create “effortless and chic, and easy to wear” designs that draw the interest of its members.

In a statement issued by the ATO, the agency said Paul Hogan an agreement has been reached on a ‘without admission’ basis. The agreement also includes lifting the Departure Prohibition Order against Hogan.

Artistic collaborator John Cornell was also involved in the tax disputes. The ATO chased the two for allegedly over $150 million of unpaid taxes and penalties. These covered taxes from as far back as 1980s.

In 2010, the actor was prevented by Australian authorities from leaving the country. That year, ATO was chasing Hogan for over $95 million in back taxes after a report released by ATO auditor Chris Seage.

The ATO also sought the help of the Internal Revenue Service in the United States, where Hogan and his family maintain a home.

Hogan furiously fought the ATO, remarking the agency is making him a scapegoat. He ranted that the ATO is out to crucify him to show the public that they are in power.

Hogan has been acting since 1980. In 1986, he was cast as Crocodile Dundee, a role that earned him a Golden Globe award. He has also dabbled in writing and producing, and has appeared in many British TV advertisements.

In 1985, Hogan received the Australian Award of the Year and also became a member of the Order of Australia.

Pop star Ke$ha has a created a stir online when she tweeted a photo showing herself while urinating in public. She captioned the photo with “Pee pee on the street. PoPo come and get me if you can find me. I blame traffic.”

PoPo is the term she used to describe California police.

She did the deed in a street in California. The public behavior is against California laws. If the singer were arrested, she could have paid a fine of US$270.

The 25-year-old singer has more than three million followers. The photo immediately went viral as followers retweeted it.

The singer received a lot of negative backlash for her tweet with many saying that rude behaviors like that have no place online and should be kept private.

Ke$ha issued a statement, explaining her side. She remarked that people made a big deal of things, adding that urinating is considered animal instinct. She added that she needed to pee but there were paparazzi outside and she was just following her animal instinct.

Ke$ha has made a name for herself in the music business as a singer, songwriter and rapper. She is also known for her trashy manner. Her most popular songs are ‘Tik Tok’ and “We R Who We R.” She won the 2010 Billboard for Top New Artist, Hot 100 Artist, Pop Song Artist, Top New Artist and Canadian’s Hot 100 Artist.

Peta Libby Awards also awarded her with Most Animal Friendly Pop/Hip-Hop Artist this year.