Use Blogger At Your Own Risks! Now I Learned My Lesson!

Hi Guys,

My blog has been down for a few weeks.

I would like to share what happened...

I was using ftp for my blog all these while, and the restrictions for using ftp is, I will not be able to use widgets, the new blogger theme and all those stuffs unless I made changes directly to the html codes.. which I have been doing...

But few weeks back I decided I would like to switch my blog from ftp to custom domain so that I can fully utilize the features available. That was when the nightmare begins...

To use custom domain, I need to change the cname of my domain to point to google, which I did after getting my host support to do it (I am using hostgator and I cannot change myself)

But when I tried to switch over to custom domain, it gave the error message "Another blog is already hosted at this address". Initially I thought I did something wrong with the cname, but after checking with the blogger forum, I realised this is a very famous BUG of blogger.

I tried all the workaround given in the forum but all not working.. so I decided to send a support ticket to Blogger.. guessed what.. I cannot find the link to send in any ticket! After spending almost half an hour, finally from a forum post I found the link (YES, I found the link through a forum post) and understand from them that Google makes it extremely hard for users to send them support tickets, because they do not want to do the support!

At least I found the link, and after going through a series of questions and clicking, where certain clicks leads you to dead ends (Yes, it tells you to go to their support help group, etc.. so you cannot send them emails!) finally i got to send them an email. Things should be settled now that Google finally got to know about the bug right? WRONG!!

Imagine how disgusted I feel when I received their autorespond email that actually says, they will not reply my ticket unless they have questions to ask me! If I have problems, go to their blogger help group (their forum) to get help!! And they kept to their words, I have tried sending 2 tickets over 2 weeks, and until today they never reply and they never do anything.

So I was left with no choice but to go to the forum and posted my problem and asked for help on the bug. Well 5 days after my first post, finally 1 employee decided he is too bored playing with his online game and decided to reply my post (which means since my domain cname is already redirected, my blog was already down for 5 days.. I cannot change back the cname, or else the employee will simply tells me that I did not change my cname and i will be wasting more time)

Guess what that fellow said? He said he has solved all the problems regarding the famous "Another blog..." bug, and asks me to give him my domain url if it still doesn't work.. And it still doesn't work, and I have already written my domain url in my previous posts.. So no choice, I replied with my domain and asks him to help look into it again.. of coz until today (about 3 weeks) he never reply again...

I waited for 1 week plus (by then my blog was already down for over 2 weeks) ... sending 2 support tickets and many forum posts, without getting any help from Google.. and enough is enough.. I asked my host to remove the cname to Google and I revert back to ftp to write this post (temporary).. I have decided to switch all my blogs to Wordpress .. Blogger is free doesn't mean we should be treated like dirt..

This is the first time I experience the notorious Customer Support of Google.. or the Non-Existence support they provide.. And when I was seeking help in the forum, I realised there are thousands of posts unanswered that dated back months and years..

And a big WARNING to all who intends to purchase domain name through Blogger for the custom domain.. if you read through all the posts, there are a lot of users who paid Google the $10, and received the famous bug, and for months the problems are not solved. Which means they paid $10 for 12 months usage of the domain, and many ended up many months not able to use at all.. and the advices from the forum are.. keep sending Google support tickets, ONE DAY they will see your ticket and respond!!! And that may be months later...


Okay.. I am going to leave this post here until i finished my other wordpress blog, then I will figure how to switch over to wordpress.. but since i am using ftp.. most likely I will lost all my previous posts.. but perhaps it is a good thing.. I will repost everything 1 by 1, do a review at the same time.. until then... be careful of Blogger from Google!


Dreams unleashed,

Albert Lee
Pursue Your Dreams

GOAL33 - The Subject That Isn't Taught At School

Have received this email from Bob Proctor. He has developed a program for young people age 10-19 where they can learn goals achieving skills and improving areas of their life.

Instead of selling it as orginally planned, Bob has decided to Pay It Forward and give it away Free! Please spread the words and let more young people benefits from this good gesture!

Cheers!

I have a VERY BIG announcement to share with you - and your teenagers - today.

Many of you have been asking me for years to offer a program especially designed for our youth - a program that will teach this powerful information in a way that they will enjoy - the information they don't learn in school but which will make all the difference in their results!

I've been working with a couple of very special people, Renate van Dijken and Joost Oolders. They have spent years doing research and developing an online, interactive coaching program especially designed for teenagers. We have collaborated and created a phenomenal product - GOAL33.

Originally, it was going to be offered on a paid subscription basis for $24.95/month. But then, just recently, my grandson, Danny Proctor, was interviewed by the Toronto Star and in the very last line of that article, Michel Ferrari, an associate professor at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education said, "If this program is designed well and used well, it could be helpful. Though, in an ideal world, you wouldn't have to pay for it."

Well, that struck a chord in me. You see, my purpose in launching this program is to literally change the results of millions of teenagers globally. So I've decided to give GOAL33 away for free! We want every teenager to freely enjoy the benefits.

GOAL33 is appropriate for young people ages 10 - 19 years of age. It provides coaching on goal achieving and improving the quality of their life and delivers it in a format they appreciate and are familiar using - in a safe online environment with coaching videos, mp3 files and interactive coaching tools.

This is our gift to you and your teens. Go to: http://www.goal33.com/ now and subscribe your teenager in this program right away so he or she can begin seeing immediate results, higher marks in school, well-defined career choices, better results in sports, improved relationships with their family and in their social life - GOAL33 leads the way.

I'm excited about what's gone into this program and I'm sure you will be too.

Don't delay - subscribe your teenager now at: http://www.goal33.com/

Sincerely,

Bob Proctor

PS. If you don't have teens but know of someone who does and could benefit from this, please feel free to forward this message to them.

Dreams unleashed,

Albert Lee
Pursue Your Dreams

Get Unplugged!

This is the March etips from Goals-2-Go from Vic Johnson. Like this article, because this is what I am doing right now. I am starting a new routine to jog every week, and to play my basketball games twice a week.

I feel great after a workout, and love the feeling of having a fresh and clearer mind! So get unplugged and go for a walk ya!

Cheers! :D

Critical factors in goal achievement are your physical health and mental well-being.

The seasons are changing. For some of us winter is almost over and we are seeing early signs of spring. While on the other side of the world you may be enjoying summer and heading into fall.

We spend so much of our lives indoor, in front of our computers, in our homes and offices. LOTS of air conditioning! It is time for some OUTSIDE conditioning. Yes, it does take effort to get up earlier, or plan a to eat lunch in the park, or take your walking or jogging attire with you so that you can get on the hike and bike trail. Yes, effort. But isn't that what you have been doing with Goals 2008?

Change your scenery. Getting outdoors allows you to clean out those cobwebs in your mind. It gives you fresh air and sunshine (which translates to Vitamin D in your body). It's an incentive to MOVE. It gives you a different physical space, scents, sights and sounds on this journey.

The RESULTS: an increase in energy, creativity, health, and optimism.

"Walking is man's best medicine." - Hippocrates

Do something different. Change your routine. Get Unplugged ... from your phone, from your computer, from your wireless device!

• Go for a walk, a jog, a run or go biking.
• Take your dog with you. Take your children with you. They will LOVE it.
• Do you drive everywhere? Trying walking ... with your children to the bus stop, with your significant other, for a meeting with your co-workers.
• Be a fan! Attend a sporting event.
• Are you a player? Join a baseball, softball, tennis or volleyball team.
• Do you have a laptop? Take it outside and work ... work at your favorite coffeehouse or café.
• Take your Goals 2008 Action Planner outside!
• Do something you have thought about doing ... like a 5K walk or run, a triathlon, okay a marathon! It may benefit a charity too
• Bring the outside in...OPEN your windows!

Get moving! Buy a pedometer. Double your steps each day until you reach your new goal of 10,000 steps per day. You will be a healthier you!

You will be surprised at what you discover. Physical health and mental well-being are not 'extras' - they are fundamental building blocks that keep you at your peak so you can achieve all your dreams!


You are what you believe. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!


Lisa Leguenec Johnson
http://www.goals-2-go.com/

Dreams unleashed,

Albert Lee
Pursue Your Dreams

Where Do I Begin? - Love Story

Received this beautiful story from Facebook - "Sweet Video of the Week" and would love to share it with all of you :)

Told as a flashback, this is an uncomplicated love story between two star-crossed lovers-students, Harvard pre-law hockey player Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal) and Radcliffe music student Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw). Oliver narrates the opening line of the film, looking back:

What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach, the Beatles, and me?

The film's two most touching and remembered scenes are their prolonged kissing scene and the montage of the couple tossing snowballs at each other. After meeting many obstacles and making sacrifices, she is diagnosed as terminally ill when she is tested for pregnancy, and dies in his arms at the hospital in a tear-inducing closing. he makes a last request of him: "You, after all - you're going to be a merry widower." "I won't be merry," he responds. She replies: "Yes, you will be. I want you to be merry. You'll be merry, okay?"

In the final scene, Oliver quotes his late wife, when speaking to his father about their past misunderstandings. After his father tells him he's sorry that she has died, Oliver responds in the last memorable line of the film, quoting an earlier remark of Jenny's:

Love means never having to say you're sorry.

Dreams unleashed,

Albert Lee
Pursue Your Dreams

The Perspective Song

Another inspiring story to teach us to look at things in another way. I like this story because I often tell myself to look at things another way, but many times I am emotionally and mentally so affected that I refused to do so! Yes, I wanted to get angry about it!

Wouldn't it be nice to have more friends like the truck driver in our life? :D

The Perspective Song

One day, not long ago, I decided to re-send the attitude-changing philosophy in "A Course in Miracles." Three years before, in its simple to follow lesson-a-day, the Course had helped me cultivate new levels of inner peace. I figured I could use more of the same. Within the first few weeks, I came upon a lesson that showed me I'd figured well.

The lesson was: "There is another way of looking at this." The idea is to apply the lesson as often as possible throughout the day, to whatever situation is before you.

Okay, I thought. Simple enough. I'll go apply "There is another way of looking at this," to my day. No problem.

The trouble with this was that every situation I faced that day was challenging. And there was not another darn way to look at things. Thank you very much.

From a crashed computer to people not being available on the phone, to running out of shampoo in the middle of a shower, my day was filled with frustrations. It held little, if any, opportunity for me to look at things anew. And no New Age self-help affirmation was going to convince me otherwise!

So I pulled on my panty hose, zipped up my dress, dried my un-shampooed wet hair, and left for an appointment that was only 20 minutes away. Or so I thought.

Okay, the traffic is always crazy at the end of a workday. But I did not expect a bumper-to-bumper gridlock in the middle of the afternoon. Sitting there in my car, I did my best to repeat the day's lesson to myself, hoping that I could find "another way of looking at this" freeway parking lot.

After an eternity, I decided there was no way out and that I'd be better off letting go of my plans and forgetting about making the appointment on time. One cell phone call later, assuring my colleague that I'd meet her the following day instead, I sat back in the car to wait things out.

As I did, something caught my attention at the side of the road. Pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway was an old, yellow, Ford pickup truck. It was lopsided. When I looked closer, I could see that the front tire was as flat as the plains of Texas. Since I wasn't moving anywhere, I had plenty of time to stare.

The driver of the truck was sitting on the rusted and beat up tailgate. He was a young man with a ponytail, wore well-splattered painter's pants and a matching, torn t-shirt. While waiting for a tow truck, or perhaps some divine intervention, he had pulled out his guitar and looked to be moving his mouth as if in song.

I rolled down my window. He was singing at the top of his lungs. My mouth hung open as I saw the peace on his face.

He'd found "another way of looking at this." His music made me smile. His attitude cleared the traffic jam in my head.

I think he understood the lesson for the day. And finally, so did I.

Erica Ross-Krieger

For more than 20 years, Erica Ross-Krieger has inspired people throughout the world to come to life more fully. She is an author, a successful entrepreneur and founder of several businesses. In her work and her writing, Erica teaches her clients and readers how to cultivate the attitudes that will lead them to live more joyful and meaningful lives. Visit her website at: www.EricaRossKrieger.com

The Rose by Jim Rohn

Today I celebrated my 1st Valentines Day with Vivian as my girlfriend. I gave her a little pleasant surprise, and I'm glad that she is very happy =D

Its been a while since I have shared a story from Jim Rohn, and today's story is very nice for Valentines Day. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do, and I take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Valentines Day :)

Cheers!

The Rose by Jim Rohn

(This is our special Jim Rohn "Valentines Day" article... A favorite and often requested article by our readers, Jim talks about living life with flair and creating a unique lifestyle. Let's join Jim as he reminds us to put some life and uniqueness into our living...)

Lifestyle is style over amount. And style is an art - the art of living. You can't buy style with money. You can't buy good taste with money. You can only buy more with money. Lifestyle is culture - the appreciation of good music, dance, art, sculpture, literature, plays and the art of living well. It's a taste for the fine, the unique, the beautiful.

Lifestyle also means rewarding excellence wherever you find it by not taking the small things of life for granted. With Valentine's Day approaching I wanted to illustrate this with a personal anecdote:

Many years ago my lady friend and I were on a trip to Carmel, California for some shopping and exploring. On the way we stopped at a service station. As soon as we parked our car in front of the pumps, a young man, about eighteen or nineteen, came bouncing out to the car and with a big smile said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes," I answered. "A full tank of gas, please." I wasn't prepared for what followed. In this day and age of self-service and deteriorating customer treatment, this young man checked every tire, washed every window - even the sunroof - singing and whistling the whole time. We couldn't believe both the quality of service and his upbeat attitude about his work.

When he brought the bill I said to the young man, "Hey, you really have taken good care of us. I appreciate it." He replied, "I really enjoy working. It's fun for me and I get to meet nice people like you."

This kid was really something!

I said, "We're on our way to Carmel and we want to get some milkshakes. Can you tell us where we can find the nearest Baskin-Robbins?"

"Baskin-Robbins is just a few blocks away," he said as he gave us exact directions. Then he added, "Don't park out front - park around to the side so your car won't get sideswiped."

What a kid!

As we got to the ice cream store we ordered milkshakes, except that instead of two, we ordered three. Then we drove back to the station. Our young friend dashed out to greet us. "Hey, I see you got your milkshakes."

"Yes, and this one is for you!"

His mouth fell open. "For me?"

"Sure. With all the fantastic service you gave us, I couldn't leave you out of the milkshake deal."

"Wow!" was his astonished reply.

As we drove off I could see him in my rear-view mirror just standing there, grinning from ear to ear.

Now, what did this little act of generosity cost me? Only about two dollars - you see, it's not the money, it's the style.

Well, I must have been feeling especially creative that day, so on our arrival in Carmel I drove directly to a flower shop. As we walked inside I said to the florist, "I need a long-stemmed rose for my lady to carry while we go shopping in Carmel."

The florist, a rather unromantic type, replied, "We sell them by the dozen."

"I don't need a dozen," I said, "just one."

"Well," he replied haughtily, "it will cost you two dollars."

"Wonderful," I exclaimed. "There's nothing worse than a cheap rose."

Selecting the rose with some deliberation, I handed it to my friend. She was so impressed! And the cost? Two dollars. Just two dollars. A bit later she looked up and said, "Jim, I must be the only woman in Carmel today carrying a rose." And I believe she probably was.

Can you imagine the opportunity to create magic with those around you, and all for the cost of a few dollars, some imagination and care. Remember, it is not the amount that matters but the thought and care that often has the greatest impact upon those you love.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Dreams unleashed,

Albert Lee
Pursue Your Dreams

Running Your Own Race

Today I like to share a story from Jill Koenig. I fully agreed with "Running Your Own Race". Many times, I compared myself with others, how much they earn, what they have achieved, and how lucky they always seem to be and felt demoralized!

Often, I forgot that we are competing with different goals, some times even different races!

Do not get discouraged when others are doing better, what's more important is, did we achieve the goal we set for ourselves? What others have achieved is what we can aim for, but for now, focus on our immediate achievable goal!

Running Your Own Race

Think back to a time in your life when you tried something new.

When I was a teenager I volunteered to work the water station at a 10k race. It was called the "Heaven Can Wait" 10k run and ironically, it was sponsored by the local cemetery.

My job was to pass out water to the runners. I remember being so excited to see all the different kinds of people who passed by and grabbed a cup of water. Some ran
past, some walked past and a few wheeled past. I saw so many types of people
doing it, I thought maybe I can do it too!

So the next year I signed up for the race and gave it a shot. Back then I didn't do much to prepare except jog around my neighborhood. I never tracked how far I jogged, or timed myself, I just ran around. I had no time goals for the race, no specialized training, no game plan, nothing. Needless to say that I prepare differently when I run races today, but back then my only goal was to finish.

On the day of the race, it was incredibly hot and humid. I remember struggling at about the 5th mile, thinking, "I must be crazy, why did I do this? What was I thinking? And at one point, I said, "I am never doing this again!"

Have you ever felt that way about something? You eagerly undertake a goal and in the midst of it comes a moment of struggle, and you realize it is much harder than you imagined it would be?

That first 10k race was quite an experience. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked. At times, I didn't know if I could finish. Then came a defining moment.

At one point near the end, a 70 year old man ran past me, very very fast, and I felt embarrassed that I was 50+ years younger than he and I couldn't even keep up with him. I felt defeated for a second. But then I realized something. He was running his race and I was running mine.

He had different capacities, experience, training and goals for himself. I had
mine. Remember my goal was merely to finish.

How often in life do we compare ourselves to others and feel disappointed in ourselves when we really shouldn't? After a minute, it hit me that this was a lesson I could draw from. I learned something about myself in that moment. I turned my embarrassment into inspiration.

I decided that I would not give up on running races, in fact, I would run even more races and I would learn how to train and prepare properly and one day I would be one of those 70 year olds who was still running. As I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my accomplishment.

I am so glad I didn't give up on running. Today it is an incredible source of joy in my
life. I have run several races since then, 5ks, 10ks and I run purely for fun. I
have studied running books, made friendships with other runners and I can report
that I love it now more than ever.

In life we all have those moments where we compare ourselves to others. It's only natural. Don't allow those moments to disempower you. Turn them into motivation and let them inspire you. Use them to show you what is possible. Every struggle is rich with opportunity. You define your own race when you define your own goals.

With the proper preparation, coaching and conditioning, you can improve your results to achieve anything you want in life.

The impact of fitness and nutrition on my life has been remarkable. I can do things now that I could not even do in my 20's all because of coaching, proper nutrition and conditioning.

You decide your race and you decide your own pace. Rarely in life will your destiny
be determined by one little race.

"Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable." - Coach John Wooden

Life is a series of races. There are lessons in every race. There are life lessons to be learned every single day. If you don't win the race, but you get the lesson, and grow,
you are truly a success.

Live Your Dreams.

Jill Koenig

Jill Koenig, the "Goal Guru" is one of America's Top Goal Strategist's. A best selling Author, Coach and Motivational Speaker, she is an expert on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and Business Success. Her Goal in life is to help you unleash your untapped potential. Visit her website at: www.GoalGuru.com

Dreams unleashed,

Albert Lee
Pursue Your Dreams