How to Make Instant Noodles A Healthy Food

Instant Noodles Are Very Unhealthy 

Instant doodles, instant ramen, cup noodles – these are all very unhealthy foods. Manufacturers deep fry them in bad oil (like palm oil) and that’s where all the bad fats (trans fat, saturated fat) come from. Then, these noodles have to be wax coated (the same material they use in Styrofoam containers) so they don’t stick to each other when cooking. And don’t forget about the seasoning or small flavour packets that come with instant noodles. These powders are full of bad stuff such as salt, MSG, fat, and who knows what else!

However, after packing instant noodles with all these bad things, I realise that you may need to eat it once in a while – and that’s OK as long as you are not eating instant noodles frequently. Even if you eat instant noodles once in a while, you can do a few simple things to make it a healthy meal better than just eating only noodles.

Steps to Make a Healthy Bowl of Instant Noodles 

1. Gather some vegetables and cut them in small pieces. 
2. Here are some veggie suggestions. Pick all or some from these based on what you like: Broccoli, Celery, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, little bit of garlic, and any other vegetables you may like. 
3. Boil the required amount of water and add a teaspoon of olive oil. 
4. Throw in your vegetables. 
5. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes. 
6. Throw in noodles. 
7. Cut down on seasoning or flavour packets by adding only half amount. 
8. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes. 
9. You are done.

When it comes to eating, you have the option to make it a healthy one or a junk one. Be careful and selective on what you eat and live a happier and a longer life.

More ATM Tips To Protect Yourself From ATM Scams

How To Protect Yourself From ATM Scams

Ever since I wrote Beware of No Name ATMs, this article has become very popular and I have been contemplating writing on this subject more. Today, I will discuss some more tips you can use to protect yourself from con artists – whether you are in a low-crime country like Canada or travelling in a high-crime foreign country.

Be Always on Alert

While using an ATM machine, always use extra caution and be on alert. If someone bumps into you or tries to talk to you while you are in the middle of a transaction, you need to be careful. Scammers use various techniques to distract you and get away with your bank card – which might be still inside the ATM machine. Let’s look at these scenarios:

Scenario One – Someone Bumps Into You: Con Artist 1 bumps into you and leaves the spot right away. Con Artist 2 appears on the scene and tells you that Con Artist 1 got away with your bank card. Naturally, you will panic and try to pursue Con Artist 1 to recover your card. This is exactly what the Con Artists are hoping for. Your card is still in the machine and once you start chasing Con Artist 1, Con Artist 2 will withdraw all your money easily as you already inputted your password on the machine.

In the above situation, you should remain calm and take out your card from the machine first before chasing anyone. Whenever someone tries to distract you, make sure you have your bank card first before doing anything else.

Scenario Two – Your Card Gets Stuck Inside The ATM: If your card get stuck inside an ATM and a stranger walks up to help you, be very careful. This Con Artist may have tampered with the ATM to make your card get stuck and watched you with a video camera to get your pin. Once you leave the spot to make a phone call to your bank, the Con Artist will withdraw your money as the card is still inside the machine and your password is known to him/her.

Con Artists can play the same game a little differently. Once your card is trapped, a nice person shows up and tries to help you recover your card. He may even give you a few tips to get your card out while entering your PIN. Once you can’t get it out and leave the scene, he will withdraw your money as he has already seen you entering your password.

In a situation like the one above, never accept help from any strangers. Before using any ATM, always make sure the machine is not tampered with in any way. Look for any residue in the card slot, any unusual signs asking to use a different slot or asking you to re-enter your password several times, or anything that does not make sense. If your card gets stuck, try not to leave the machine and call from your cell phone to cancel your card. However, this may not always be possible. Use some common sense-let it be your guideline.

Here is a tip:

Save all the bank and credit card (those you carry) companies’ phone number on your cell phone. This is a very simple thing to do, but regrettably most of us never do it. If you have your bank card provider’s phone number on your cell phone, in the above example, you can just notify them without leaving the ATM machine.

How to Get Free Internet for Your Laptop at Starbucks

Free Internet Wi-Fi on Your Laptop

First Published: August 13, 2009 ADawnJournal.com

Whether you are an Internet Entrepreneur, or just a regular Internet addict, chances are high that the idea of having high-speed Internet on your laptop while sipping a cup of coffee has crossed your mind. But the question is, is it possible to get free Internet Wi-Fi access Hotspot service for your laptop while having a cup of coffee for free?

Starbucks coffee shops in Canada and in the US offer free high-speed Internet access for free. To use this free Wi-Fi access, you need to have a Starbucks.com user name and password. To obtain this user name and password, you need to buy a Starbucks card.

In Canada, if you are buying your card at a Starbucks location, the minimum amount you need to purchase is $5. Once you have a card, you will be able to register for a username and password and then you will be able to use free high-speed Internet.

A Starbucks card comes with many other perks. My favourite one is unlimited brewed coffee refills with any size cup. Free Internet access is limited to two hours daily; I think this is more than enough for most of our usual daily needs. This program works very similar way in the US as well. Visit Starbucks.com and Starbucks.ca for more information.

I enjoy having a cup of coffee outside while working on my laptop. Starbucks will be able to redirect a good number of customers towards them from other coffee retailers, just by simply having Wi-Fi friendly shops. This is very good for Starbucks from a business perspective. Soon, other coffee players that are not offering free W-Fi, will have to offer this service to hold onto their customers. 

Free Home Phone Comes To Canada

Canadians Can Now Have Free Home Phone

First Published: ADawnJournal.com March 25, 2009

What Is VOIP

The Internet has transformed the way we live, work and play. Also, it has revolutionized the way we talk to each other. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows you to make calls over the Internet. VOIP technology lets you can make regular phone calls directly from your computer, VIOP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a router/adaptor.

What You Need To Make Internet Calls

If you would like to make calls from your computer, you will require these:
– high speed connection
– a headset
– microphone
If you have a laptop or a computer that you purchased not long ago, you may already have built-in speakers and microphone installed. If this is the case, you don’t need any additional microphone or headsets.

If you would like to make calls using a regular phone, you will require:
– high speed connection
– a telephone adaptor/router

Is There Any Free VOIP Provider?

VOIP has been my special area of interest since its beginning. In January 2004, when Primus offered VOIP service in Canada for the first time, I was one of the few individuals to try it. I have always been keeping an eye for free VOIP service provider. So far I have not had much luck. However, about a week ago, when I was searching for free home phone on the Internet, I came across this company promising free home phone service.

FreePhoneLine

Freephoneline.ca has launched free VOIP home phone service with many features. Some of these features are:

Caller ID
Enhanced Voicemail
FollowMe Service
Unlimited Local Calling
Unlimited Free Long Distance Calling To Major Canadian Cities

How Does This Work

There are two ways you can use FreePhoneLine. You can make calls using a soft phone or a hard phone. A soft phone is a software that you install on your computer to make calls using your computer. A soft phone exactly looks like Yahoo or MSN Messenger. A hard phone is a physical phone. You will need high-speed Internet connection, an analog telephone adaptor/router, and a hard phone (a real phone you use to make calls from home) to make calls using a hard phone. Your computer does not have to be on to make call via hard phone.

Does FreePhoneLine offer 911 Service?

Yes. As this is a real home phone replacement, 911 service is available. Check FreePhoneLine website for more information.

Will I Be Able To Keep My Existing Home Phone Number?

Yes, you will be able to keep and transfer your existing phone number to FreePhoneLine’s network for a onetime fee. Check their website for more information.

What’s My Take

After reading this article, I don’t suggest you to cancel your home phone service right away. What you can do:

– Try FreePhoneLine soft phone for a month and see if you like it or not
– If you like it, don’t cancel your regular home pone yet. Try it as your secondary home phone
for a couple of months.
– If you are fully satisfied, then cancel your regular home phone

I have been using the soft phone version of FreePhoneLine. So far, I am satisfied with the sound quality and all cool features. It’s loaded with features which a regular phone will never be able to offer. For example, Enhanced Voicemail lets you forward your voicemails to your email, FollowMe feature lets you forward your calls to your cell, home, or work phone. However, unquestionably the best FreePhoneLine feature is – it’s free. Nothing can beat that. Visit Free Phone Line here – FreePhoneLine

Recession Proof Jobs You Can Start Right Now

Survive A Layoff; Start Recession Proof Jobs

First Published: ADawnJournal.com April 8, 2009

Ever since I wrote the Recession-Proof Jobs article, I’ve been thinking about writing more on the subject. Initially, I was thinking of writing an article describing all recession-proof jobs. Then again, I thought, what would be the purpose of describing jobs which would require long training and won’t let you start right away?

Today, I will describe a few jobs that you can start right away or within a few months. These jobs require short-term, very little, or no training. I am sure there are more opportunities like these but these are the ones I can currently think of off the top of my head. Always keep your mind and eyes open and be on the lookout. Soon enough, you will find opportunities to ride out this economic crisis.

Repo Man – A repo man repossesses property or goods from buyers who defaulted on payments and can’t pay them anymore. During recessions, this trade seems to flourish as many people lose jobs and are unable to keep up with payments. To work as a repo man, you need to find bailiffs or repo firms that employ repo workers. If you don’t have training or experience, you will be starting off as an assistant or helper. To locate a firm near you, search online by using these keywords: “bailiffs jobs Canada” or “repo man jobs Canada.”

Auto Mechanic – Qualified mechanics are always in short supply, and you can use this to secure an entry-level job, such as parts-runner or assistant to the mechanic, and complete your automotive courses towards achieving certification as a full-time mechanic. A job as a mechanic will always be on demand, not just during a recession. Check with local auto-repair shops or look in the newspaper for opportunities.

Fast-Food Worker – Layoffs are abundant these days; however, long lines at Tim Horton coffee shops tell me that fast-food stores are nowhere near feeling the heat of recession and they are constantly hiring. As more and more people are losing jobs, they are avoiding fancy restaurants and gathering at fast-food shops to socialize. Therefore, fast-food shops have to hire more workers to keep up with the excess flow of customers. You do not need any training or certification to work at a fast-food restaurant. Although it does not pay well, something is better than nothing and during a recession any employment opportunities should not be overlooked.

Thrift Store Worker – During a recession, thrift stores like Goodwill and The Salvation Army seem to do well. People avoid buying new and costly products and these second hand stores flourish. I have seen that these types of stores are on a hiring spree to keep up with increased demand and you don’t need any formal training to be hired.

Security Guard – During an economic downturn, stealing and other offences go up and so does the demand for private security guards. You can be hired by security firms with no training and they will give you some quick training to put you on the fast track.

These are only a few worth mentioning. There are many other job opportunities that exist in a financial crisis which we may not even know about. Keep your eyes open and always be on the lookout.

A rough economy also brings fresh opportunities for entrepreneurs. Creative entrepreneurs can weather the global financial crisis by looking ahead and seeing opportunities in the future. For example, regardless of economic conditions, Green and environment-related opportunities will flourish and there are opportunities in these areas.

Also, some particular sectors do well in recessions and you need to find and utilize those sectors. I can give you a couple of quick examples:

1. People like to stay home and use more cable TV and Internet.

2. People cut services and products they hardly use and stick to the basics, such as gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, luxury items, etc.

An optimistic entrepreneur should always track these trends and come up with innovative products and services to fill the gap. With innovative thinking and the right information, yes – you will be able to ride out the recession and work towards achieving your dreams.