Thanksgiving Day is the day we give thanks to the good things that had happened to our lives. I like to take this opportunity to post an excerpt of the Thanksgiving Prayer I received from my Loan training manager David. I think it's great. Here it is:

"Thanksgiving Prayer

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings each morning, thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank you Lord, that I can see. There are many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the effort of rising, thank you, Lord that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, and tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord for the food we have. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for the gift of life..."

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As you might already know, I also try to promote home business and money making opportunities and resources on the Sohosos opportunities page. I am very cautious on what I put there, because there are so many get rich quick scams out there, on and off-line. The ones I put there are either I actually participate in or believe they are honest and legitimate. But sometimes I make mistakes too. So, if you know something I don't, don't hesitate to let me know so I will take the link out. And for that purpose, I put up the link to Worldwidescam.com. There is a long list of scams you need to be look out for on the website. But don't assume an easy money making pitch you come across is legitimate because it's not on their list.
Anyway, today I visited the worldwidescam.com just to check out some so call easy money making opportunities and I saw Herbal Life is on the list of their "watch out" list. Inside the report there is a great article regarding this network marketing business. Incidentally I found the author of the article is actually living in Sacramento, CA which is right next to Elk Grove where I live. After you finish reading his in depth article on Herbal Life you will know the stories behind all those too familiar "Work-at-home", "Weight Loss" signs and flyers on utility poles and on your wind shield. So, beware of those work-at-home and get-rich-quick scams. This kinda reminds me of seeing a VW Buggy driving around town with Herbal Life advertising on the back of the car... hmm... Well, here is the link where you can read all about it in case you haven't.

Do you like Chinese food? I certainty do. In Sacramento, it used to be that if you want to enjoy really good Chinese food, you need to go to San Francisco. Not anymore, you can find great or even better Chinese food right here in Sacramento. It's probably a well known secret among the Asian population here that New Hong Kong Wok has the best Chinese food in the Capital city. It's funny how I get to know this restaurant. When I heard the news about the possible layoffs at the company I worked, I started planning to move back to Sacramento where I attended college and lived for about 5 years before. Anyway, on a trip to Sacramento, a co-worker told me about this restaurant and I decided to stop by. Now I am a regular customer of the restaurant ever since. They have the best food, that I know of so far and very affordable price. Whenever I have friends wanting to eat out, New Hong Kong Wok is the first on list. In case you still don't know where they are located, here is the address: 5019 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA. Expect to wait in line on weekends.
To be honest, I am not a food critic, but since I got start on this restaurant topic, here is another great Chinese restaurant you might enjoy. The name is New Canton, located on Broadway, between 25th and 26th street. That restaurant has been around for quite sometime, the food there was so-so. But the good news is it is now under new ownership, I just went there yesterday to have dim-sum and tea. I must say that the quality of the food improve dramatically. I was told some of the chefs were brought in from San Francisco.
OK, one more, how about Japanese food? I like the one located on 18th and S street. Its name I believe is Taka. It is small, but the food is great, that's probably why it is packed most the time.
I wish I can tell you more about restaurants in Sacramento, but I am not a really out-going kind of guy, and due to my very flat wallet :-( , I don't know much about other restaurants in the area. But I can assure you that you will like the restaurants I mentioned above. One last thing, this is not a paid advertising, I don't get any commission out of this. However, if you mention my name, some of them might know me and you might be treated a little bit nicer, I hope. :-)

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I am very pleased to introduce you to two new merchants on sohosos.com: 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and ShopToshiba.com. Well, they are certainly not new to us. 1-800-flowers has been in the business for 25 years and Toshiba is a well recognized brand name. The Toshiba laptop PCs are well known for high quality. As more and more well known, high quality companies are accepting us into their affiliate programs, I am sure you will find it convenient and easy to find what you are looking for at sohosos.com. More great services will be added in the near future as I am nearing to get my real estate license and completing the loan officer training program with a rapidly growing lending company in Sacramento, CA. I will share my knowledge which will help you in possibly the biggest purchase in your life - your dream house! So, please check back often to see what new merchants and services are added on sohosos.com.

If you are into scrapbooking, here is a helpful article for you -

"Preserving Thanksgiving Memories for Scrapbooking"
by Rachel Paxton

Last year our family tried out a new way to preserve Thanksgiving memories, and the result was truly a treasured keepsake.

A day or two before Thanksgiving, my daughter and I used a turkey rubber stamp to make place cards for all of our family members.
We colored the place cards with colored pencils and wrote people's names on them with a metallic gold pen.

We then cut up strips of paper to put into a small basket to distribute before Thanksgiving dinner. The day of Thanksgiving, after all of the guests had arrived, we handed out the slips of paper and asked everyone to write down something they were thankful for.

Now you should have seen the looks I got! Keep in mind that there were family members of all ages, from young teenagers to adults. Most of them looked at me like I was crazy (because this memory-making stuff is all new to them), but I told them they had to do it before they could eat.

So they all sat to write down what they were thankful for. Some came up with something very quickly, and others sat there perplexed and worried they were going to spell something wrong.
Several didn't write anything down at all.

The end result was a wide variety of very thoughtful answers. I put away the slips of paper, made sure to take some good family pictures (carving the turkey, eating dinner, visiting with each other, napping after dinner), and made sure to keep some of the place cards.

I don't always get to my scrapbook pages immediately after an event like this. I do, however, make sure everything is in one place so that I can assemble my pages when I'm ready.

I later went to the store to buy some pre-cut Thanksgiving and fall images for my scrapbook pages, and then framed my pictures with some coordinating cardstock pieces. I then laid out two scrapbook pages with the photos, a couple of the turkey place cards, and most of the slips of paper people had written on. I tried to arrange a person's slip of paper near their photo.

My finished project was by no means fancy or a work of art, but it will always be an irreplaceable treasured family keepsake.

Photos of finished project: http://www.crafty-moms.com/scrapbooking/sample_layouts_4.shtml

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer, mom, and owner of four home and family web sites. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com.

Are you looking for that ultimate gift for yourself or someone you love? I am very excited to introduce you to Mondera.com - the online jewelry experts since 1999. Combining high quality gems and jewelry, fine service, exceptional customer service, and expert advice, Mondera has successfully served thousands of customers. And they are featured on Forbes' Best Of The Web. You can find Guy's stuff, too, from wedding bands and money clips to cuff links and studs. Go ahead, visit their website now and I am sure it will become you favorite online jewelry store. For more holiday gift ideas, please visit this page on my website: http://www.sohosos.com/Soho_Resources/cool_links.htm

Today, I like to introduce you to this amazing website enhancement tool which will add "wow" to your website. I wish I can implement it on my website myself... maybe I will if I can afford it, off course. But first, please let me introduce you to this wonderful lady: Susan Dakuzaku. I met her on an Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce after business hour mixer several months ago. I believe she was the president of the chamber before. You can find out more about her through the link on this page: http://www.sohosos.com/Soho_Resources/marketing_tools.htm, under Local Resources heading.
By the way, I am still considering the network marketing opportunity she is actively involved which has Robert Kiyosaki's endorsement. I believe you can find out more on her website.
Anyway, I am very excited about this web marketing tool she told me. This company is based locally in the Sacramento Area. To keep you from suspense, I think it's best for you to check it out yourself. Here are the their demo links: www.calimage.com/realestate and www.calimage.com/sitepilots/lo/
I think it's pretty cool. What do you think?

Overstock.com is one of my favorite shopping website. I got to know the website through a friend. If you also like to shop at overstock.com, I got some cool coupons just for you. Nope, you can't find these saving coupons on their website, however, as an affiliate, I can bring these exciting savings on their already low price to sohosos.com visitors like you. Happy shopping!

      

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Yesterday I went to CostCo to fill up my car with some gas. And one of the reasons I applied for the membership with CostCo is for the lower gasoline price. Unlike in San Franciso (I lived there for several years and just moved back to Sacramento recently, but that's another story) , almost every CostCo here is equipped with a gas station and definitely shorter waiting lines at the pumps. Anyway, I pulled into the gas station and wasted no time at all to start pumping gas. Right after I got out of my car, I heard the "thug... thug..." noise coming from the pump next to mine. It was the sound of topping off the gas and it was from an old gentleman. I believe he squeezed the gas pump trigger at least four or more times. "Isn't it a bad idea to top off...", I was wondering. There, I saw it, clearly stated at the gas pump: To avoid spills, please do not top off! I guess it's kinda OK to top off once or twice, but four or more times? How much further can that little extra ounce of gas will make the car go? I am not over reacting to his action, I just think it's kinda funny. This also reminds me a funny or strange scene I encountered in San Franciso. I saw a guy sticking out his left foot out his car window and rested it on top of the side view mirror while he is driving! It's an amazing feat to me. What happened to his common sense? Does he care about what others think about him? I sort of understand that sometimes a car passenger might want to put his or her feet up on the dashboard... Anyway, maybe I am just nick-picking too much.

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Sometimes I wonder if I am losing focus about my web site. Am I trying to do too much? Should I just focus on a few services and resources? Is my site turning into a trashy links dumping ground? I certainly hope that you don't see it that way. Most of the links and resources on the website are highly selective and "screened". I am just hoping that when you are visiting my site, you can find bargains and resources that's useful to you. My goal is have you think sohoso.com first when you are bargin hunting or looking for resources and solutions. Yes, I admit that I am trying to sell you something either through affiliate links or my own services. But let's think it this way, in reality, we are all in the business of selling, whether you have a job or have your own business. If you are working for a company, you are selling your time & skills, and if you are working for yourself, you are selling your services or products.
Anyway, today I am very excited to join Cognigen as an independent agent. They offer great telecommunication products and services and not to mention their exciting business opportunity. I visited their website before through other agents' affiliate links. I even viewed them as my competitors. Well, just like the saying goes, "if you can't beat them, join them!" and I did.
But don't take my words for it, you can find out more about their products and services by going to this page: http://www.sohosos.com/Soho_Resources/telecommunications.htm. And don't forget to try out the Best Rate Calculator. If you like to find out about their free business opportunity, please visit this link: http://www.sohosos.com/soho_opportunities.htm , under the "Other Great Work-At-Home & Money-Making Resources" heading.

To my supprise, I met Gregg Chin yesterday. Who is Gregg Chin? To most of you who don't live in the Elk Grove, CA area probably don't know him. He was featured in an article in a local newspaper in August. He started a business called Errands4U.
After chatting for a while, I found we both have some common interestes & goals. For examples, we both like to learn new skills and are open to new opportunities. Yesterday we were both attending the all day meeting to learn about real estate loans.
Gregg's Errands4U business is very unique and much needed in the area. For a modest fee, he will run the errands for you. He can help you with your everyday errands such as:
* Doctor Appointments * Picking Up Prescriptions * Grocery Shopping * Taking Kids To School * Cleaner Drop Off/Pick Up* DMV Transactions * Business Errands * Airport Shuttle *...etc. He can also help with purchasing large items such as TVs, couches... so you don't have to worrying about how to get them home. He company's motto says "We're here to help you put more time into your day."
If you live in the 95758 area code, your first service is only $15, a saving of $15. Gregg is a very nice guy and I believe he will live up to his promise in providing a reliable service to you.
So, if you need any help with running errands, please give him a call at 916-919-4885 or email him at errands4u@comcast.net.

If there were something never got changed, it is "change" itself. I am not trying to be philosophical. For examples, our interests may change, our jobs, even careers may change, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
Right now I see myself in this "change" situation. Take for example, real estate was the most boring subject to me. I never read the real estate section in a newspaper in the past. Now that has changed ever since I started looking for my first house and eventually bought one this year. I found out I didn't know anything about buying a house. But I got very interested in the real estate field as the result of the experience. In fact I got so excited, I decided to get a real estate agent license. I am also in the process of learning to be a loan officer. I might not be necessary to become a realtor selling houses right away when I get my license. But I will offer similar service, a service I think will be a great addition to sohosos.com. But let's keep it as a little secret for now. I am also very excited about becoming a loan officer. Again, the motive behind it is that I want to learn more about real estate loans. I was so confused about the interest rates, types of loans available...etc.. And I don't think I get really good terms on the loans I have. Anyway, I am looking forward to use my knowledge in real estate loans to help anyone who needs a loan to purchase their dream houses after I complete the training. Let me tell you, the lending company I will be associated with is phenomenal in resources and customer services. I feel a lot more confident and charged up every time I finish with the training meeting. I will let you know the name of the lending company when I am ready to serve you. Please check back often.
Speaking of becoming a real estate agent, in case you are also thinking about getting into the real estate field, I believe the most time efficient and convenient way to get your real estate license is by taking online courses. I tried to take the classes in a community college, but I couldn't get in, they were jam-packed. Besides it just takes too long and not as flexible. And don't worry about the hands-on experience part, you will get them in the field when you are practicing real estate.
In case you haven't noticed, you can check out more about the real estate online training in the SOHO opportunities section on my web site.
Yes, as you might have noticed, I am trying to change my career direction from computer support to real estate and finance. PCs are my hobby, I was lucky to turn it into the fun jobs I had before. But as a long term career goal, I prefer to keep computers as my hobby. But if I have to get a job in the computer field again, I will be glad to do it all over again. As you already know, I have a mortgage to pay!

I have been thinking about adding a web log (blog) and thanks to Blogger.com, I am finally able to set it up.
In the future, you will find updates on bargains, resources and services offered by sohosos.com, as well as scribbles of whatever comes over my head on this blog... please check back often.
Oh, one last thing, please bear with my not so great English writting skill... you might see some mispelled words, incorrect grammar... but what the heck, as long as you can understand what I am rambling about... if not, just drop me a line to correct me and u will be very much appreciated! :-)