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advert for a house in Indonesia has gone viral online after the woman selling it offered to throw in an unusual extra feature for free -- her hand in marriage. The Internet ad reads for the most part like a regular house listing, saying that the single-storey property has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a parking space and a fish pond. But it also proposes to buyers a "rare offer" -- "when you buy this house, you can ask the owner to marry you", alongside a picture of Wina Lia, a 40-year-old widow and beauty salon owner, leaning against a car in front of the house. The ad said that terms and conditions apply, and notes the offer is "for serious buyers and non-negotiable". The house in Sleman, on the island of Java, is on the market for 999 million rupiah (about $75,000). News of the offer quickly spread among Internet users in social media-crazy Indonesia. Boldies99, a user on popular online forum Kaskus, said Lia was "quite smart -- even though the house will be sold, she will remain the owner." Lia told AFP she was "shocked at the reaction", as she had been overwhelmed by journalists coming to interview her, and even the police in the conservative, Muslim-majority country had been asking questions. The police "came to verify the news as they consider it as an improper advertisement. But I explained to them that it was not my idea," she said. The mother of two explained that she had asked a friend who was a property agent to help her find a buyer -- and in the process a husband -- but she had expected him to pass on the news to a limited number of people, not put an ad online. "I told a friend of mine who also works as property agent that if there is a buyer who is a single man or a widower who wants to buy a house, and at the same time look for a wife, he can let me know as I'm also a widow," she said. She added that there was only one potential buyer, who had visited on Wednesday, but refused to give further details.

Went into business recently with 2 friends, a guy and a gal. After 2 weeks of business operating, we are currently facing a slight loss(around 2-3% of capital). Me and my friend still think that the business is still sustainable and we are looking for solutions to solve the problem, but right now, our lady partner stated that we can continue if we both agree with it, but after 3 months if our business is not picking up, she wanted to put out of the business, and she expected us to buy our her share at the original amount she contributed, but if it's profitable, she will stay on. Our first reaction is "WTF", if we are still making a loss after 3 months, she expect to get back all her invested $$$??? Business 100% profitable??? If so no one wants to work already. We spoken to her nicely that this isnt fair to us since we all put capital into this business, loss or gain we should share the burden, and this is only 2nd week, why she has to be so extreme. Then she came up with another suggestion:" why not ask people to take over the business, then we can take back our capital!" We really dont know how to reply to her as we spent so much time surveying, designing, planning, but just after 2 weeks, she wanted to put out. We are still at the point of discussion, but she insisted on her stand. We dont want to spoil our friendship (though it actually did), but me and my friend would'nt want to throw in the towel so easily So as above, what do you think??? (no bashing pls, just pure discussion)

http://in.reuters.com/article/innovationNe...0090206?sp=true Risk-taker Ho Ching has no regrets Fri Feb 6, 2009 5:36pm IS SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Ho Ching, wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, will step down as chief executive of Temasek, ending a 5-year term which saw the state investment agency expand aggressively beyond Singapore. It was also involved in controversies around the region. Ho, 55, joined Temasek as a director in January 2002 and became CEO two years later. She will be replaced by Chip Goodyear, former chief of global miner BHP Billiton, in October. One of Ho's colleagues once said it was her willingness to take risks, not her family ties, that won her the top job at Temasek, with a mandate to shake up Singapore's state investor, which had assets under management of S$185 billion ($123 billion) at end-March 2008. That penchant for risk-taking came to the fore in 2007 with Temasek's surprise 2.1 billion pound ($3.1 billion) investment in British bank Barclays Plc (BARC.L: Quote, Profile, Research), which was locked in a costly bidding war for Dutch rival ABN AMRO in what would be the world's biggest bank takeover. Barclays' share price has sunk to a little over 1 pound from more than 7 pounds when Temasek bought its shares 18 months ago. The investment was one of many big deals engineered by Ho, who keeps a low profile despite her prominence in financial circles and as a member by marriage of Singapore's first family. Since taking the helm at Temasek, Ho has stepped up the fund's diversification beyond its small home market. Her goal: a portfolio split with about a third invested in Singapore, a third elsewhere in Asia, and the rest in developed economies. But while Temasek is regarded as the Asian standard-bearer among increasingly prominent sovereign funds, its large size and government links have provoked opposition to its investments in nearby Thailand and Indonesia. In 2006, a Temasek-led $3.8 billion investment in Thai telecoms firm Shin Corp SHIN.BK, then owned by the family of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, triggered a prolonged political crisis in Bangkok that led to Thaksin's ouster in a bloodless coup. Shin has since lost about two-thirds of its market value. Temasek's investment in Indonesia's PT Indosat (ISAT.JK: Quote, Profile, Research) has also come under attack, in part because Temasek-linked companies are big investors in the country's telecoms sector. Temasek says it is not involved in any anti-competitive business practices. Temasek is nursing losses from high profile investments in Merrill Lynch and Barclays as it looked to expand outside Asia, but came up against a global financial crisis. "These are turbulent times and I'm sure she must have had a stressful time this year," said David Cohen, economist at Action Economics. Temasek's $5 billion plus investment in Merrill alone has resulted in a loss of more than $2 billion. Temasek Chairman S. Dhanabalan said Ho's decision to step down was not linked to performance, and it was too early to determine if investments made in the last two years would lose out in the long-term. Ho tends to avoid the media and has made few comments on Shin. When she addressed a Morgan Stanley conference in November 2006, with the Shin deal in the limelight, the bank told the media not to ask questions. Ho began her career at Singapore's Ministry of Defense, where she met her husband, the eldest son of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. While Lee took up a variety of cabinet positions, Ho moved to state-owned Singapore Technologies in 1987, running a mix of defense, technology, property and stockbroking firms which she restructured, divesting some units and listing others. When Dhanabalan, a former cabinet minister, asked Ho to head Temasek, he told local media she was "the best person for the job," and the appointment had "nothing to do" with her being Lee's wife. Asked on Friday if she had any regrets as her departure was announced, Ho replied: "No. I think if you want to run life with regret, you will end up doing very little."

45 choose 6 = 8 145 060 combinations $.50 x 8145060 = $4,072,530 million. Pool now is $5.5million or higher. The group 2,3,4,5 price money is about $500k each group (as refered to 6th Sept07 resulte). Assuming 90% of all the other group ratio are in my winnings as well. Another $2mil x 0.9 = $1.8mill Technically invest $4.07mil, get back $7.3mil. All for ONE day investment? (if two group 1 winner, then $2.25mil + $1.8mil = $4mil almost break even. But 3 winners then lose investment.) A case of the rich getting richer scheme?

Dear Aveo5 DIY pple. I have bought this $43 Japanese product & is for 2 pairs of Caliper from Autobac ,but don't know understand Japanese instruction on use. I am offering any Aveo owner Free Paint for yr pair of Caliper & a Car wash. In return U paint my Caliper for me. It is a Win - Win deal. Will supply Degreaser, Brush, Car Shampoo, Pail + Water & Coffee etc. Location: Condo @ Flora Road. Just opp Blk 149 Pasir Ris or next to Loyang Flyover. Covered Carpark. Day: Any Wed morning between 7am - 11am. PM me if U r agreeable & u r good in DIY. All product pic & my Wheels for painting attached.