Continue reading »]]> I have to vent here but I am really tired of Blue Cross / Blue Shield of GA (Georgia). Their rates for Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Georgia continue to spiral out of control and their payment servicing is antiquated. For years, I have been asking for the ability to pay with a credit card online.  I do not trust the auto-pay process where people can deduct from my bank account or automatically charge my credit card.  I prefer to do it manually. But they just ignore it. Without competition, they can pretty much dictate how you should do things no matter how antiquated it is.

But each and every month, I have to block out time during the day to manually call their toll-free number and enter the stupid membership number which includes alphabetic characters (phones don’t easily allow alphabetic entry). I get put on hold and then I have to start over every month by giving them all your payment information. They don’t store your email address and I have to recite it every month.

It doesn’t help that the insurance industry doesn’t allow competition. From what I hear, every state allows only a couple of insurance companies to operate in each state.  That may not be a monopoly but it is a duopoly.

I bet if the medical insurance industry was to be opened up to nationwide competition, every medical insurance company would behave better.

The deal is I have the good fortune to be healthy and have not had any major claims only getting physicals once a year and maybe another office visit for something minor. Count me in as another person who believes the health care system is broken in the U.S. I am healthy now but if I got sick, no telling what kind of grief I would have to go through.

And to add insult to injury, Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Georgia (GA) is based where I live in Columbus, Georgia.

Continue reading »]]> My office manager received a “Mystery Shopper Check-Cashing Scam” package today. I just had to share it with the world. Maybe it will “save” someone from being scammed.

Take a look at the printed check, instruction letter, and UPS envelope.

The check looks convincing except for the amateur signature.

The instruction letter is so poorly written and formatted, it is laughable.

The alleged sender is:

Sissy Wheeler
770-781-4226
Pet-Agree Grooming Supplies
1390 Weber Industrial Dr.
Cumming, GA 30041

If this information is real, the sender is real dumb. Someone spent a lot of money to send this Saturday weekend delivery.  I don’t feel bad at all. The scammer is getting scammed by the “victim’s” non-performance.  LOL.

Continue reading »]]> I have changed my new “home base” Twitter account from the “TurnKey Publisher” Twitter account to the “Matthew Chan, MBA” Twitter account. My new Twitter account is now at: http://twitter.com/matthewchanmba.

I did this because it is a better reflection of who I am and what I do. While I continue to be passionate about publishing, it is simply one facet of me and my overall business. I felt too restricted posting only on the subject of publishing. As an entire person, I want the flexibility to jump from subject to subject, topic to topic, whim to whim, business to personal, and vice-versa.

Since my business and personal interests are diverse, it is better for me to simply set a Twitter account named after myself. Some posts you may be interested in, some you may not be. Either way, you get the real me, not just some one-sided version of me.

You may run into my other Twitter accounts which are focused on the business interests they spotlight. I will still post there when appropriate.

Thanks for connecting with me at my new Twitter “home base”: http://twitter.com/matthewchanmba.

Continue reading »]]> I have set up and updated my public Facebook page. My new “home base” on Facebook is http://facebook.com/matthewchanmba.

Because Facebook is really the place to be nowadays to really connect and interact with people, I would be remiss not to set up my public Facebook page to connect with those that want to connect with me.

I will have more frequent updates, photos, and videos posted there. This blog will continue to be used for longer articles, editorials, and commentary.

Thanks for connecting with me on Facebook.

Continue reading »]]> It has been no secret that I have had to downsize and make drastic changes to my business since late last year. The credit crunch has certainly taken its toll on me. As we are now well into 2010, I am happy to report that the big changes I made have made a difference.  I am far from making a complete turnaround or comeback but I am happy to say I have a better sense of direction going forward.

One of the big changes is deciding to expand my property management business back to Orlando, FL and to seek out some consulting opportunities. I have also tweaked my business relationships and associations.  Part of my setback was in associating with people who drank the same kool-aid which blinded me to things we should have foreseen.

The people I want to know about my business largely know.  And the people who don’t know, well, it wasn’t a priority for me to let them know.  There is an inner circle and there is everyone else.

I am looking forward to seeing how 2010 turns out.  One thing is for sure, it won’t be boring!

Continue reading »]]> Normally, I watch Larry King Live on my TIVO.  But because I am in Portland working with a business friend and associate, I was forced to see Larry King Live on YouTube. I saw the interview of Carrie Prejean by Larry King and was stunned that she actually made herself look more of an idiot than she already had shown.

That interview was an embarrassment on so many levels. She had this annoying habit of clicking her fingernails on the interview desk during the beginning of the interview. She had no ability to make the distinction or counter Larry’s question as to her motive to dropping the lawsuit.

If she wanted to walk off the set, she should have left. Everyone would have been better off for it. Larry King is traditionally very polite and flattering to his guests.  If she can’t handle being interviewed with Larry, she can’t do it anywhere.

She is an idiot for not knowing why people continue to attack her.  It is because she continues to be a lightning rod and dredging the same crap up.  Even her so-called book seems to continue this.  The news had been calm for a few weeks until she decided to enflame the situation by filing a lawsuit against the pageant officials.

Fortunately, more hypocrisy was found of a secret solo-performance tape that shut her down.  Her lack of accountability is stunning. Her ability to distort the facts is stunning.  The fact that she claims she represents conservative women is embarrassing.  I know a lot of conservative women and none would ever behave like she does.

And I about laughed out loud when I her say about how much she accomplished in her 22-years.  Like what?  Parading around showing her body? Being unaccountable for anything bad that happened?  For being an intellectual midget? For continually seeking media attention, then complaining about it?

It is pretty rare for me to write a post of this kind about anyone but I had to vent somewhere.  Carrie Prejean is an idiot. She brought all this on herself and she deserves what she gets.  She needs to grow up. She is fooling very few people with her words.  They ring very hollow.

Continue reading »]]> Today, O2 Media President/CEO Gerald Czarnecki emailed me a PDF letter to voice his concerns of allegations and accusations against the company and business he works in.

However, my reporting on O2 Media has been relatively light and mostly indirect. Most of it was actually focused on “Incredible Discoveries”, not O2 Media itself.  What seems to be damaging to O2 Media are the apparent connections to “Incredible Discoveries”, earlier businesses, and companies through related parties that have many complaints and lawsuits.

It would seem they really want my “approval” and yet all I have done is accurately report on information I found, acquired, and corroborated:

• Florida Division of Corporations
• Broward County Clerk of Courts
• CorporationWiki
• Florida Attorney General’s Office
• My phone interviews with various defendants
• Google search engine research
• Numerous email complaints and reports I have received
• Email from O2 Media employee (jhc0615@aol.com)
• Palm Beach Post newspaper story

Getting my “approval” would certainly not change the past or my informational findings. In my open response to Gerald Czarnecki, I recommended he look within his own organization to clear up any unhappiness that is occurring.

Continue reading »]]> A recent incident made me think of how people live their lives.  There are those who try to live an open life and reach out to others.  And there are many who say they do the same but when you find out more about them, listen to their words, and watch their actions, they really live in darkness and fear.

For people who really know me, I am actually a somewhat shy, quiet, introvert. And yet, my public persona and outward personality is very much opposite of who I am inside.  I have learned to improve my personal skills. I travel, speak, socialize, publish, write books, and have several websites that I manage. Essentially, anyone that wants to find me or learn more about me can easily do so simply by Googling my name.

Interestingly, I generally get two general reactions.  There are those who find it interesting and fascinating that I have this semi-public, online life. They are attracted to it and follow it. And then there are others who are repelled by and find it offensive.  These people generally do a hit-and-run.  They say something nasty and I don’t hear from them again.

What I have learned is that “like people attract other like people” or “people are attracted to other people they aspire to be”.

I have chosen to live this semi-public life for many reasons.

#1, I am held accountable to a higher standard in both my personal and professional life if I know people are watching. After all, many of us can get sloppy, lazy, and fat in the privacy of our homes.

#2, I found that living in quiet, obscurity being an unknown actually hinders the goals I want to achieve in life. The fact is the more people you know (or those who know you) can make your life much easier.  If you do things right and stick to your convictions, people know who you are and what you stand for. They learn to believe you, respect you, and trust you.

#3, I attract those people and business opportunities that I would not have otherwise if I had not put myself out there.  It is amazing how many personal friends, business associates, and customers that have come into my life as a result of putting myself out in the light.

#4, I can better affect positive change within my life, other people’s lives, and the communities I participate in as a result of the influence a sustained personal online presence has.

To be sure, I like my privacy just like anyone else but I believe there is a such thing as living in the underground.  Most of us have some kind of skeletons in our past lives. We must all come to terms with them in our own way. Many times, those skeletons we assume that are so bad turns out to be quite common. Sometimes, we are our own worst critic and judges when it comes to those skeletons.

As I said earlier, I can quickly determine the true nature of a person by what they say, what they do, and how they respond to things. When I encounter someone who chooses to live in the dark and underground, I respect their decision but I know I will have to go another direction that is more empowering and inspiring.

And when you meet confident, powerful people who put themselves out in the light, taking risks, living life fully, who have made peace with themselves, that is extremely invigorating and inspiring.

I make it a policy to stand my ground and not let toxic and dark people impact my life. Normally, I will do my best to avoid the person or situation but if they get into my face or otherwise try to negatively impact my life, then I will not hesitate to stand my ground and assert yourself.

Unfortunately, I have learned in life that sometimes “being nice” is taken as a sign of weakness.  Some people will only respond and respect you when you take a more assertive and even aggressive stand.  To me, it is strange but true.

In any case, in the months to come, I will be ramping things up even more in a big way. I am excited by what I have planned and will soon be implementing. I am intentionally being vague because I want more time to formulate my thoughts.

People who want to live in darkness and obscurity will run like roaches into the night when the upcoming light shines even brighter.  And those people who have been interested and excited by what I have done thus far, will have even greater reason to come back and find out more.