We received the email from Win Big member Judith who would like to warn you about a ‘free trial offer’.

Please advice your readers to ignore subscriptions for a months free trial of ‘weight loss’ capsules from Acailoss or AcaiM - VitalAcai Trial Bottle for the price of only $5.95. 

I applied for the free trial and by some miracle actually received some capsules (which were addressed to me at only “Apartment 3, Australia“.  It was about to be returned to sender marked undeliverable when some nice person at the post office decided to check the phone book and find me). 

I wrote to Acailoss telling them to cancel my subscription as the capsules didn’t work - in fact I put on 2 pounds - but since that time I’ve received many charges to my credit card of close to $100 per time, but no product.   I didn’t realise for several months as I was unwell and didn’t check my statements as my card is paid by Automatic Debit.

Once I discovered what was happening I notified my credit card to stop all payments and investigate, and contacted Acailoss telling them I had not received further products and to please credit my card.  They refused.

Please warn your readers to be wary of any “free trial offers”.  As I learned when I first lived in America many years ago, “you don’t get nothin’ for nothin’”!

So please take a leaf out of Judith’s book and avoid the “free trial offer” scam.

The eight lucky winners were selected from over 3,000 applicants who entered Samsung’s largest whitegoods promotion for 2008.

Customers were given the chance to win a Volvo V50 and $250 worth of petrol when they bought a Samsung whitegoods product between 1 November and 24 December 2008.

As well as the car prize draw, each Samsung customer was entered into a fuel prize draw. In which 432 customers won a $250 Coles Express Gift Card.

One of the lucky winner’s, Keenan Hopkins from Angaston, South Australia expressed her joy over the prize “when I bought my Samsung 8kg top load washing machine at my local Harvey Norman I never thought I would actually win the Volvo. Having the keys handed over was such a surreal experience; I still can’t believe the car is actually mine!”

Over the entire promotion Samsung has given away almost $500,000 worth of prizes.

<—– Messages Begin —->

CONGRATULATION
You Email Have Won £500,000.00GBP in the recent new year promotion that
was organized by BMW Motor onbehalf of Q3 September 2008 new model email
draw held (5th Jan 2009) And this is your winning BATCH NUMBER :
Q3/2523B/MW TICKET NUMBER: 2752246896

Contact our fudiciary agent with your full details,

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM
1.FULL NAMES:___________________
2.ADDRESS:_____________________
3.SEX:_______________________
4.AGE:_____________________
5.E-MAIL ADDRESS:____________
6.TELE:___________________
7.STATE:___________________
8.COUNTRY:___________________
9.OCCUPATION:___________________

MR.DAN WALTER
Head Winning Claims Dept.
Email: claims_mr.danwalter01@yahoo.com.hk

RANGE ROVER AUTOMOBILES 2009 PROMOTION
5Th Slopes,Lower Henley Road,
Reading,Berkshire,RG4 5LE
United Kingdom.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Turton Robin
Promotional Co-ordinator.

Dear Winner,

——————————————–
Email: claimsdept09@msn.com
Tel:  +447023023869
——————————————–

 <—–Messages End———->

**Message begins**

—– Original Message —–
From: “SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY” <atnp@orange.fr>
To: <undisclosed-recipients:>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 3:15 PM
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!

> Shell Petroleum Development Company Hong Kong
> Shell Tower, Kennedy Brown Avenue,
> Times Square,Hong Kong/China
>
>
> BATCH REF: SHHK/008/YY
>
> This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of One Million
> United States Dollars (US$1,000,000.00) for the 2009 International E-mail
> Draw which is Organized by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
>
> SPDC collects all the email addresses of the people that are active
> online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo, Aol, Walla,Gmail,
> Russian Mail,Hotmail and few from other e-mail providers. 100  people are
> selected yearly to benefit from this promotion and you are one of the
> Selected Winners this year by this great Oil company.
>
> PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
>
> Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Center. Shell
> Award must be claimed not later than final claim day from date of Draw
> Notification. Any Prize not claimed within this period will be
> forfeited.You have therefore been approved for the payment of the sum of
> US$1,000, 000, 00 in cash which is the winning present /amount for each
> winner. This is from the total prize money of US$6,000,000.00 shared among
> theW inners international winners in this category.
>
> CONGRATULATIONS!
>
> Stated below is your identification number:
>
> REFERENCE NUMBER: SPDC-081511
>
> Please be informed that your CHEQUE,DEBIT CARD, T,T,DRAFT of the sum of
> US$1,000,000.00 is now with the payee center. Contact your fiduciary agent
> in China [Dr TONY ZHANG] and give them your full detail below so that they
> will re-insure your winning under your full name and direct you to the
> bank for payment as your winning numbers fall within the China Mainland
> Location file
>
> (SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMAPANY AGENT)
>
> Name: DR LEO  WANG (CLAIM AGENT)
>
> E-Mail:lleowang016@aol.com
> TEL;+ 852  60635434
> Tel: +8613527654635
>
> He shall immediately commence the process that will facilitate the release
> of your fund to you.Fill the below form and send to your agent
>
> 1. Full name……………………..
> 2. Address ……………
> 3. Country of origin…………………..
> 4. Occupation………………………
> 5. AGE………………………
> 6. Phone number…………………..
> 7. Email Address……………………..
>
> Congratulations!! once again.
>
> Yours in service,
> Dr. (Mrs.) Lynda Jones
> [Shell Publicity Secretary]
>
> SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMAPANY (SPDC),WE ARE TRULLY THE OIL GIANT IN
> THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!

**Message Ends

The email then requests that the recipient provide personal identification information including passport, birth certificate, drivers licence, health care card, Medicare card or bank statements. This email is fraudulent and should not be responded to.
It is not authorised by the Big Day Out, Ticketmaster or Facebook.

You should NEVER give out your personal or bank account details to somebody you don’t know and trust.

Don’t be fooled by an email that looks legitimate or appears to link to a genuine website.

Please take care with your personal information!

If you find yourself answering ‘Yes’ to these questions, then getting onto a TV game show could be your ticket to winning big prizes and having a little bit of fun at the same time.  I’m sure we all dream of being the next Rob “Coach” Fulton, Australia’s first Millionaire winner of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”.

As is always the case, there are some eligibility requirements you’ll need to adhere to in order to qualify to be on a game show and these requirements vary from show to show. The first step of any game show application is to gain admittance into the contestant pool and doing so is easier than you think.

Try these five tips to increase your odds of making it onto the show and into the final round:

1. Know Your Strengths

Picking the best game show for your skills goes a long way toward getting you onstage. If you can’t solve word puzzles, for example, your chances of landing on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ are slim. If you gulp when prices go up, then maybe ‘The Price is Right’ is right for you. Producers try to keep contestants from embarrassing themselves, and make the show entertaining.

Be sure to consider every angle. Even trivia buffs won’t find game shows one-size-fits-all. It would be absolutely disastrous for someone without immediate recall of facts to go on ‘Sale of the Century’, where speed is the premium. ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ would probably be a better choice because there you have unlimited time.

If your skills don’t match up with a specific show, look for one that’s more about risk-taking and luck, such as ‘Deal or No Deal’. You don’t have to know a thing — except when to quit.

2. Be Your (Super-Excited) Self

Producers look for contestants who the audience will either support or vilify. They want the audience to back you to win or despise you to lose. Standing out is also key. Consider the details that single you out as an interesting contestant, whether it’s special talents, quirky family members, an interesting occupation or life circumstances that would be aided by that prize money. It’s likely you’ll have only a minute or two with a producer during your initial audition so turn on the charm as if you were already sitting onstage.

3. Playing the Numbers

Even assuming you’re the ideal candidate for any given show, your odds of getting on vary depending on how often the show airs, its popularity and the number of contestants that appear on each show. Some shows just have a lot more slots to fill than others for example “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” needs just one contestant per show for its weekly broadcast, while “Deal or No Deal” and “Wheel of Fortune” both call in more than 10 at a time to handle a weeks’ worth of shows in a single taping session.

You’ll greatly increase your chances for success by applying for several shows that fit your talents. Getting on one show precludes you from appearing on another for a period of time, but most shows will still keep you in the pool.

4. Review, Don’t Cram

Whether you’re preparing for a contestant test, or getting ready to go on the show, brushing up on current events rather than memorizing niche trivia is a much more efficient strategy. If you feel compelled to soak up more knowledge, go for the almanac rather than the encyclopedia. The format is easier to digest, and the statistic snippets (like the number of feet in a mile) are common in quiz-format game shows.

5. Practice Makes Perfect

Knowing how the game is played, and the lingo that’s used, helps you develop a strategy that can pique producers’ interest. The last thing the producers is someone who doesn’t know the game as it’s not evenly matched. They know that audiences love to watch it come down to the very last minute, where anyone can win.

Religiously watching the show is a good start, but you’ll also need practice time away from the tube. Most shows offer an online version of the game, and often a board game as well. Use both, and encourage family and friends to critique your performance.

Winecow.com.au are hosting a wine tasting event for those who want a good quality drop at less than half the price you would pay in the bottleshop! Come along and enjoy some fine wines and cheese and grab some bargains to stock up for the festive period.

Winecow.com.au are an online retailer and provide free home delivery in the Perth metro area.
DATE & TIME: Tuesday 18th November, 5.30pm – 8.30pm
LOCATION: South of Perth Yacht Club ‐ Coffee Point, Applecross (Cnr Duncraig and Canning Beach Roads)
WINERIES: Large range of top wines available such as Rare Earth, Sandalford, Flying Fish and Alkoomi.
COST: $10 per ticket, all tickets will be exchanged for a $15 winecow.com.au voucher on arrival
BOOKINGS: Log onto winecow.com.au, click on ‘events’ button and secure your place. All tickets purchased online are in the running for a $600.00 Door Prize. A limited number of tickets will be available on the door. These tickets will not be
eligible for the door prize.

The Town of Bassendean is inviting the whole community to join them at their first fun filled carbon offset event called ‘Planet Earth Festival.’

DATE & TIME: Saturday 6th December 2008 from 4.00pm – 9.00pm and Sunday 7th December from 11.00am – 3.00pm.

LOCATION: The event will take place in the Bassendean Town Centre with Old Perth Road being closed off for the festival.

ENTERTAINMENT: Live bands will entertain crowds over the two-day festival. Other entertainment will include a street parade on the Sunday involving local school children, as well as street performers and buskers. Delightful delicacies from local food vendors will be there to tempt the taste buds and amusement rides to keep the adults and the kids on their toes.

Balloon artists and Old MacDonald’s farm will be ready to impress and for the first time ever, a Freestyle BMX Competition will take place over the two days of the festival, with a ghetto style theme and an attractive amount of prize money up for grabs.

ACCESS: Ten-minute drive from the city, Ashfield train station is nearby.

COST: FREE

For more information: Log on to www.bassendean.wa.gov.au or contact Leisure Services on 9377 8000.

A new centre, the first of it’s kind in Western Australia, set up to tackle a chronic shortage of therapists trained to help children with autism and developmental disorders will open it’s doors to the public on Saturday 29th November 2008.

The independent centre, known as the Learning Education and Research Network (L.E.A.R.N.), aims to ensure children suspected of having autism or developmental delays are diagnosed and receive intensive treatment as early as possible.

Families, carers and health professionals all welcome!

DATE & TIME: Saturday 29th November, 11.00am – 2.00pm

LOCATION: L.E.A.R.N. – 217 Canning Highway, East Fremantle

WHAT/WHO: L.E.A.R.N. Senior Clinical Psychologist, Darin Cairns and the centre’s Client Services Coordinator, Mandy Mason will be available for consultations to discuss the latest developments in autism early intervention and the L.E.A.R.N. Curriculum. Face painting, sausage sizzle, kids entertainment.

COST: FREE

For further information please visit http://www.learnaustralia.org/

1. Have a latte! The simplicity of a good espresso drink cannot be beat. Pair it with a walk outside and you have a cheap pick-me-up that’s good for a dreary afternoon.
2. Dine on popcorn and Red Vines. I have a thing for movie-theater treats, and I always feel better after a couple hours of munching and a light-hearted movie.
3. Play with a kitten. I’m a sucker for cats, but most of the time I can’t actually get to one when I need one. Fortunately, kitty pics or videos usually do the trick. So when I’m in a sour mood, but stuck behind my computer, I’ll opt for a good 10 minutes of kitten viewing!

To see my final ideas and add your own just read more.

4. Enjoy a chocolate-chip cookie. What’s better than the smell of homemade cookies? Eating homemade cookies, of course! I love to get my bake on when I’m gloomy. Cookies and milk do a mood good.
5. Get active. I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t love to work out (sorry, Fit!), but I do love how I feel afterwards. If I can drag my behind out the door, I’m sure to feel better when I get back home.