Pretty Much Lost

When you live in the moment, savouring everything in the now, living life by the day, intensely, passionately, you stand the risk of becoming really short-sighted about the actual length and breadth of life, isn't it?

I'm not advocating astute foresight, clairvoyance or being always anal about planning ahead. I'm just wondering if our devoted inclinations towards acts of impulse, our tendency to want a quick high out of short-term experiences, and our perennial need to benefit from any situation quickly, is eventually going to turn us into self-destructive, thoughtless, hedonistic automatons. Is that not an insult to the significance in being alive? And worse, by forgetting, or simply not trying, to find meaning, truth, and real happiness in life, are we letting ourselves degenerate into something less human, even?

Previously, when I had more time to ponder over my future and develop a vision of my long-term goals, I became overwrought about how difficult it would be to realise my dreams, and therefore lapsed into a rather devious, vicious cycle of compromise - one could certainly see it as self-defeatism, pessimism, cowardice, procrastination, plus a lack of drive and motivation to get down to it. I was just not willing to throw all else out the window and sacrifice it all, maximising suffering to achieve results which will always be clouded with uncertainty. I could not devote myself to my own cause.

I cannot devote myself to my own cause.

Is this a rather extreme state of low self-esteem, with self-destructive tendencies heaped on for good measure, or an enlightened state of consciousness where I know selflessness is the key to real happiness? Or is this a rather warped state of self-absorption, really?

Presently, my work possesses me, and it seems that I have found some kind of wholesome fulfillment in this whole experience (my greatest fear is that it may not last very long before some tragedy befalls me and it all has to end) which is strongly nudging me to alter myself to better myself. All of a sudden it seems imperative for me to solve my own greatest problem - myself.

So I need to set new personal goals, which, though not completely incongruent to those since-discarded dreams, visions, or long-term goals (perhaps not so much discard as disregarded, I guess), are exhausting in their demands on me. And these new goals will serve as obstacles on the path towards growth and development in life ahead.

I'm tired enough to want to stop being in the near-constant state of self-reflection I used to be in. That was where everything in life, all experiences, could be rationalised, analysed, philosophised on. Right now it seems I operate only on a certain level of consciousness, shallower, less introspective, taking on whatever circumstances throw in my face.

I used to only live in the past or the future. Always ruminating on possibilities and regrets. There was always some vision to look forward to, vague and un-reachable in the distance, yet fascinating, always worth more thought, more thought.

Now, I live in the present. In the moment. And it seems I've stopped thinking so much. All those visions of the future have disappeared into a blank void, creating a strange, serene uneasiness in my psyche.

I feel lost.

Eyebrow-raising activities on my dead-end street Part 2

I live on a dead-end street.
It's dark and looks ominous at night.
Stumpy unidentifiable trees line the sides of this dead-end street.
Bats live in these trees and live happily off their fruit.

This dead-end street attracts some drivers to indulge in illegal parking.
I guess they think it's safe and unnoticeable.

Well, just parking your cars on our dead-end street is acceptable. Barely, though.
The residents here (the neighbours and my family) aren't mean enough to scratch warning messages on your cars or get them wheel-clamped or towed.
But still, the street itself can be considered our collective private property; even the church next door needs to get our mass approval before their congregational members get to park here.

Anyway, we'll shut one eye to the strange cars left parked there from time to time.

Additional activities, though, get attention, folks.
I know we live in a rather straight-laced society and doing anything naughty is really really exciting.
Plus in this case you throw in the danger factor of being caught.
It's illegal to tint car windows in Singapore, isn't it, so there isn't much privacy to consider when you stop your vehicle and indulge in some hanky panky.
If it's in the dead of night, say 2 a.m., well, yeah, it's probably fine, if you park in a dark and shadowed spot. The probability rate of you getting spotted by anyone walking by is really low.
But in broad daylight at 9 a.m.?!

Isn't it just gawdamn uncomfortable to engage in oral sex in the front seats? You've got so many things in the way...handbrake, gearstick, armrest, etc...

And parked right next to a church, too.

Do we pity the blowjob-giver here, admire the couple's sheer bravado, or despise them for shamelessness?

Just my luck for bumping into this scenario twice.

Eyebrow-raising activities on my dead-end street Part 1

QBJs in the front seat! Contortionistic Stunts! Free show for all to see!

(Stay tuned for Part 2, folks! Not to be missed!!!) *woot*

Content on MSN.com is actually readable, even...addictive?!

http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=4533&menuid=1&lid=428&ER=sessiontimeout

http://women.msn.com/relationshipsindex.armx

http://women.msn.com/160458.armx

I even like MSN Today... geez!!! Whatever happened to reading quality content online (and offline)?

You know, heavy, intellectual, current affairs-oriented newsy stuff, like...

http://today.reuters.com/news/default.aspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/?ok

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

http://www.economist.com/index.html?uviewed=3

http://www.time.com/time/

Or stuff that one finds relevant to career development and the acquisition of more knowledge, post-university corporate world information, the like...

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/index.jhtml

http://www.darwinmag.com/

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

http://startup.wsj.com/

http://www.marketingprofs.com/

We just don't have the time to read anymore, do we?
I've been stuck in Malcolm Gladwell's Blink for ages, and this other book, The One Minute Millionaire, by Mark Victor Hansen & Robert Allen, for even longer. Not that I dislike the 2 books...it's just slow going! This coming from someone who devoured The Lord of the Rings in its entirety (Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, Return of the King, and the Appendices) within a few days (less than a week, for sure), The Silmarillion within 3 days, and most other books within a few hours (thicker ones go up to a day at the most).

Maybe it's tougher to read on the computer. Maybe non-fiction is more difficult to read continuously, and tends to be easier to take up and put down. Maybe The Working Life just doesn't allow the time and energy for reading - and I'm talking about the meaningful, constructive, brain-feeding, truly enjoyable kind of reading that only bookworms can understand. Maybe it's age!

Or there's just too much entertaining, attractive, useless, trivial crap out there that just hooks you in and gets you to waste time reading bullshit...just for mental recreation, just to let your brain relax in the embrace of trashy news and utterly forgettable information...

I don't know. Am I just being neurotic and anal, now?

I am disappointed, though, that Mediacorp Publishing has acquired Elle Magazine. It's the only female magazine that I bother buying & keeping...if the content quality drops then, well, there's no more hope!

Here's the article:

Marketing Weekly, 31 August 2005

MediaCorp Publishing takes control
By Clarice Chiam

Singapore - MediaCorp Publishing (“MPB”) has acquired Hachette MediaCorp (“HMPL”) in a move that will see MPB publishing Elle Singapore under licence from Hachette Filipacchi Presse S.A directly.

MPB released a statement saying it decided to do away with the original joint venture between itself and Hachette Filipacchi Presse S.A in a bid to “respond better to the magazine’s reader and advertiser’s needs” as it will handle all aspects of publishing from content creation to marketing and distribution.

“The acquisition of HMPL is in-line with our strategic plans to streamline our corporate structure as we expand into the region,” said Philip Koh, CEO of MediaCorp Publishing. MPB also holds the licence to publish the Malaysian edition of Elle.

New Job

Rather slow news, am afraid! But who reads this crap, anyway?!

Made a really fast job-switch on the 25th Aug, leaping from MICE(Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions, oh what a relief to say tata to all that long-winded hogwash!!!) into Publishing.

(It feels like a right move back towards the creative industries, although still a different environment from advertising. A constructive, positive, motivating career move for yours truly. Hopefully!!!)

Must say I pulled a really speedy hat-trick for this whole episode; making up my mind to quit the current job, job-hunting, going for interviews without being obvious about it, succeeding, getting the offer, agreeing, resigning (it was a shocker to one of my bosses - had to suffer his shocked shriek over the phone), and doing handover...all in a matter of one month or so.

...And in the midst of all this, organising the last - probably the most memorable - networking event I would do for SACEOS... Schmoozing/grovelling with the potential and new members (to recruit them, of course - oh how dedicated I was to the recuitment cause for an utterly shitty association - until my last day I was still worrying about the membership stuff)... Juggling a social life, friends, family...
And trying - eventually failing, though it was not due to my being preoccupied with work or my bad time-management (but then, it just isn't so simple, is it? I'm suggesting something rather unfair) - to maintain a relationship with someone who was almost, but never completely, there for me.

Can't blame him, really. To be objective, circumstances broke us, and perhaps we were just not meant to be. There were so many issues that still remain unresolved, but I have to move on. I still wonder about how self-centredness/a lack of selflessness marked it all, or could have made it better or worse. So many tough questions that may never find answers. Questions about respect, trust, intimacy, honesty, religion, family-issues, communication, life perspectives, self-awareness, understanding each other...I probably made some mistakes I've made before and some new ones too, some of which I regret, others not at all. We were equal and yet disparate, similar and yet different; our being together was right and yet wrong, good and also bad... it also ended, though amicably, without real closure. (My fault, that.) Yet despite the worry/pain/sorrow/misery and all that post-breakup shit, despite it being so short-lived, he was worth it, somehow. Yet I've never been able to figure out how exactly he was worth it...still can't. *shrug* Now you can all accuse me of thinking too much, yes. I cannot escape this rather pathetic mental activity, though. I'm a brooder. (Doesn't that sound like a bird-like thing to do? ;p)

Thus, I departed without ceremony (only a rather uncomfortable, even unpleasant Pizza-Hut Delivery farewell lunch...the triple-cheese stuffed crust pizza was awesome, though! Highly recommended for cheese-lovers.) from www.saceos.org.sg (That damn lengthy organisation name shalt plague me no more!!! Now they can self-destruct and rot for all I care. Suckers. In every sense of the word! *grimace*) and made my entrance into www.paperclip.com.sg (Just by comparing the 2 websites, you can see the difference in the identity and culture in these 2 organisations. Says a lot.)

After more than one week, all I can say is: "Yeah!"
A much better place to work, kinder bosses, fun-loving colleagues...it feels almost surreal to get this lucky. It's quite close to a dream job in my book, but then again my standards are pretty off-the-mark from what most people may label as "benchmarks for a dream job" anyway.

I have to thank God for this, I know. :D

In other news: I'm doing a series of collaborative artwork with Shaun Ee/Doodle of Garden Silly - www.eeshaun.com - fame to print on t-shirts for www.nakedwhine.com. More updates soon!

How are you doing, though? Let me know.

C.S. Lewis makes sense.

"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - The Problem of Pain

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. " - The Four Loves

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis
http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/lewis.html

Now a must-read in the near future!!!

The Question that Won't Go Away

What made you change your mind in just one week?

DCT: Egression

Temporal muse
Whose presence evoked a tempest of unspoken emotions
Farewell
I will always remember the fiery intensity of this inspiration.


Light that becalmed my living sorrows
Shielding, ceasing the headlong rush towards self-destruction
Farewell
I will always remember the rapture, the warmth, of your embrace.

The 5 Languages of Love

http://selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=lovelanguages (Quiz)

http://selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=5lovelanguages (Quiz)

http://www.valleypresbyterian.org/curriculum/family_issues/LoveLang.htm (Christian study)
http://www.thefairkingdom.com/conservatory/couples/languages.html (Overview)

http://www.christianwomanspage.org/ll.asp (Women-oriented)


An Overview of Love Languages
By Natalie Nyquist

Can't you picture it? You return after a few days away from home, and little siblings rush to meet you. One smothers you in hugs and kisses, another jumping up and down asking if you brought her anything. Your father takes your coat and bag upstairs, while mom tells you she missed you and is so glad you are home.

Demonstrated in this common scene are four very different ways of showing love.

Understanding your friends' and family's love languages can be very helpful as you seek to serve and love them. For me, it has been encouraging to see that, while I have a different love language than everyone else in my family, because I understand what they need, I can serve my dad and spend time with my brothers, therefore showing them love in a way they can easily understand.

If you've ever felt “unloved”, it may be because your loved ones are not showing love in a way you easily see, but recognizing the various ways of expressing love is a tremendous help. Christ alone perfectly loves each of us and fulfills every need we have for acceptance and understanding. May our goal be to love as He has.

1. Words of Affirmation
We all like to hear an encouraging word now and then, but some people need that “I love you” on a daily basis. This doesn't necessarily mean that they have a low self-esteem, though that is a common misconception. Quite simply, words of endearment and praise are as vital to some people as water and bread. I know that for me, having someone tell me “I love you,” is just about the best thing in the world. :-) This is definitely my love language. Hearing encouragement, promises of loyalty, love, and, as the title suggests, affirmation of your character, talents etc. is essential. For those of you who are the “Words of Love” type, you probably give this love more than you receive it. Perhaps you like to talk things through thoroughly and analyze conflicts down to the bone, much to the dismay of the other types, who would just as soon put the situation behind them without spending an hour discussing it. :-) Remember if you are feeling unloved, that all the affirmation you can ever need is found in the Bible. There should be more than enough passages of love and loyalty to lift you up. :-) The key to showing love to this type of person is to say the assumed, even if you think it is a given. The people who long to hear “I love you,” and “I'm proud of you,” will be amazingly encouraged by those simple words.

2. Physical Touch
Know an adorable little girl who thrives on cuddles and hugs? Or perhaps you are the type of person who needs that goodnight hug and kiss from your parents. My brothers have learned to endure my hugs, my ruffling their hair. Just by their allowing it they demonstrate their love for me, even as I show them my love. For the people in your life who enjoy that hug or hand squeeze, make a special effort to show them you love them in the way they can most easily recognize. Whether its the three-year-old you teach in Sunday School or an older sibling, physical touch is one of the best ways to show Christ's love. Remember 1 Cor. 13 and keep your heart and motives pure.

3. Acts of Service
I need not expound to you the significance and necessity of serving the Body of Christ. This love language is an intense form of that need to serve. I have a friend who is constantly cleaning, writing sweet notes, taking time to teach someone something, reading to a sick child, being a peacemaker, or helping someone with something.
However, to love someone in this way, you must die to your personal wants and selfish ambitions. That is the hard part. But those whose language is acts of service need you to serve them. Doing a chore for someone unasked may be a wonderful opportunity to love.

4. Gift-Giving
This language could easily be seen as a more fleshly desire. It may seem selfish. But let's look at it from God's point of view. He too gives gifts to His children. Why? Out of His amazing love for us. I do not see anything wrong with the occasional thoughtful gift given as a sign of love, in hopes of encouraging another and aiding their spiritual growth. Some people are gifted to show love in this way. Learning to give as God gave—out of love.

5. Quality Time
All of us enjoy spending time with loved ones, and who doesn't feel treasured when you have an in-depth discussion, or fun game with your family? For some people this is their primary way of receiving and expressing love. For some it is the hardest to give, as it requires, in some ways, more of yourself than others. It is perhaps easier to hug someone than spend an hour with them, but true Christ-like love is willing to love in all ways.

As nice as it is to know what your language is, more importantly, strive to learn other's languages, and earnestly love them. Jesus perfectly loved everyone by healing, teaching, touching, caring, but most of all, by that act which we can never truly appreciate; His death is our life, and because of His love we can and must love others.

Amusing Dig at Apple

http://gprime.net/video.php/ipodflea

Subtle Hilarity in a Very Appropriate Gift (?)

http://localbrand.net/orientalist.htm
I'm sure we all know that Wendy Cheng a.k.a. Xiaxue is their endorsement model (which is kind of oddly off-colour, if you think about their tone and brand identity compared to hers). I like some of their shirts; this designer duo have a lot of sarcastic, cynical, passive-aggressive humour in their designs. Check them out and let me know how Nakedwhine can be different from them!

Anyway, it'd make a pretty interesting gift for folks working in, say, The Oriental Hotel. *snide grin*
What do you call someone who is immensely loyal/patriotic to the company he works for?

PARTY this Saturday???

www.kinemat.com

Fonder

In your absence

my senses reconstruct

our closeness

Your scent lingers

as though the air I breathe

must contain reminders of you.

Beyond the memory of

your presence

last felt

my mind makes me see

shades of you in others

and yet always I am aware of

the mockery in such perception.

Then, as I withdraw back into my

secure shell of loneliness,

self-sufficiency seems to crumble -

the aftermath of that intense intimacy floods my heart with

emptiness

A void within edged by a gentle understanding of sorrow, agony, loss

Aching.

Knowing

that the time and distance

keeping us apart only

grows the yearning -

(this irrepressible sensation

cannot be told

cannot be told)

for

another

touch.

Cool online retail: Custom Bags by Timbuk2

http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/welcome.t2
Great concept!!!

The Classic IQ Test

What's My IQ?
"Your IQ score is 133

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others. Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns. "

I'm a sucker for tests & quizzes like this...hehehe.
http://web.tickle.com/tests/uiq/index-pop.jsp?sid=&supp=&z=
http://web.tickle.com/tests/uiq/compare.jsp

Most Coveted Music Albums *drool*

Gotta get these albums, gotta get these albums, gotta get these albums...*chants some more*

OUT OF NOTHING by EMBRACE (UK)...essentially, anything by Embrace would make me salivate rabidly. This kind of music gets one high man, really really high...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002QXS92/ref=m_art_li_1/103-6366412-2531004?v=glance&s=music


X&Y by COLDPLAY...owning any album from Coldplay will probably make me grin stupidly...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/207300/ref=m_art_dp/103-6366412-2531004

HOPES & FEARS by KEANE...let's hope their next album doesn't disappoint, seriously...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000268QB2/ref=pd_art_sim_m_6/103-6366412-2531004?v=glance&s=music

Okay, I'm just addicted to Brit Rock.

Plus this one...can you believe this fellow is only 17???!! A burning HOT Prodigy; good looks, good voice, songwriting, singing, playing multiple instruments...he's proof that God is unfair!!!

BEFORE I SPEAK by KYLE RIABKO
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007R085I/ref=ase_accuradio/103-6366412-2531004?v=glance&s=music
.
.
.

BUT I AM BROKE!!! *whines miserably**SOB*

MARKETING WEEKLY, 13 July 2005

UOB shortlists prospective agencies
By Debbie Cai

Singapore - United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) has shortlisted BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi to join incumbent DDB in the pitch process for its regional creative business. The two shortlisted agencies trumped Euro RSCG and The Alchemy Partnership during the recently concluded first phase of the review, which involved a credentials presentation. The winning agency is expected to be announced in August.

“We are delighted -- the work has just begun, there’re a lot of challenges and it’s an exciting opportunity for BBDO Singapore,” said Seshadri Sampath, CEO of said agency. “We have the talent, local knowledge and relevant experience, and we want to leverage this across all the target markets of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.”

Simone Bartley, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi told Marketing Weekly that the UOB business is one that the agency had been “actively courting for some time”. She added that Saatchi’s category experience “runs deep”, and “with our fully integrated model, I’m convinced we would have a successful business partnership.”

UOB’s media business is currently handled by Universal McCann. The bank again declined to comment.

Alchemy gets stab at UOB review

By Debbie Cai

Singapore - Marketing Weekly has learnt that six-month-old start-up The Alchemy Partnership was involved in the recently concluded first phase of United Overseas Bank’s (UOB) creative review in Singapore. Other shops that presented their credentials are believed to be BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi and Euro RSCG. The incumbent DDB was not required to present.

“We are flattered that an iconic bank such as UOB should even look at The Alchemy Partnership -- it’s the sort of opportunity that hungry and ambitious start-ups -- with the right credentials -- need more of,” said Michael Liew, Executive Partner and COO at The Alchemy Partnership. Liew attributed this to the agency’s “progress with current clients in a short span of time” and the fact that its operating partners have worked on “practically every prominent financial brand here, local or foreign”.

Liew added that Alchemy was “hopeful” to have made “enough of an impression” on the client to get into the actual pitch process in the next round. The agency has plans to form an alliance with the Lowe Group if selected for the next round so as to be “operationally ready to take on regional, in-market account handling responsibilities, if required,” according to Liew.

“If we get to the pitch, we’ll give it our best shot and then some; if we don’t, it’s OK -- after all, we are the underdogs given the established international names that were also invited,” said Liew.

UOB declined to comment.

HJ's Up Close & Personal with NEIL GAIMAN

collage2-neil-web
Originally uploaded by kinetic-crisis.

That awesomely, incredibly, extremely lucky bitch! *LOL*

Keeps Me Sane @ My Lousy Job

www.accuradio.com