It's all about MARKETING!

Goodness, getting Paris Hilton to endorse Zen Micro? What's Ah Hoo thinking???

Btw, saw the Carl's Jr ads?










Still fiddling with my Zen Micro...very bad at this kind of gadgets. But quite good the player, just that the battery doesn't seem to last as long as it claimed leh...*shrug* Read that Creative announced a profit warning, and resulted in its share price plunging to a 2-year low. Poor Sim Wong Hoo. Ya, he a bit big hoot when he talked big about overtaking Apple, but you don't get anywhere if you don't aim for the stars, right? And Apple is definitely a star in the MP3 player market. Got to give it to Mr Sim, don't forget his good work in making SoundBlaster known all over the world.

Read another article about local companies being really bad at its branding efforts. People can rattle off brands like Apple, Microsoft, McDonald's, etc effortlessly, but when some Singaporeans were asked about the local brands (SMEs) they can remember, most if not all respondents were stumped. One even asked if Giordano is from Singapore. =_= Many local companies not good at branding, usually only try to stuff things down your throat, with ads bombarding you left, right, upside-down. (yeah, I am referring to that "woo-ah" Osim ad...yet another Sim! Sims make good entrepreneurs? Oh, which reminds me that I had yet to touch my SIMS II...)

Yeah, product quality and content are important, but don't forget nowadays things like MP3 players are no longer just consumer commodities, they also depict a "lifestyle". What makes you think Breadtalk was so hot when it was first introduced? It is not just about selling any boring old bread, it's about selling a lifestyle with its cool shopfront and open kitchen.

In business, we no longer offer consumers a product, we say we offer them a "solution". Marketing and packaging is very important ok...which sounds nicer - cleaner or "sanitary engineer"? Go figure.

Song about pig *oink oink*

Still humming 老鼠爱大米 ??? Outdated liao lah...the "in" song is now 猪之歌 ...yeah, smart, the song is all about pig =P Don't laugh, this song is HOT in China, ok!!!

oink oink rules!

Out: Adidas. In: Adidog!

My dog lazing around on the floor...and what is that she is wearing???














Cool Cool Adidog vest! Got this from Bangkok for less than S$10 (saw it selling in SG for $16), and she can now look smart AND cool at the same time, given all the ventilation holes on the vest...

Have a ice-cold dessert!

Always wanted to mention this place but slipped my mind. It hails from Taiwan and is well-known for its ice desserts, particularly its mango ice. Its mixed fruit ice (mango + kiwi + strawberry) is my personal favourite as well. It comes with a big dollop of mango sorbet, yummy!

The place is located in The Bencoolen, halfway between the Guan Yin temple and Sim Lim Square, facing the Bencoolen St. If you happen to pass by that area in swelting heat, drop by and give its fabulous ice a try!

Someone is apparently enjoying his ice! Yummy yummy~ *slurp*

Thou shall not harm others...neither shall allow others to harm thou

Am now reading a book by 劉墉 called "超越自己﹐肯定自己﹐ 創造自己". Only started a few chapters so far, really can relate to what he said.

In one of the stories, he told of a traveller who befriended a fellow passenger. Upon disembarking, his new-found friend said he had too many luggages to carry and asked him to help him carry one of them. He agreed, but as they were exiting the customs, he was stopped by officers who found drugs in his "friend's" luggage which he helped carry. He screamed innocence but his "friend" had disappeared by then. He was eventually charged in court for attempting to smuggle drugs. That's what you get for being helpful.

This author does not stand on a moral high-horse and preach that one should always help those in distress. Instead, he believes "害人之心不可有﹐防人之心不可無", which means that you should never think about harming others, but that doesn't mean you should let down your guard and think that others will not cause harm to you. Not asking to turn your back against every request lah, just that one must be sensible and rational even when it comes to helping friends. He quoted another example of asking a long-time friend who was travelling overseas to help him deliver a package. His friend agreed to it, but he requested to open the package and take a look. His friend didn't mean any offence, just that in today's times when even family members kill each other for money, nothing is ever for sure. If you don't even want to protect yourself, who is going to do that for you? Wake up candy-eyed ones, this world is realistic lah...正所謂, "人不為己﹐天誅地滅".

Quote you some of his other interesting stories next time...

U no money? Just too bad.

It was reported that the income gap in Singapore is widening. Standard answers from the men-in-white are as expected - it is a global phenomenon, lower-income people should go for skills upgrade, etc. For the mid-income, as usual "you are not within our radar screen, since you can afford such 'miniscule" increases". Not implying that the lower-income families do not deserve help, but is such assistance fast enough to keep up with the increasing costs of living?

It is always reported to death that Singaporeans should remain competitive to keep labor costs low, but I seldom see any policies being implemented to keep the cost of living low. The cost of living is rising simply too fast for many to cope. A bowl of noodles costs at least $3 nowadays, a two-fold increase from around a decade or two ago, but for many low-income people, are their salaries rising in tandem? Don't ask those high flyers who think nothing about throwing a few thousands on a cherry bag, ask those who have to scrimp every penny to keep their families afloat. Upgrading their flat can fetch a higher resale price? Where are they going to get the money in the first place? From low-interest loans, it was suggested. But why are they taking on additional burdens when they even have to live from hands to mouth? Oh, but the majority voted yes, so you have to go through it too. (Like I give a damn to what happens to you) To these borderline cases, they just need a roof over their head and food for sustenance. They don't need frills which they are "forced" into paying. And to be frank, if most of the flats get upgraded eventually, almost everyone will be back on the same footing, so how are you going to get a "greater fool" to part more dosh for your flat? The net effect is that the poor now take on a much heavier burden which may or may not be relieved eventually. Already no money, now seeing the red. (face puffing red, bank account also red)

This is how the income gap grows, and the poor gets left further and further behind.