I don’t usually comment on company matters, but the launch of Elegant Living magazine and website by Global Sources next month is, in my humble opinion, more of an experiment than an extension of its brand value. For those who are familiar with the business model of Global Sources, its foray into the consumer market… Read More »
Several years ago when I visited Beijing, I remembered observing with a tinge of sadness the presence of a Starbucks joint within the Forbidden City. At that time, I already thought it was sacrilegious for a commercial entity to taint the Forbidden City’s historical significance. Good thing now the Seattle-based coffee chain has been banished… Read More »
Blogger Yawning Bread recently wrote an article pointing out the possible inflated claims made in a Straits Times report titled “HDB rents at 10-year high” (21 July 2007 – just in case the link becomes inactive due to archiving, you can download a saved version in Word format). In it, he suggested that the media… Read More »
Diversified technology company 3M was so sure its “Security Glass” would stand a double-footed kick from a man with a 30ft head start that it stashed a large stack of cash behind it in a bus stop ad, as shown in the picture on the left. It’s a great advertising gimmick, but I wonder how… Read More »
Over the weekend, I was back in Singapore to process some documents at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and I observed that the place was flooded by mainland Chinese either applying for citizenship or passport. This got me thinking: these people are unlikely to vote against the establishment, since by opting to come to Singapore,… Read More »
Notwithstanding FORTUNE magazine’s portrayal of him as a futurist (“The smartest (or the nuttiest) futurist on Earth”, May 14 issue), Ray Kurzweil has demonstrated an eerie sense of delusion. An obvious indication of his delusional nature is that the man intends not to die. And he’s planning to achieve that by taking 230 supplement pills,… Read More »