Modern and miserable

...slaves we have become in today's society. According to Wikipedia, slavery is “a form of forced labour in which people are considered to be the property of others”.

If you observe the people around us and listen to them...many of them often talk about work, career, latest add-ons (gadget, luxury goods...) to their lives, latest entertainment, etc. They are working hard, often on the look out and moving on to supposedly greener pastures. Life is a series of upgrading in their lifestyle. Do they enjoy working? Do they get satisfaction from their jobs?

The brutal truth is that we make changes to ourselves and to our lives for the objects we desire to own. To illustrate: because I want to own a property, therefore, I need to find a better-paying job to help me reach my goal. When I do finally achieve, I'd feel a great sense of achievement and satisfaction because I earn it. It's my reward. BUT am I willing to overlook the long hours, and frustration (and possibly greater debts to finance the lifestyle)? Perhaps I am...and for sure, I have my next goal lined up waiting for me.

It's a vicious cycle. What frustrates me is that we are aware of it and we continue to let ourselves adapt to these changes. We should learn to say "No"...and NOT let greed overtake us.

I miss the mountains

"...in The Age of Missing Information, Bill McKibben...compares what he learns from a week in the mountains to what he learns from watching a week's worth of cable television. On the mountaintop, McKibben experiences himself as small yet connected to something large and awe-inspiring. He comes down from the mountain calm and clear-thinking. Watching cable for a week, he hears over and over that he has unmet needs, that he is grossly inadequate, yet he still is the center of the universe, deserving of everything he wants. McKibben ended the week feeling unfocused, agitated, and alone."

~Mary Pipher's Writing to Change the World

STUFF in my life

I know I have lots of stuff, and I keep lots of stuff...but I have little idea of how much stuff I threw or give away or recycle them.

Stumbled upon this interesting and informative clip. It gives a good snapshot of how things work in this world. I also like the way how the information is being presented, via pictorial illustration (yea, I like things being simple).


It's Christmas now so I guess it's a good time to start. Before I grab some stuff for my family or friends as prezzies, I better make sure it's not some stuff that would fall into obsolescence...but some useful stuff they need. Yup, the keyword is NEED.

Perceived reality

Is probably illusory


[Dove Evolution]

Follow-up to Evolution

[Dove Onslaught]

All it takes is socialization… bombarding the masses with such messages, turning their inner desire to needs...

Well done, Dove!
...though I am not so sure how well this (a FMCG brand) is connecting with the masses via such message platform.

My recent working companion

…for the past week has been Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees.

Perhaps it’s age…I find solace in songs I grew up listening to. Or maybe it’s the melancholy mood of this song that is appealing to me. *chuckle* yes, am drawn to melancholism. It does make me feel gloomy, but I feel at ease with it. I think it’s part of me.

Song is also about mass consumerism…everything turning into plastic, becoming unreal…

"A green plastic watering can
For a fake Chinese rubber plant
In the fake plastic earth…"

Jus to become ‘the someone’ that someone wants you to become…

"And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted
All the time, all the time"

And as the chorus goes…"it wears me out, it wears me out"…