This THING called ANGST. When you're FEELING HOT, stay COOL.

This THING called LIFE.

Into our LIVES, some rain must fall, right?

One cannot expect rays of sunshine all the time.

Forget about the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.

No, Sir.

In the business world, FAILURE is a "four letter" word. 

It can sap and drain your CONFIDENCE.

Isn't it global recession now?

Mass unemployment, credit crunches, missed opportunities - the lot.

You'd cringe when big fat accounts zoom out of  the window like birds fluttering away quickly for better weather.

LIFE IS NEVER EASY, NOR FAIR.

You might not be able to observe the mechanics of your own cycle, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

REALITY DOESN'T GO AWAY WHEN YOU STOP BELIEVING IN IT.

Human follies, uncharted lives, false friends, they will all exist in our daily struggles.

It ain't summer all year round.

And winter comes with the frost bites.

Ahhh ... this thing called ANGST.

When you are feeling HOT, stay COOL.

SMILE.  LOVE YOURSELF.  SMILE AGAIN.

Because if you do not love yourself, then it is impossible to love others.

Everyone needs some self-respect.

REALITY bites, ahh ...

This bite can scorch really deep and hurting.

SHARON K, a fellow blogger provides some useful tips on how to weather this storm:

STAY POSITIVE, ALWAYS

Have you ever
Stopped to think
When tearing hair
And on the brink

Of wanting out
Of things to come
That all those things
Aren't even done

They haven't happened
Yet you act
As if they're here...
You just react

React to what?
It's in your mind
You liken it
To what's behind

Yet when it comes
You find you sail
Right through it all
Without a wail

Why did you waste
That energy?
Maybe next time
You will just "be".

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, FORGET THE PAST

Life isn't as we all expect
It doesn't go that way
We have to make the most of it
And take it day by day

Have no regrets about the past

And do not live in fear

Of what might come, and never does
Just put your focus here

Here in this moment, that's the place
To make the most of life
Whatever comes, just turn it 'round
Create some joy from strife

I know you have that strength in you
I've seen it there before
Just draw on that to see you through
Don't look back anymore.

SO WHEN YOU ARE FEELING HOT, STAY COOL, CHUM.

That is, if you wanna stay in one cool piece.

Are you blessed with a lyrical soul?

Can you thrive under the BEST and WORST conditions?

Look around you and count your blessings.

There are people who are born without limbs.

There are those who are blind.

Yet they are alive and breathing.

SMILE. THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU.

And tomorrow can always be better.

SO TREAD GENTLY.

PLAY IT SAFE.

WALK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF WISEDOM.

JAPANESE FILM "DEPARTURES". Can PARTING be such SWEET SORROW?

THANK GOD for such a beautiful touch-your-soul movie.

 I didn't realize that "DEPARTURES"  can be so emotionally uplifting.

It serves as a grim reminder that LIFE CAN BE WONDERFUL, if we allow it to be.

And shouldn't we all?

YES, there's no  such thing in life as permanence.

We come, we go.

Life s a series of comings and goings.

We live, we die.

It's a rite of passage, a journey in this world, the very moment we were born.

PARTING can be such sweet sorrow.

It can really rip right into your very soul - and tear your emotions apart.

It's heartbreaking,

Especially if it's time to say "goodbye" to someone who had always loved you,

And who had stood by you through the test of time,

Did I not read somewhere of this poem ...?

" ...  where would you go
that i cannot follow?
for how long must i wait
until we meet again?

what would i do
in times that i miss you?
where would i go
in times when i long to see you again?
how must i spend
the nights without you?

how do i bear
each morning that you’re not there?
shall i ever smile again?
will i ever laugh again?
will i ever face the world again
knowing that im not alone?

why must you leave me?
why must i cry these tears
when you’re not here
to wipe them all away?
why must i suffer
the empty days without my beloved?

why must i dream
without you by my side?
the days shall never be the same again
i will never be the same again ... "

THERE'S A QUIET SERENITY AND BEAUTY IN DEATH.

Maybe that is what Japanese film director YOJIRO TAKITA is leading us to believe in his 2009 ACADEMY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FOREIGN FILM - "DEPARTURES".

It is steeped in realism, warmth and tenderness.

His hero is an out-of-work classical cellist who takes on another disdainful job, that of an "encoffineer" or a funeral professional.

Needless to say, all  human beings have to die someday, but this dreadful subject is taboo for most.

We do not wish to confront it.

But death happens and the dead occupies a large part of life.

DEPARTURES, the award winning Japanese film explores the universality of death to help the film finds its international audience.

You are treated to emotion-wrenching scenes of death rituals, of the handling of corpses,

Before sending them into the next world.

Watch this poignant moment in the movie when an old man says:

"I've often thought that maybe, death is like a gateway,

Dying doesn't mean the end,

You go through it and onto the next thing,

And as the gatekeeper,

I have sent many on their way,

Telling them, 'Off you go,

We'll meet again! ' "

So count your blessings,

Savor every drop of your life and friendship now.

Treasure your loved ones around you.

Never take anybody for granted.

They may be here today, and gone tomorrow.

Say something nice.

Give your loved ones warm hugs.

Talk to your parents,

Tomorrow is another day.

And tomorrow may be too late.

NO, this is not a movie review.

It's rather, a MORAL that I derive after watching.

The hero plays the cello.

Every time his music starts, you can almost grasp the intensity, the haunting beauty of the piece.

It strikes a cord in me that life's bitter-sweet ...

So much so that my eyes tear ....

"DEPARTURES" helps me remember what I might otherwise forget -

A lesson in positive life-preservation.

EDISON CHEN. HEALING THE HURTS as Life Moves On. The DEMON shows PENITENCE.

Let's borrow the title from DAN BROWN's famous thriller ANGELS & DEMONS for this article.

It's apt.

EDISON CHEN.

He is one pretty boy DEMON oozing unnerving charm.

So you can classify him as the incidental arch-ANGEL.

Oxymoron or Paradox?

Bless this child?

YES, but every inch along the way, he still has to douse the fire he ignited more than a year ago when lucid pictures of his sexual escapades were leaked all over the internet.

" I am also the victim," claimed EDISON CHEN.

But for his beautiful damsels in waiting, the damages were irrepairable as the dents had already sunk too deep,

He had so far expressed to the Hong Kong MEDIA, (the latest was on CNN's TALK ASIA on June 3,2009), of his indiscretions and the shame.

He openly apologized to the hapless actresses involved in the scandal and sought their forgiveness.

No, confessed GILLIAN CHUNG in a recent televised interview with TVB Honcho STEPHEN CHAN in Hong Kong,EDISON had not contacted her with a personal apology.

It would have been a sincere gesture if he did.

Whether he's the devil sprouting fire and brimstone (" the sex pictures were consensual, the acts were filmed knowingly"), or the angel spilling cherubic honey (the charming dandy), EDISON was man enough to admit that he was young and reckless when he took those photos.

He has shown penitence. He's healing the hurts. And life moves on.

And like each and everyone of us, there comes a time that we get tired of the mundane world, and would like to embark on an adventure-of-sorts.

And in all our lives, some rain must fall, right?

But silliness can cause us to hit rock bottom if caution is thrown to the four winds -

LIFE's like this, you get mettle and grit thrown to you from time-to-time,

These are challenges and we embrace them.

EDISON CHEN is now facing the  biggest challenge of his lifetime, fighting to save his integrity in an act of redemption,

He's facing the consequences in full force now, and at the end of the day, it must be a lesson well learnt.

Did he?

His entertainment career is non-existent presently, and his clothing business may have suffered an image crisis.

He has lost a myriad of acting and business opportunities.

No decent advertising endorsement wants to be associated with a devious name.

That's MONEY down the drain,

MONEY that goes with the toilet's flush which may enable him to call-the-shots,

Especially at a time when his father, business man CHEN CHAK MAN was declaring bankruptcy proceedings,

A case of wrong timing.

It's not easy and we respect what he has been going through.

There are probably thousands of perverts out there who are doing what Edison Chen did - filming sexual trysts.

Cheap thrills, but these culprits were never exposed.

The paparazzi isn't interested in them anyway.

Simply because they are NOT CELEBRITIES.

Like we all know, stardom may bring fame and money -

BUT STARDOM COMES WITH A PRICE TAG.

SO USE IT WISELY.

HAYDEN KHO, you are up next!

STOP PRESS!

Any gossip on EDISON CHEN remains newsworthy, right?

The mere mention of this name provides that kind of buckle-up-for-edge-of-your-seat excitement for his many followers, much to the man's chagrin.

On Saturday June 20, 2009, EDISON CHEN appeared in MALAYSIA to publicly launch the 1st Malaysian outlet of his boutique, the JUICE Store that stocks the inhouse label CLOT and various streetwear, urban clothing and footwear.

He appeared to be in high spirit, smiling and waving to fans and readily answered questions fielded by the press.

In the past decade, many popular Hong Kong artistes had also invested in Malaysia, among them a duck rice franchise, restaurant management to celebrity make-over ventures.

As usual, many hundreds of curious fans thronged the openings, but when it was time for business, the patronage was far from pleasing.

And sadly speaking, these businesses had since folded.

We know that every product faces a shelf life if top-of-mind awareness is not perpetuated.

Celebrity endorsements can sometimes be a farce,

True, they create buzz and attention to the product -

But they do little to increase sales except "to jack up the price sky-high",

Samplings are proven to do a better job to lift items off the shelf,

Whatever the case,

It pays to be friendly to the paparazzi,

Respect what the online media can do,

It's the digital age now,

The internet can make or break you,

So move forward with the trends.

Come clean.

So there -

Stay tuned, folks!

'TIS A MOMENT IN TIME when the WHOLE EARTH stands still. YOU BELONG TO ME.

LOVE IS ALL AROUND, this time.

Just take it easy and breathe deeply.

Let's borrow a line from Carole King's hit song I HEAR THE EARTH MOVES,

Not blasphemy, dude.

It can be for real.

But if you have roving eyes and enjoy philandering, kindly skip this article.

NO, we are we NOT targeting die-hard fans of EDISON CHEN and HAYDEN KHO.

We do NOT endorse sexual romps online here.

In fact, we are just plain tired of those two pretty boys' sex scandals.

Because we were overfed by the ongoing gossip.

This one is for serious people who treasure LOVE and RELATIONSHIP.

Love can make anyone reel and rock,

Love can heal and touch souls.

It's nothing new that myriad of unhappy people trudge through loveless mundane existence,

Day after day and year after year,

Until one day, they decide to do an abrupt U-turn on their way home.

It goes to say that they have finally awaken from their troubled slumber.

They've espied their "second SPRING" or a second lease in life.

What's love got to do with it?

Plenty.

Just hum along with this CLASSIC HIT "YOU BELONG TO ME",

Let the beautiful lyrics touch your heart and usher in the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.

" See the pyramids around the Nile
Watch the sun rise
From the tropic isle
Just remember darling
All the while
You belong to me

See the market place
In old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember
When a dream appears
You belong to me

And I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too

Fly the ocean
In a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till

you're home again

You belong to me

Oh I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too

Fly the ocean
In a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till
You're home again
YOU BELONG TO ME ".

I am sure you'll reach for the tissue and wipe away a tear or two.

Just remember -

WHAT'S LIFE IF THERE'S NO LOVE?

Treasure it while you still have it.

Because true love is binding and unconditional.

And it may not be around for as long as you want it to be.

Savour LOVE today.

Let LOVE seep into your soul,

And create in you - a NEW being.

An IDIOT's JOKE. How EXTREMELY HARD CAN YOU GET in the FORBIDDEN PALACE of ILLICIT DESIRE?

In trying times like this when the whole world is rocking from a global economic downturn, an old friend of mine tries to incite cheer with his glorious joke, that is, if you find it funny.

FIRST, the title is already a dead giveaway sham.

Once upon a time, there was this merry king.

And this king had a beautiful daughter, the PRINCESS.

But there was this problem. Everything the princess touched would just melt. No matter what: metal, wood, stone, They would just melt. Because of this, men were terrified of her. Nobody would dare marry her.

No way, they did not wish to melt away. The king was exasperated. What could he do to help his daughter? He consulted his wizards and magicians. One wizard told the king, 'If your daughter ever touches one thing that does not melt in her hands, she will be cured.' The king was overjoyed and came up with a wise plan. The next day, he held a competition. Any man that could bring forward to his daughter any object that would not melt would qualify to be her groom and inherit all the king's wealth. THREE YOUNG PRINCES TOOK UP THE CHALLENGE.

The first brought a sword of the finest steel.

But alas, when the princess touched it, it melted, and the prince went away sadly . The second prince brought diamonds. He thought diamonds were the hardest substances in the world and would definitely not melt. But alas, once the princess touched them, they too melted. He too was sent away disappointed. Finally, it was the third prince's turn. He told the princess, " Now, take one deep breath and hold. Then put your lovely hand in my pocket and just feel the glorious thing there." The princess rose to the occasion. Her face turned as red as the beetroot when she felt a snaky substance "growing" as she nudges it with her dainty hand.

Not only that.

There was something HARDER, another substance.

That "another" substance was awesome. It felt small but was really hard. She squeezed it with all her might. And hey presto, it did not melt!

The king was overjoyed. Everybody in the kingdom was overjoyed. And the third prince married the princess and they both lived happily ever after.

WHAT was in the prince's pants?

M&M Chocolate Candies, you guess?

They are HARD, and they melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

Not forgetting also - the Prince's well-endowed phallus.

Now the Princess had the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Whatever were you thinking?

How corny can you get?

Sure, the Prince's erect penis and the "bonus" of M&M Chocolate.

Yummy ..... for the Princess, that is.

Someone passed on this advertising tale to me and I am still trying to guess the product's "positioning".

I am still scratching my head for a apt solution.

Can I classify this one under SHOCK ADVERTISING?

How does the two items relate?

At what point does the marketing OR the branding come in?

And for YOU?

WELL, YOU CERTAINLY DO HAVE A DIRTY MIND, yes?

END OF STORY.