Preview: Circus

Britney Spears new album "Circus" will be launched in several days (Dec 2), the review so far seems to be on positive, and it sets to be another big hit. In the meantime, if you cannot wait to listen to the songs, imee provides a nice preview, which suprisingly provides a reasonably quality audio. Check it here: http://www.imeem.com/britneyspears. Not really sure if this is legitimate site. Let me know if it is not.

Below is 30 seconds preview of song titled "Circus":

Green?

Nowadays, "being green" has been a good marketing topic for some companies. I think it's good that big company starts to show some level of awareness and try to educate people the importance of saving mother earth. However, I have been bothered by marketing ploy to use this sacred "green" thing, but at the end the main concern is just cutting cost, rather than care for environment.

The place that I work now is located quite far from anywhere, so the management of the office buildings provide number of bus services to reach MRT or any nearby public places. Recently, they just announced that they will totally cut off all of this bus service, except peak hour in the morning and afternoon. And the reason for this annoyance is "being green". Although it's true that cutting bus transport can save environment, but there is no other "green" effort shown, rather than clearly cutting cost. The same thing happens now at California Fitness, which they don't allow member to get or exchange more than the complimentary one big and sport towel, and all for the sake of "being green". It's very disgusting that they use this reason, but there's no other effort shown to save environment, rather than cutting cost. Ugh..

Recession, job cut, and economic downturn have become main topic everywhere, the situation seems to get worse from day to day. Saturday Strait Times newspaper, that usually contains thick part of Recruitment, only have several pages of recruitment, and mainly, it's the government's agencies that still do recruitment. I hope that we can sail through this without so much destruction recorded.

Welcome Back

It's very interesting to see a bizarre years that Britney had in these recent years, from the bald depression and irresponsible act as mother. But, I cannot wipe off the pity feeling for Britney Spears. Now, she is preparing a come back album, titled 'Circus'. Her first single 'Womanizer' is just her material, same excitement as one the during her good year, like 'Toxic'. This song break another record in Billboard Hot 100, from 80+ position in first week to number 1 in the second weak. I cannot help but to repeat this song numerously in my walkman, along with her other recent songs, Piece of Me and Gimme More. And, she is just so sexy in the video clip, far from her 'pui pui' appearance last year. Attached in this post is her new album cover, hmm.. not bad, but can be better.

Back to the gym, I have been fans of Step Class for 4-5 months, but sadly, it's been difficult to conquer level 3 class by Colin or Jeremy. But jia you, I'll keep trying :).

Re: Hard-Sell

As mentioned in my previous post, I am quite happy with my current gym membership, although it's a result of hard sell too, which I am growing to hate the practice. Since my gym membership contract almost comes to an end, I am always offered with new contract which is longer and cheaper. Although I am interested, I always decline to it, as I am not sure I can commit to such period and it's a one time off payment. But, I think I will just sign one day to the contract.

When I read one post in one discussion forum offering cali membership, I just asked how much he would charge for the same contract offered to me before. The reply asks me to PM him for more detail, so I PM him with the detail, and his reply was to ask me to give him my phone number(wtf). I declined to do so, and I asked him if he can provide cheaper rate. Since I was quite busy, I only checked my PM 2-3 days later, I saw two replies in inbox that span between 1 day. One to answer me that the rate is about the same + useless bonus, and the other reply:

"Urgent Request: For those that i've shared with you the rates and promotions, pls reply either by PM or SMS if ur interested or NOT. As if u don't i will take it as ur only wasting my time and in future of any awesome promo package, i will not inform or shared it with you. If ur not interested i will really appreciate if u cld TELL ME SO... so that i'll know that it's not within your budget and.. i will inform u of any new promo package in the coming future.. I'm really hope that u'll understand wher i'm coming from as i've saved u the trouble to come to the club and enquire. least u cld do is to let me know if ur keen or not.

Thank you for your kind understanding.

Have a good day to all."

I found that reply was kind of rude ("wasting my time, etc"). Come on, you're the sales people, and you already lose your patient by no reply to your message in 1 day??. Since I believe that he only took about 3-4 minutes to reply my message and he already lost his patience by wasting his 3-4 minutes, I don't know how he handled real people in the gym that just want to use free visit which can waste the sales people time for hours for hard sale.

I am very happy that this weekend will be a long one, but I don't have anything on plan. So, I planned to chiong all the way in gym by attending multiple classed this Saturday (step, zumba, step again, and pump), but the night before, I found a bit pain in my back, not sure if it's result of the thursday's jacelyn pump. So, I think it's better not to do so many classes, and in the end, I only did Daniel's step and Colin's combat in orchard. There's long time in between, we go shopping with gym buddies, and eat so much sinful food. So, in spite of we plan to pump out all the calories, we pump in more. Haha..

Hard-Sell

It's been a regular tactic that is used by sales "professional" to push their product to the customer. Just use whatever words or actions that can motivate people to buy their products. And, nowadays, this hard-sell tactic can be seen anywhere from MRT to bus stop, office lobby, and even changing room (omit last one). Although customers has the last say to accept or reject the offer, but sometimes they are already pushed to far to say no, and after the "cooling-down" period passed, mostly they will feel they have purchased or signed something that they don't really need. I myself have been the victim of several forms of "hard-sell", from should-bargained-more gym membership to the overpriced personal trainer, not-that-useful facial, too-expensive laptop, overcharged-premium insurance, etc. Most of this hard-sell involved considerable amount of money to spend or certain time frame of commitment, and the most I have spent and the most I regret is personal trainer, although I like the gym membership. This article should highlight some of us felt.

There is one way to fight back this hard sell is to accept that you are weak to sale tactic. I don't realize this before, and when I tell myself that I am very weak, I will be more careful when I face another hard sell tactic. And, another one is thick face, just don't care whatever pity face or how attentive the sales person is. I just went to one of the massage center to have a quick back and shoulder massage, and after the session, I was offered a package that was started from 20 session to 10 to 5, and the price keeps dropping with more free stuff throw in like foot massage. But I successfully walk away, although I already felt a bit tempted. Lucky..

Greed,,

It's been clear that the whole global financial market is in crisis now and everything is so messy, that some journalist has stated that "capitalism has collapsed". Financial market has been running with full of greed this past years. CEO and the so called "executive" have been paid with such a fat green check for the amount of money can be generated into the market, not matter it's a real or fake money. The collapse of Lehman Brothers had been at least cost some retirees to lose most of their life savings, and it's quite shocking to read the news that just several months before it's collapsed, the company had paid 20 millions to several executives that quit the company. AIG has been spared, but ugly news reported that the executives had celebrated this bailout with $44,000 spa. Well, mess has been created, we can just hope that small people like us will not be impacted so much by this crisis/recession, and not much damage will be created in the history.

After tiring but good step class at novena last Sunday, there's a fire problem near the male changing room that caused bad smell smoke (like burning wood) and the electricity was cut off. I rush to changing room to take all my thing and leave. But, surprisingly, all people in the changing room still moved in slow motion in the very dimmed light. Even there's one fat guy still slowly walk around naked, not sure what happens if there's immediate evacuation.

Well, in the middle of bad things going around, we just need a song to relax ourselves. I like this version of "Over the Rainbow", which according to the description in YouTube, is sang by Israel Kamakawiwo.

Run For Hope

I happen to have the chance to go for Singapore Run For Hope, a charity event for cancer research, this morning. The marathon was started at 730AM, so I had to wake up very early to be there on time, which is very difficult thing for me to do. I am a late-sleeper, so I also wake up very late in the weekend. This is also my first time joining this kind of event, and being first time, it's better to start with 4 KM, rather than 10 KM. Taking cab from Bedok, the traffic to east cost was quite bad, so I decided to alight outside of east coast. The event was started with warming up, by a fat ang-moh with big tummy, which is quite un-motivating. Mr Teo Ser Luck flag off the race. After passing 3KM, I felt like running out of breath and my leg feel a bit burning. But I managed to arrive at finish line around 30mins, not a very good time, as a lot of other people had been standing there enjoying apple or banana that was provided by the organizer. The cooling down was instructed by the fat ang moh again. There were also quite a number of hot uncles there doing cool down, with half-naked body :). Overall, it's quite fun and look forward to another event like this.