Help for a reason?

Thought of the day:

Isn't there enough FREE land on earth for each family, where we can build a house or cultivate the land? We have enough potential and resources to eliminate poverty. Despite all that development aid to developing countries, these countries have hardly progressed - perhaps partly due to the receiver's inability to manage the money but also because of the donors' intentions. Development aid is a political masquerade. I doubt there is a genuine help if it's done through the government level. It's politics and business.

"You support us in the UN security council and we HELP you build highways". That's not help. The first part of the statement is usually obscured and only the latter part is usually revealed for public consumption. We fall for that.

Nothing to see

Beauty, ego, jealousy and pride
Bunch of thoughts contradicting each other 

There is nothing to see in me
I am what you are in your purest form

I survived...

My last post was about my dream that had a prediction of my death. The dream led me to a premonition that made me feel something may happen to me. It wasn't such a strong feeling but it had me thinking for few days.

Now I am back again. The dream has gone, the premonition passed without any effect. I survived the whole process. The death did not occur and I really don't know if this experience has changed something in me.

Are we free or are we slaves?

We all have certain interests but we sometimes get too carried away into something that we tend to become slaves to our own interests. We also unknowingly become slaves to things, people and ideas around us- money, material wealth, political views, consumerism and whatnot. You may say the word "slavery" is a bit intense in this context but you get the point.

We think we are free and live in a democratic nation but we don't even contemplate how we are being controlled and manipulated.

Today is my last day on earth?

Last week I had a dream. In my dream, a doctor advised me that August 30 is going to be my last day. When I woke up, I didn't panic at all but the dream got me thinking for a while. I believe dreams are just my subconscious trying to communicate with my conscious mind and perhaps suggesting something which I haven't been able to decipher. Perhaps my death means I will be reborn with a new mindset or something new is on the way.

I will wait and see if I open my eyes tomorrow morning.

Humanity is overrated

In general, we are only liked until we become useful to others. Even within the close relationships, this is usually true. Unconditionally loving or admiring someone is rarely found and is matter of "divine" luck to have that kind of relationship.

A fake Apple store in China

I've heard a lot about fake Chinese products and the bad quality ones but I don't recall hearing about a fake store. This week there has been an internet sensation about a fake Apple store in Kunming, China. A blogger, BirdAbroad, took photos of this fake Apple store and wrote a blog post about it.

The store has “Apple Store” written underneath the glowing apple icon. Usually Apple stores only have the apple icon with nothing written underneath or on the sides. So it's not a correct branding.

The blogger also wrote, 'The name tags around the necks of the friendly salespeople didn’t actually have names on them – just an Apple logo and the anonymous designation "Staff"'.

Photo: http://birdabroad.wordpress.com

Photo: http://birdabroad.wordpress.com

According to the blogger, it is not on the list of one of the authorised Apple resellers. It's not clear if the products they are selling are genuine Apple products. I read on another news article quoted an employee of the fake store saying their products are not fake. Fake products or not, the store seems to be a real fake. If you don't intend to sell fake products, why don't you obtain a reseller license? Then there won't be any dramas.

One of the signs has "Store" misspelled as "Stoer", hehe. Typo!

Photo: http://birdabroad.wordpress.com

I don't understand what pride can they have from doing this?  It's absolutely uncreative and deliberately fooling people. I am already sick of crap products flooding the market. It's sad to see people going to that length to make some money.

What's next - a fake Steve Jobs?