… and grabbing our money today. Unfunny jokes aside, this new marketing campaign from Intel, “Sponsors of Tomorrow”, just kicked off this week, and I am already absolutely in love with the whole campaign! Check out the following ad, it’s soooo well-done.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqLPHrCQr2I

“For more than 40 years Intel has been delivering tomorrow’s ‘normal,’ and our new marketing campaign is a way for the world to be made aware of this fact,” said Deborah Conrad, Intel vice president and general manager, Corporate Marketing Group. “We’re hoping to convey that we’re not just a microprocessor company, but a move-society-forward-by-quantum-leaps company.

“Our image, our brand are far too powerful to just be a microprocessor when, in fact, the greatest strength of the Intel brand will always be what is still to come. What Intel develops today leads the path toward a better tomorrow.”

The multi-million-dollar marketing campaign is the largest for Intel since “Multiply,” the September 2006 campaign that supported the then-new Intel Core 2 Duo. “Sponsors of Tomorrow” is expected to have a lifespan of 3 to 5 years, and was created by Venables Bell & Partners in San Francisco. It is the first campaign for Intel by the agency since being awarded Intel’s master brand account in January.

“Most of the world knows Intel as a huge, multi-national chipmaker, but the company is much more than that,” said Paul Venables, the agency’s founder and co-creative director. “The more we learned about Intel, the more we realized how narrow our perception had been. This company is forging the future in so many unfathomable ways, and what a shame it is that the general consumer has no idea.”

Follow the discussion thread here (ignore the blatant trolls).

Been monitoring with extreme interest the debacle surrounding AWARE’s power-grab by supposed Christian conservatives (I refuse to use the word fundamentalists, it’s just too strong).

Most discussion revolves around the as-yet-unknown agenda of the new AWARE exco, (in particular their stance towards GLBTQ issues), along with the way they muscled themselves in.

This mini-putsch has highlighted the severe danger faced by key organizations being similarly grabbed by right-winged Christians. Today it might be AWARE, tomorrow it might be CASE, next month it could very well be SPCA itself.

AWARE is the first battleground, and while some have argued for old AWARE members to give up and go form another group, I am adamant that this must not come to pass. If AWARE falls so easily, it opens up the very real possibility of the hijacking of other groups.

Having worked in 2 Christian companies in my career, I have seen first-hand how it disrupts processes and focus on what should really matter – an organization’s objectives. If AWARE stands up for all women, it should remain a secular organization because not all women are Christians. It should bring a broad range of opinions and perspectives from the leaders who are from all walks of life – not limited to Christian women.

AWARE, because it stands up for all women in Singapore, must not fall into the Christian right-wing camp, exactly because not all women are Christians. And the same goes for any other organizations who champion the causes of groups of people.

And what is particularly infuriating, is the way that Christians who claim to do good, should know better than to just grab power. It’s tactless, and it’s tasteless.

Ms. Josie Lau, the new president for AWARE, will be giving her first TV interview since taking up the president post, 10:30pm tonight 19th April 2009 Talking Point, Channel News Asia.

And the unthinkable happens – manifested discontent with the ruling elite is slowly but surely on the rise in iron-fisted Singapore.

Ever since the economy started taking a downward dive towards a global meltdown, there has been a smattering of actions done by elements of Singapore citizenry that shows simmering resent towards the ruling class.

1. MP gets set on fire.
2. Two protesters stage a demonstration in MOM building.
3. Parliament building gets defaced with the wit “Harry Lee, I love you.”

What are the reasons behind these brazen attempts to undermine the political authorities? And by reasons, might it not be the insanity of disgruntled men who did not get a $200 ang pow, but rather bigger reasons such as uncertainty about the future, or the fact that the bourgeoisie are living still in the lap of luxury while the serfs goes day-by-day, hand-to-mouth? And the real questions : does our prisons have enough space to accommodate all these dissidents, and what is the menu there actually like?

From Channel NewsAsia, “Jail term for 3 S’poreans found guilty of contempt of court“.

Two of them, 19-year-old Muhammad Shafi’ie Syahmi Sariman and 33-year-old Isrizal Mohamed Isa, received seven days’ jail term each, while 47-year-old John Tan Liang Joo was slapped with a 15-day jail term.

WTF? We are a fascist state – total abuse of legal processes by the incumbent rulers.

Relates to previous posting : What constitutes public expression?

From Channel NewsAsia today – “3 Singaporeans to be sentenced for contempt of court”

Three Singaporeans have been held in contempt of court for appearing at the Supreme Court building in May wearing T-shirts showing a kangaroo in a judge’s gown.

comes with UFO escape pod for Singapore leaders to abscond when things get tough.

These three Singaporeans were demonstrating outside the Supreme Court, where a defamation suit hearing involving Dr Chee Soon Juan and his sister was going on.

Appearing before Justice Judith Prakash on Monday, the men were given an opportunity to apologise for their actions, but refused to do so.

This was what got me fired up – they have every right to not apologise for their actions! A country thrives on active citizenry, and every one is entitled to their own views and opinions. In Singapore, where we are famous for our tolerance – watchword : tolerance – of cultures and religions, we are also infamous for our intolerance for criticisms of any form against our executive and legislative systems.

Read the rest of this entry »