How would you define success?

Is it abundance of wealth or love?


Malaysian petroleum company, Petronas, always creates these special Chinese New Year ads each year.
The story goes like this... several ladies in an Senior Home were chatting during lunch
All bragged about how accomplished and busy their children are.
Except for one...

SOPA, PIPA: What's the big deal?

Apparently, it's a huge deal for websites like Wikipedia that went on strike yesterday in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act, a.k.a. SOPA. and Protect IP Act, a.k.a. PIPA.

My IMC Ethics & Law class had a heated discussion (no exaggeration) last night about this topic. Our professor played devil's advocate: So what if SOPA blocks our access to websites that commits/facilitates online piracy by deleting link that comes out of search results?

As a marketer who values the the importance of brand building, piracy is a major problem. But what SOPA & PIPA try to do is WAY too broad and far reaching. U.S. based sites like Limewire and Megaupload.com can be shut down. But it's almost impossible to take down foreign based sites. So, the SOPA will enable the U.S. gov't to block our access to those sites. They won't show up in Google, Yahoo, etc...

Congress, don't forget: The real issue is that people are uploading and downloading pirated content online. Blocking access to one site doesn't guarantee that another site won't pop up offering the same pirated content. It just doesn't seem smart or right to do.

No access = no information = CENSORSHIP
SOPA & PIPA are essentially throwing the baby out with the bathwater!
It's like BOMBING your house down because of a spider in the bathroom
Instead of blocking access, why not block the ability to upload and/or download from those sites? After all, isn't that the action we are trying to prevent?

The uphill battle against smoking

My "Law & Ethics" class talked about how the FDA has been trying to deter people from smoking. They went as far as trying to impose big tobacco with a rule to dedicate 50% of cigarette packaging to FDA warnings against smoking.

I'm not a proponent for smoking but there has been no concrete evidence that prove these warnings and images are effective.

Why not?

Dig deeper into the American consumer's mind and you'll find that great American dreams were built because people lived by this motto:

 

The word "QUIT" carries such a negative connotation. But the FDA and all materials out there keep on telling people to QUIT.

 

People know that smoking is bad for the health. But they say, "I'm no QUITTER. Never have been and never will be." Now you know why the government is having a hard time getting people to stop smoking? Quit using the word, "QUIT" because...

New Year's New Revelation

I think a lot... sometimes I think too much. Well, here's a thought I think would be neat to share :) Comments and feedbacks are encouraged!

Parallels I found between the job hunting process & the dating experience:

• Blind dates = showing up to an interview not knowing a thing about the company or the job you're applying for
• Dates set up by a mutual friend = getting the job interview through a friend who already works in the company
• Dating your best friend = knowing the company's ins and outs, but only just now making a move to apply for a job there

On the flip-side:

• Employers want to hire individuals who are willing to learn and make a positive difference in the company = You want to be with someone who makes you a better person and vice versa. 
• Putting on a "front" with your coworkers to fit in the company culture = Not being your true self just to be with that person
• Overworked and underpaid = Dating someone who's hard-to-please and gives little or no appreciation of you and your time