dangle your body like rotten berries deep red and starting to reek i am not mesmerized by your high-pitched whine or bleach
blonde brain cells, deadened like the nerves in your jaw but am repulsed by the slack in your thigh, the line of your orange mask that peels like moldy fruit skins and falls to the floor i am unamused by this musing so i give it up in exchange for musical experimentation, a stellar stoner-action flick and a family consisting of a smoky black-and-grey purr-box, a manic man band (my name minus m and
my hunny-bunny) i take rock-n-roll videos and close-up photos of things that fill the finished basement….

The following Toys are currently on sale at Books From A Rose:

Inspired by the swine flu pandemic, Hoorshnias early warning systems”for other people, at least”span the design gamut, from the traditional medical mask to a rather fetching wrap-around scarf.

In addition to full-face sinus masks that detect temperature increases around the forehead or mouth.

Source:
http://www.ecouterre.com/6805/color-changing-temp-sensitive-textiles-flu-masks/

AMAZING stuff from Shin Murayama.

by FariWu

Cute. Whimsical. Endearing. That is the feeling you may get as you step into either of 2 Etude House outlets in Singapore. Allow yourself to indulge in your girlish fantasies in the midst of pink and such impossibly girly deco that sets this brand apart from other Korean beauty brands.

Originally from Korea, Etude House made a blast when they finally hit Singapore. Currently with 2 flaship stores (one in Plaza Singapura and the other at the underpass at ION Orchard), they lure in their patrons with marketing gimmicks.

It began with a visit from Korean actor Lee Min-Ho. Lee, of popular Korean drama Boys Over Flowers, is the celebrity spokesperson for Etude House. He was on a promotional tour and stopped over in Singapore for a day before continuing on to Malaysia. While originally slated to appear at the Plaza Singapura outlet, the session was cancelled due to overwhelming crowds and security reasons. Free gifts in the form of files with the actor on it were given out instead to appease the crowd.

Another marketing gimmick that Etude has employed involves providing doorgifts to those who enter the shop, as well as free gifts with purchase. Doorgifts included a box of cotton pads, a facial mask or a poster of Lee. Fluffy pens of assorted colours could also be redeemed with any purchase.

It was evident which colours of pens were the most popular. Pink and purple were often snapped up almost immediately, followed by blue. Yellow and green pens completed the variety of colours. All the pens write in black though. Free doorgifts were available almost everyday, though the outlets were more crowded on weekends and during rush hour peak periods.

Despite the prices being higher in Singapore compared to Korea, one must remember that shipping costs would have been factored in should one wish to buy straight from Korea. Also, with stores open in Singapore, one is able to see, touch, smell, test, and swatch the products at one’s own comfort, with Etude girls on standby ready to help. Though some are unable to speak much English, they are comfortable conversing in Mandarin.

Reviews:

The nail polish remover emitted a strawberry scent when applied.

Nail polish remover: The nail polish remover emitted a strawberry scent when applied. The scent lingers on fingertips till the next day. Etude, any ideas of a  perfume of the same scent coming up soon?

The pens come in a variety of colours, including the popular pink and purple.

Sleeping Mask: The sleeping mask comes in 3 different varieties. The pink one moisturizes and firms the skin while the blue one is for brightening and the green one is for oil control and pore tightening. It is slightly difficult the first time as the instructions are not available in English. However, it is quite straightforward. Simply apply the mask after moisturizer, and leave it to do it’s work. It is a white mask, but will dry clear. By next morning, the will not be a greasy feel but do wash your face first thing in the morning.

o2 White Mask Sheet: When applied, the mask gives off a slight tingly feeling which fades after awhile. Skin is smoother and fairer after use, though there is not much difference compared to other masks.

Pen: The pen writes in black. Full stop. Fun to use as the official pen for signing attendance and getting your guy friends to use it to sign their names.

Etude House Plaza Singapura is located at #B1-26 while Etude House ION Orchard is located at #B2-54, along the Orchard underpass that links ION to Tangs.

HEH. I THINK I’M VERY GOOD AT LIFESTYLE WRITING. Must start preparing for Web News Production. Hope The Wong, The Ang, and The Low can also join me. Too bad The Goh is graduating soon.

Carrera 5556, 1980s shield vintage sunglasses blue mask frame with metal temples

Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Listening To: Numb by Linkin Park

Feeling: Like shitakie mushrooms.

I absolutely hate road trips.

So for Thanksgiving Break this year, instead of hanging with my friends and futzing around with my laptop, I’m going to Middle-Of-Nowhere, Illinois.

Sounds fun, huh?

It is, really.

I live about fourteen hours away. So we-me, my 12 year old sister (let’s call her Kelly, shall we?) my mom, and my dad-piled into the family van on Monday afternoon. We drove for six fun filled hours, then stopped and spent the night at a lovely Red Roof Inn.

Ick.

Seriously, there was a stain on the sheets that did not look good at all. I don’t even want to tell you what it probably was, but I’m sure that whoever is reading this is a smart person and can guess.

Now I’ve got my laptop and my ipod with me, so it’s not like I’m bored to tears. But a) I’m claustrophobic, and I pos-i-lute-ly despise cars, b)I get carsick really easily, and c) there’s only so much ‘character building’ I can take.

We’ve been driving about six hours, so I suppose we’ll get there about six.

‘There’ is my grandparents home on my mom’s side.

I j’dore my grandparents. They’re absolutely copacetic. Grandma is like one of those tv special grandmas’-she sews, bakes cookies, goes to church regularly, and always buys the grandkids stuff. My grandfather builds stuff, knows a lot about cars, and was in the military. Love them to bits.

But right now, they’re taking care of my year old second cousin. Her mom is a druggie, Hardees’s managing weirdo who has three kids with one guy(how surprising!) and eloped with a guy who just got out of prison.

Yes, my family is full of class.

Anyways, her youngest daughter nearly starved to death, so my grandparents took her. They love little Ellie. I love her too. But it makes my grandparents  a little stressed, I suppose.

We never drive down there for the holidays, but my Great Aunt Mary has cancer and not long left. Depressing, huh?

I’ll also be seeing my cousins, Jessica and Michael. They’re about as perfect as you can get, and polar opposites of Kelly and I.

Jessica is sixteen, blonde with blue eyes, slender, and extremely smart. She goes to a special magnet school and speaks both Latin and Spanish. She plays piano, rides horses like a pro, sings, and acts in her school production. She’s been in at least three plays and about a million horse shows. She’s sweet tempered (supposedly), creative, popular, et cetera.

Michael is an honest to god genius. Also blue eyed and blonde haired, he’s twelve, like Kelly, but he’s built robots and all of this other crap by himself. He was in algebra in sixth grade. He’s been on academic team for about five years, since second grade. He also goes to a special school. But unlike his sister, Michael is the biggest asshole of  a child you’ll ever meet. He throws tantrums, kicks, screams, hits his sister, slams doors, and so on. I’ve gotten into my fair share of fights with him. He doesn’t fight with Kelly though, just because she won’t stand up for herself so he walks all over her. I really don’t like him.

Kelly, my own sister, is slender, with hazel eyes and light brown hair. She’s very popular-always having friends over and going out. She’s on color guard-the new cheerleading. My parents are so proud. She also snotty, stuck up, spoiled, and thinks her shit don’t stink. Of course, only when my parents aren’t around. My mom would tell you she’s the sweetest thing ever. Though she isn’t extremely smart, she’s ditzy, a total goofball who slurs instead of speaks, and has no manners. She may be my sister, but most of the time I can’t stand her.

And then there’s me.

I’ve got dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and I’m  a little overweight. Not a lot, mind you, maybe ten pounds. I’m taller than both my mom, my sister, and my cousin. I don’t like sports that much-I used to fence, but my mom made me quit because the fencing center was a half hour away. I usually have headphones on, and I’m on my computer a lot. I suck at math, but I’m a pretty good writer and I read all the time. I’m capable of taking care of myself, I can cook, I’m learning to play piano, I wear a lot of black, I don’t care for after school activities, I cosplay, I love manga, and I’m a smart alack. I have a problem with people ordering me around, I’ve got a mind, I don’t care what people think about me, and I should probably be on antidepressants.

So who do you think my parents like the least?

Bingo.

Moi. Me. Myself. I.

I kind of hate my family sometimes.

It’s not like they don’t hate me sometimes, so Jiminy Cricket is AWOL on this matter most of the time.

In any case, I really don’t want to spend a week with these people. It’ll be like the Preppy People versus the Loner.

Can’t wait.

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, don’t I?

I just want this to be over.

George Bernard Shaw once wrote that plot was the creation, manoeuvering and destruction of relationships between characters. Plot is derived from character and it’s sole purpose is to drive the story so the character can attempt to achieve their goal. Every scene in your script must either reveal something about the character and advance the story. Flat scenes become boring and lose your audeince. Here are some plot devices that can pique your plot:

• DANGER – I cannot stress this one enough. It can be moral danger such as deciding to cheat on your spouse, or physical danger such as being trapped in a burning house. Raise the stakes and make your character earn their goal and pay for their mistakes. Give them insecurities, flaws, problems and issues we can all relate to. Make them fall into a ditch that they must crawl out of. A common plot device in action films is to either have multiple things go wrong at once or sequentially. The victim tries to escape, but they can’t find the keys to the car so they break in. Then there’s a flat battery so the can’t hot wire it to start. Then there’s no cell phone coverage… What’s needed may not arrive in time or not arrive at all. Oftentimes, dramatists use a Deus Ex Machina (literally God from the machine) whereby some life saving event occurs just in the nick of time before all is lost. Make sure this isn’t a lucky co-incidence or your audience will never forgive you.

• TIME BOMB - Give your characters a ticking time clock where something seriously bad will happen if they don’t achieve a goal. Maybe there isn’t enough time to defuse the bomb? Perhaps the main character doesn’t know how to defuse the bomb. Maybe the main character isn’t even aware of the bomb. Does the audience know? Giving either the audience or the main character such a superior position adds intrigue and interest. Alternatively, the main character can simply run out of options to achieve their goal rather than out of time.

• CONFESSION – After deep humiliation make your character confess to a secret, shortcoming, wound or a deep seeded fear or shame. Maybe they realise the error of their ways and take responsibility for their actions. Consider your audience. Being born out of wedlock is generally not considered a shameful act in the Western world. Forcing a pregnant unwed couple to marry may be acceptable is some cultures, but not in others. Play with morality in your plot. The beauty of it is that it’s never clearly right or wrong like a maths problem. Is it wrong to kill someone? What if they killed your family? What if it is in self defense?

• BETRAYAL – The hero’s buddy changes sides or is revealed as a traitor. What if the main character doesn’t realise this, or does so when it’s too late? What if the traitor leads them into a trap?

• DILEMMA – The hero is forced to make a choice between two equally bad alternatives. Consider the family with premature Siamese twins who must decide which one survives and which one doesn’t. What if the main character consciously decides not to act because they are faced with issues of duty for the higher good? Or even love?

• OBSTACLES – External influences such as bad weather or natural disasters forcing them to stop. Car or other vital piece of machinery breaks down and a replacement part is not immediately forthcoming. What if their progress is stalled due to injury, illness or other physical condition such as pregnancy or diabetes? What if someone in their team is killed or kidnapped? Running out of bullets, money, food, air all add to the excitement of danger.

• DISCOVERY – The element of surprise and shock always jolts your audience. Examples of this include a cover been blown of an undercover cop, the presence of an intruder being noticed, an escalating lie has been revealed. A discovery must pivot your story into a new direction, not simply act as a minor irritant. Remember the scene in “Mad Men” where Betty discovers Don’s true identity by opening a locked drawer? She didn’t sigh and carry on, she left him. Discoveries can also be wild goose chases. Following the wrong lead, the wrong map or the wrong advice.

• LOVE – Due to it’s universality, love will always add to a plot. What if a past lover returns? Consider Jodie Foster in “Sommersby”, when she tells her returned “husband” that he’s not the man she married because she didn’t love him like she loves the impostor. Add a love triangle; one bride versus two grooms. Add gender swaps, such as “Tootsie” who had enamored a man who thinks she’s a woman. Also consider the third wheel. The buddy who suddenly becomes the bride’s love interest when he reveals his true self. Love is also used to tame a savage, misanthropic heart.

• TRAITS – Give your character some endearing traits so the audience can partially overlook their negative ones. Give them courage, give them love. give them scruples so they are fighting for a good cause where the collateral damages justifies the cause, make them perform a good deed, make them desirable such as handsome, physical and funny. Make them spiritual, generous and wise. Ensure it all emerges from a place of truth and authenticity. Audiences retract from phonies. Give them fears, traumas which block their growth, masks which prevent other characters from seeing their real self.

• LIKES – Make your characters like children, animals and art. Give them great taste in cars, partners, houses, music, fashion, food and overall lifestyle. Audiences tend to admire what they aspire to be or what they perceive to be desirable.

So go forth and beef up those plotlines.

Mother likes the fact that we – as a family – are know as a gentle educated family. She hates it if people think otherwise.

I think everyone ought to know we are all anything but gentle all of the time with each other. Of course, we are educated: I have a degree in Computer Engineering and my sister displays her Masters Degree in Statistics with the air of a conjurer who has just made the whole world disappear. Mother too is a double graduate and Father is well-versed in printing technologies. Well, Father doesn’t have a degree; it’s a diploma he earned. But then at least he earned that. I know of Fathers who have merely earned rotten abuses because of their alcoholic habits – My Father has none of those habits.

So, we are educated, but we cannot spend an evening without a quarrel. We argue and we do storm out of the venue of the conversation, but come a knock on the door, we morph into the most amiable family you have ever come across. We are all smiles and we will go out of our way to ensure that you think that there’s not a split in the seams formed by us being stitched together.

But come sometime unannounced and invisible to visit us and you will see what we actually are.

Mother dreads this being discovered and so, always ensures we never quarrel outside the house. Father does make a wan face and at times spoils it so bad, we have difficulty figuring out whether he is thinking or is just in a bad mood.

Well, Mother hates it when he makes those faces but she cannot do anything about it. So, she pretends to assume that no one will notice them and sallies forth as if her family were the best in the world.

I have told so many times to get rid of this best-family title that she so assiduously sticks to. But no, she never will.

Mothers! I think they are born to nurture and born to care. But I also think they are born stubborn!

Oh yes.  You need a Savior. Just like the character in my little drawings. Recognizing the limits of his own righteousness, he is at a moment of decision.

His mask cast aside, he strides into the arms of his waiting Lord. His rags burning away, replaced by the infinite superiority of Christ’s righteousness.

Beware false saviors. Too often we run into the arms of the worldly solutions to our problems, these will just make life worse.

How about a couple of videos/songs to express my feelings about this?