Be like Water : Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee, the Martial Artist, Philosopher and the ultimate Asian Icon, had many wise words to illustrate the philosophies of Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts style he founded. Many of these can like be applied to our areas of interest here on this blog... Brands, Design, Business, Creativity and Innovation.

Here are some of his most famously quoted...

For Business Managers, Strategists, Designers & Practitioners of Creativity
"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."

For Business Managers against Competition
"The fighter who enters battle and feels no fear is an arrogant fool."

Brands Building Loyalty
“The possession of anything begins in the mind”

For Ideas, Design and Strategy
“Simplicity is the key to brilliance”

For Innovation All round
“Obey the principles without being bound by them.”

Strength in Brand Focus & Category Leadership
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

N.E.Mation Congratulations!

N.E. Mation!, a secondary school animation contest organised by Nexus and Animagine has just announced their winner. Animations themed "National Defence" were submitted by various schools. The winning piece is an innovative Claymation titled "Just Because", produced by Team NEmators from CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent School. Congratulations!

Singapore has a bright animated future just because...

Watch "Just Because" and other clips online: NEmation.sg

Need Help Buying Design For Your Business?

If you are a Singapore SME wishing to leverage on design to boost your business, take a look at the various Enterprise Assistance Programmes on offer by the DesignSingapore Council. One, for example, is the Design Pioneer Programme, a phased design promotion programme that assists local Small and Medium-sized companies in adopting design as a business strategy. The programme offers seminars, workshops and financial support of up to $50,000 to buy external design expertise for your business needs.

More about this and other schemes on: Designsingapore.org

Random Quotes Random Scenarios

Random coffee quotes for your musing. Enjoy!

"Internet Trends and Psyche are inversely related to US foreign policy."

"Internet Royalty is all about Reach and Loyalty."

"Branding is about knowing when to keep quiet."

"Design is about adopting someone else's problem and dealing with it."

"If you're a bit uncomfortable and so is the opposition, its a good deal."

"Everyone online is searching but what are they really looking for?"

"The customer is always right. Good customer service is humouring him when he isn't."

"You are what you eat also applies to websites."

"First meetings are about listening not talking."

"On the internet, Brand is a dirty word, so please whisper."

"Digital Designers are now better referred to as Relationship Managers."

"Mom and Pop shops - the next big brands from Asia."

"Internet communities and online socialising were invented for Asians who are, by nature, shy."

"Everyone will have the tools soon but not everyone should be using them."

"Established Brands have as much Baggage as they have Claim."

Asia's 1st No Frills Hotel

Tony Fernandes, the Malaysian man behind the no frills carrier Air Asia and the tagline "Everyone can fly", has just announced what is claimed to be Asia's 1st No Frills Hotel - Tune Hotels. Rooms are at a flat rate of 9.99 Malaysian Ringit. That's five bucks a pop for Singaporeans. Bargain! That's about 15 times more bang for the buck than Hotel 81 in the friendly merlion city! Taking a sneak peek at the Tune Hotels branding, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Richard and his virgins had a tune in this some way or another.

Five bucks a pop: Tunehotels.com

Billionaires Of The World '07

Forbes.com's Annual List of The World's Billionaires is out. William Gates III still has No.1 vista spot with (USD)$56 Billion net worth, and for the 13th consecutive year. Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs is way down the list at 132, $5.7 billion. (hmm. And to think Apple was once the PC market leader. go iPhone go go go). Mr. Oracle Lawrence Ellison is at 11, $21.5 billion. PC Man Michael Dell is at 30, $15 billion.

The highest rated Asian on the list at No.5 is Lakshmi Mittal, $32billion, an Indian Steel titan. There are 3 Indians in the top 20. Hong Kong Boss Li Ka-shing is the only other Asian amongst them at 9, $23 billion. The top from China is, funny enough, a self-made woman in paper manufacturing, ranking at 390, $2.4 billion. Top Malaysian Robert Kuok, a self-made trader, at 104, $7 billion, beat top Singaporean, Ng Teng Fong, a real estate mogul (but of course), at No.118, $6.1billion. There are 4 Singaporean billioanires. Top Thai is Whiskey & Beer King Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi at 264, $3.6 billion. Japan is no longer the kingdom of Asian billionaires and USA is still the land of dreams with 5 in the top 20.

The filmmaker with the jedi power is Mr. Star Wars George Lucas at 243, $3.6 billion. The highest rated Muslim, at No.13, $20.3 billion, is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, a self-made nephew of the Saudi King. Top politician and Italian on the list is Former Prime Minister and Media Mogul Silvio Berlusconi at No.51, $11.8 billion. Youngest is 23 year old German Albert von Thurn und Taxis at 488, $2 billion.

Top woman on the list is Ms. L'Oreal Liliane Bettencourt at 12, $20.7 billion. Top Asian woman (who travels with 50 bodyguards) is Nina Wang, a real estater at 204, $4.2 billion. Other top women on the list are Ms. Heineken Beer herself - Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, No.102, $7.2billion, America's mama Oprah (as usual) and Harry Porter's mama J.K. Rowlings (Ah. A creative writer type on the list. There is hope...)

Internet billionaires include Google guys Sergey Brin, 26, $16.6 billion, and Larry Page 26, $16.6 billion, and Eric Schmidt, 116, $6.2 billion; Amazon.com’s CEO Jeff Bezos, 188, $4.4 billion; Yahoo’s co-founder Jerry Yang, 432, $2.2 billion; Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, 243, $3.6 billion; and eBay’s founder Pierre Omidyar 76, $8.8 billion. (New Kids On The Block Rock. There is hope yet again!)

If you go by the list, the top ten billionaire career choices would be 1. Software, 2. Investment, 3. Telecommunications, 4. DIY Furniture (Ikea), 5. Steel, 6. Casino & Gambling (Try your luck with IRs) , 7. Luxury Goods Retail, 8. Fashion & Apparel (Zara), 9. Plastic Flowers Retail (ahem), and 10. Media & Entertainment.

Read more and dream on... Forbes.com: "The World's Richest People"

BookJetty.com

Singapore book worms' new best web friend, BookJetty helps you search for your fav books via the Amazon catalogue and checks its availability at the National Library. Useful little tool coded passionately by Herryanto Siatono.

What are you reading at the moment? BookJetty.com

Nexus 2007- Leading in Times of Disruptive Change!

Organised by The Digital Movement, "Nexus 2007- Leading in Times of Disruptive Change!" brings together industry leaders and the local community to discuss fundamental changes happening in business and technology, and how you can take a lead in them!

DATE: 24 MARCH 2007
TIME: 9am – 6pm
VENUE: NTUC CENTRE, 1 MARINA BOULEVARD

Notable names speaking at Nexus include:

Derek Callow, Regional Marketing Manager, Google Inc.
Andreas Weigend, Former Chief Scientist, Amazon.com
David Dan, Former President of Intel China
David Miller, President, Asia Pacific/Japan, Lenovo
Saw Ken Wye, Vice President, Microsoft Asia Pacific
Reza Behnam, MD of Yahoo! South East Asia
Kathy Teo, Managing Director, CNET Networks Asia Pacific
Nathan Torkington, O'Reily Radar, Perl Foundation Board Member

Find out more : www.nexus2007.com

Nexus is brought to you by The Digital Movement, with an aim to form an informal social fabric between senior leaders, entrepreneurs, overseas experts, investors and geeks.

Flickr Co-founder Talks...

A brief conversation with the co-founder of Flickr, the giant photo-sharing community site and the Pionr in dropping the "e" in web property branding and other eThings and Bays online. In our books, Flickr is still one of the most beautifully-interfaced and consistently-developed community/sharing (some might call it Web 2.0) websites available to users today.

Read more on Macworld.com: Flickr co-founder talks...

1st YouTube Video Awards!

YouTube has just announced the winners of their first ever Video Awards, as selected by their vhttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifoyeuristic community. And the Yoscar goes to...

Most Creative : Here It Goes Again / OKGo

Best Comedy : Smosh Short 2: Stranded / Smosh

Best Commentary : Hotness Prevails / thewinekone

Best Series : Ask A Ninja / digitalfilmmaker

Best Music Video : Say It's Possible / TerraNaomi

Most Inspirational : Free Hugs Campaign / PeaceOnEarth123

Most Adorable : Kiwi! / Madyeti47

Read more: YouTube Video Awards

Singapore Int. Film Festival '07

The Singapore International Film Festival will kick off from the 18th to 30th April. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the organisers announced that this year's spotlight will be on Singaporean filmmakers. Programme includes a showcase of 37 award-winning Singapore short films. (Wow. Didn't realise there were so many floating around) Opening the fest, however, is a Sri Lankan film “Sankara,” by Prasanna Jayakody.

The Official Festival Website is still frozen with last year's info but bookmark it anyway, they should get their act together. Soon enough. (The Festival is only a few weeks away)

SG Design Festival '07 Partner Briefing

Organised by: DesignSingapore Council

Date: 08 March 2007 - 08 March 2007
Time: 3 – 6pm; briefing starts at 3.15pm
Venue: National Library Board, Level 5, Possibility Seminar Room

Come 28 November to 8 December 2007, design will take centerstage in the city. DesignSingapore Council, the organizers of the Singapore Design Festival, cordially invites you to our Partner-briefing event and networking session.

For more information: www.designsingapore.org