Same clown, new costume, same act?

Mizuno Sayonara 2

I have been very lethargic of late. Body started aching most of the time. Inertia was the prevalent pace of my life. The bed was inviting and the treadmill was taking a back seat. Everyday, there was a convenient reason  to postpone exercise for yet another day - work requirement, family commitment, general fear of burning out, convincing the body to slow down as the body was no more spring chicken as the inner demons kept on pounding.

I had to rejuvenate. I had to push that body. So, when the chips are down, the morale is rockbottom and life has no meaning, what do you do? Rebranding, of course.
Even though the subject is the same with the same squeaky joints and aged musculature, new zest had to be infused. The panacea of all miseries - capitalistic consumerism. I got myself a new pair of running shoes. Instead of the same design of running shoes, I decided to go for a slightly different one from the same familiar brand.

What I did is nothing earth-shattering! Businesses do it all the time.
The spanking alluringly striking pair of Mizuno shoes is not going infuse new energy into the lethargic mass of protoplasm but at least what it can do is somehow influence the spirit deep from the hippocampus and limbic system - A new pair to a new purpose and new targets!
Big departmental stores do it all the time. When the sales are down, when there is no purpose to shop or when the general public realise of the impending hard times ahead and decide to tighten their belts, the capitalistic businessmen attempt to lure them back to their premises. The same old products of last season are repackaged under the guise of 'Megasales'. The prices are purposely inflated to appear to slash it down again for an apparent bargain! And the helpless customers with herd mentality scramble down in droves so as not to miss out in that 'once in a lifetime crazy bargain'!

The manufacturers are also guilty of the same. Shoe manufacturers keep on churning their old design again and again under different names under the guise of improving product with the knowledge of new technology. Science obviously is not advancing so rapidly that it is possible to churn a revolutionary pair of trainers come every season!
It is all a mirage and we are all falling flat for it!

Of wallpapers, wallflowers and flavour of the month!

Wallflowers, the band

While meeting up with a friend's father, a mid septuagenarian, who was recuperating from a major illness, his mobile phone rang. After he had completed his conversation, everyone noticed his romanticism from his mobile wallpaper. He had placed a snap of husband and wife studio pose!

Suddenly, everybody was looking at each others' gizmo. Everybody had their accusing eyes casted on my el cheapo G-less cell phone when they saw what saw. Instead of immortalizing the picture of my love of my life or the product of thereof, there was a nocturnal snapshot of Sultan Sulaiman building with its clock tower which I took during my last run! Being a good sport, I just laughed it off.

Hey, my phone wall paper is like the restaurant's flavour of the month. I change it when I get bored with the picture. Before this it was a picture of a comb, preceded by Tasmania pics, etcetera, etcetera...It is not indicative of degree of passion or lack of. I am not a PDA type of a guy (PDA = public display of affection). No one knows what goes in the mind. Everything is a mirage.

Remember, for umpteenth times, suspected gruesome murderers and child molesters have appeared in courts in full view draped in conservatively religious tunics and head gears to highlight their docile predisposition just to be sentenced guilty on all accounts. And the numerous politicians who claim to be servants of the masses just to serve their own coffers.

Here I stand alone like a wall flower.....