Do you love Bonnie Tyler?

Watched this video several times before but it's still funny as hell. :D

Hallowed Hair

And so I went to get my fringe trimmed. I'm just one of those people who hates getting hair into my eyes and considering that I wage constant war trying to tame my mane, I decided to nip out of the office to get a quick trim.

I sat in the nice little salon chair and along came the stylist. Told him I wanted to trim my fringe. He nodded his understanding and proceeded to run his fingers and his comb through my head, scrutinizing follicles, length, shape, colour etc., to the point where I began feeling insecure. His verdict - "You need a haircut."

As it turns out, my last haircut was 6 months ago, meaning that the mane is probably more than slightly out of control at present but hearing those four words made my stomach lurch. It felt like a blow to my pride.

Hair has always had a bizarre amount of symbolism centered around it. The Greeks kicked it off with the mythical Medusa. Medusa's hair turned into serpents indicating that one's hair was and could be connected to one's life force. Medusa's 'hair' was in many ways, her weapon. A more modern illustration of this symbolism can be found in many anime characters. Many female anime characters are developed with long hair. On one hand, long hair reflects femininity. On the flipside, these characters are often depicted with hair that has a life of its own despite being under the character's control.



Hair has always been perceived to be a matter of utmost importance to women. In medieval times, women sheared their hair during periods of war to make ropes and in later wars, hair was used for bomb fuses. The act of cutting or shearing a woman's hair off is considered to be more than just physical. Cutting a woman's hair has been considered to be equivalent to cutting her down as a person. It meant removing her femininity. To some, it even symbolizes taking her virginity.

Ironically, long hair in men has always represented a different school of thought altogether. We can all blame Saint Paul for this because of a letter he wrote to the people of Corinth a couple of thousand years ago.

"Doth not nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her."

Where the hell did he come up with that?! I can only surmise that this was Paul hitting out at the Corinthian men, who were known to be vain and liked to wear their hair long.

Alas, it does not stop there. The symbolism of hair is ancient, complex and fascinating. Jesus Christ has often been depicted in paintings with long hair and a 'I need a razor' appearance only to underscore the glaring disparity between Paul's statement and his assumed appearance. There may exist the argument that Jesus was thought to have been a Nazarene, and in turn a Nazarite, belonging to sect that vows never to cut their hair. However, Paul won this battle given the prevalence of Christianity and how today, short hair on men is considered the societal norm, whereas longer locks are perceived to indicate defiance, belligerence and rebellion.

From the hippies, to the Rastafarians, to the heavy metal rockers who insist on swinging their hair around while cradling a guitar, long hair in men has been frowned upon and considered to be a sign of malcontent. However, there is an interesting point to note when it comes to Rastafarians. Originating from Kenya, the Mau Mau freedom fighters in the African state swore not to cut their hair until they had freed their country from white rulers. Ironically, Rastas use the same bible that dictates 'short hair is right' but pull their reference and defence from this line in the book of Leviticus:

"They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard."

In modern society however, long hair on men has started to become more accepted. Case in point, the blondie in the next pic.



Becks to the world by storm with this hairstyle and boys/men everywhere started frantically growing their hair out. Beckham was considered a fashion icon and a trendsetter for bucking the age-old tradition of having a short crop. Unlike the Rastas or the hippies, I think the only statement Becks was trying to make was a fashionable one. As is the case with this next well-known personality.



The only difference between this blonde and the previous one is that she's everybody's favourite Friend and over the years, has managed to epitomize femininity with her luscious locks. I just don't believe that she uses horse shampoo to wash her hair.

And yes, I'll go get my hair cut even if it hurts.

What's Your Cause?

It's easy to get preoccupied with your own life. Me, myself, me, myself, me, myself and of course I. It's a mentality that we're used to and most of us don't really give a tuppence as to what happens to anyone else as long as it doesn't involve us personally in any way.

The reality however, is quite different. There are many around us who need our help and need our attention but oftentimes are drowned out by the 'It's not my problem' attitude we carry around. This is why I say 'Kudos'to the 85 campaigners of Project Reach 2010 for standing up for those and being the voice of those in need.

About Project Reach 2010
Project Reach 2010 is a programme presented and spearheaded by Murdoch University's public relations students in Singapore. This year the programme comprises two elements, a Causathon (an online fund-raising competition),and a Conference, (the landmark event for Project Reach.
Aimed at championing meaningful causes, Project Reach 2010 provides and empowering opportunity for both students and not-for-profit (NFP) organisations to explore strategic and sustainable communication plans.

About Project Reach Causathon
The Project Reach Causathon involves 85 students in an online fund-raising competition. Dubbed as the "race for a cause", Causathon is fundraising 2.0 which taps on social media and the collaboration with GIVE.sg to raise funds for 14 different causes. The Causathon was kick started on 7th July 2010 and two winning teams - the top fund-raiser and the most creative fund-raiser - will be announced during the Project Reach Conference on 29th July 2010.

Project Reach 2010 is unique in itself as it is an initiative that works with a zero, (yes, ZERO) budget. This year's fundraising movement was inspired by US President Obama's successful use of social media during his election campaign.




As you can tell, there are many startling resemblances between Barack and Jimmy from the Project Reach 2010 Organising Team. Deep thinkers these people... :D

Causes Supported by the Project Reach Causathon

Here's some info on the various beneficiaries that will benefit through the Causathon.

Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES)
- Rescue and house animals through the End the Illegal Wildlife Trade Fund

Asian Women's Welfare Association (AWWA)
- Provide food and materials for children with special needs through the SMILES (Students Meet for Interaction, Learning and Enrichment) programme
- Provide services for families, the elderly, children and young people with special needs to maximise their potential for self-sufficiency

Children-At-Risk-Empowerment Association (CARE)
- Reach out to at-risk youth and raise Resilient, Involved, Purposeful, and Empowered (RIPE) youths through various programmes

Compassion Fund
- Provide financial assistance for children whose families are in crisis through Crisis Response Fund

Home Nursing Foundation
- Purchase medical supplies for patients
- Subsidy for the cost of long term care for patients

Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (H.O.M.E)
- Provide a shelter of refuge for abused and exploited migrant workers

Parkinson's Disease Society of Singapore
- Provide assistance to patients who require financial support to receive treatment such as medication through the Patient Welfare Fund

Sanctuary House
- Purchase essential supplies for babies through Project Baby Love

Singapore Environment Council
- Green activities that seek to address environmental conservation through sustainable programmes

Transient Workers Count too (TWC2)
- Provide free meals for stranded migrant workers through The Cuff Road Project
- Provide financial assistance to needy migrant workers through the Emergency Fund

Very Special Arts
- Provide visual and performing arts programmes to special needs schools through its outreach projects

If you want to know more about Project Reach 2010 and get updates on ongoing activities, visit their blog at http://projectreachsg.wordpress.com/
and support the causes they're campaigning for at:
www.give.sg/org/causathon

So, what's your cause?

Bum Off The Floor

And so I went to visit the relationship manager at the gym last week. I've been feeling terribly guilty over the last month or so because of the lack of exercise and the grotesque over-consumption of good food and excessive amounts of alcohol. Alas, I love my beer and the only problem with it is that every blasted calorie lodges itself in my middle and around my hips.

So I went to the gym to sort out the membership details and also to spur my arse into getting some exercise. As it turned out, I had been watching YouTube videos on TRX training and was in a state of endless fascination that can only be induced by a giant nylon rubber-band.

For those of you who have no clue what I'm on about, this is what TRX is.



The TRX was invented by a former navy seal who basically developed a piece of exercise equipment that allowed him and his fellow seals to work out in the middle of a desert whilst battling with the enemy using the facilities they had around them i.e., the nearest tree or boulder. Apparently you can grow really fat if you just sit around and wait for the enemy to come and kill your ass so the best way to be prepared is to always be fighting fit. And you can do just that with a rubber-band.

And so I got really excited when the relationship manager at the gym told me that they now have personalized TRX training and even group sessions! (Yes, I quite enjoy the idea of a roomful of sweaty people suspended from a ceiling, battling their beer guts as they crunch themselves to oblivion.)I managed to wrangle a freebie and I am scheduled to have a free one-on-one session with a trainer tomorrow morning at 7am. The few people I have spoken to have all vouched for the fact that the TRX is a very effective exercise tool. In other words, I'm going to be one very sore monkey after tomorrow, but hey, whoever said a tight butt and a flat stomach comes easy? (Yes, I do understand the irony of having a pseudonym like Jellybutt. I came up with that moniker to remind myself never to go down that path. I do not advocate jiggling.)

Hopefully the session tomorrow will serve as sufficient inspiration to get butt back into shape. I checked this morning and it looked kinda lopsided.

*munches on a chocolate chip cookie*

To fitness and tight butts. Amen.