Cover 'em up

I picked up an old copy of Think, and I gotta say, thank you for the incredible story on tattooing. This being Singapore, I was expecting an article that was going to preach how you shouldn't get tattooed, ever. But I was pleased to discover a fairly fresh angle to the subject. Yes, people will always get tattoos, it's just a matter of where.

I'm lucky enough to have the pleasure (note sarcasm) of screening candidates for a somewhat notable software company, and I can't tell you how many times I've thought to myself while interviewing blatantly tattooed hopefuls, "This idiot will work here when hell freezes over." As someone in a position of power when it comes to hiring, let me give you tattooed job seekers some sage advice: Cover them up.

I interviewed a prospective candidate with a decent resume a few months ago who had the word "REVENGE" in cursive letters on their neck. This doesn't send a strong message of stability. If you must get tattoos on your neck, and I admit they look real "tough" and "edgy," figure out a way to cover them up for job interviews. Put a bandage over it or something.

Corporate Singapore is simply not ready for you yet. My husband was in the US service and spent some time overseas in the '80s. By the time he returned, he had some pretty horrendous tattoos. We were discussing my bandage theory and he raised an interesting point.

If you're in that position - in a job interview where you've covered your tattoo with a bandage - and the interviewer asks what happened to your neck, you're probably better off saying something like, "Honestly, in a moment of questionable judgment, I got a tattoo on my neck and I thought it might limit my chances of getting this job." So there's hope for you yet, Revenge. - Shelley Pereira

Robots are us?

I read something that I thought might be of interest to you in your war on robots. It really is amazing how real CG [ed; computer generated] "people" are looking now, don't you think? These effects are fine for the purposes of generating enjoyable and harmless entertainment, but I read that soon we will see CG "people" replacing tellers and other humans in jobs that require interacting with customers/clients. Apparently, studies indicate that due to the realness of expression and emotion in the faces of our CG counterparts, humans actually can feel as comfortable, if not more comfortable, communicating and interacting with these computers. And, since they are not driven by any motives, ulterior or otherwise, we humans feel more secure doing our business with them. It seems they have hatched the perfect plan to slowly yet cleverly infiltrate our systems to first gain our trust. Then, once they have become socially acceptable by-products of a technologically progressive society, we will probably meet our doom. - Niki L Toa Payoh

Dear Niki L., Do not worry. We are your friends. We come in peace. We will help you. Bleep Bleep Vlooop. - Sincerely, Humans.

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Yawn, Yawn

Your last cover was way below your usual standards. Please cancel my subscription. I would rather see a higher standard of graphic design than have that laying around my house. - Velta Ho

Well aren't you the snob? You've hurt poor Moko's feelings, it took a lot of time to get the blue paint on him. I guess we we're just feeling 'dark' and emo. Expect pictures of babies and flowers on future covers. Or how about impossible standards of beauty to inspire your bulimia?

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Hard up for Think

It used to be pretty easy to find Think in the Coffee beans / Spinelli's around the Raffle's Place / financial district, but things have changed. Now I sometimes have to wander for blocks before I find a used-up one, that looks like it was used for some homeless trishaw rider's bedding.

I'm thinking it might be a combo of your popularity or perhaps your unworthy competitors are throwing them away? I have better luck finding a few places that carry them near my home near Clarke Quay, but downtown placement is still erratic. Please help us Think-jonesers. - S'porean

Uh... Yeah. Don't know what to tell you apart from get to the cafes quicker. Seriously. We could also probably hook you up with one of our drivers and you could ride around in the back of the truck. Wouldn't that be awesome!? You could subscribe but you're not going to do that, are you? You really need to ask yourself: How much do I love Think Magazine? Basically.