Media Misrepresentation
There's a new threat facing bloggers these days.
No, it's not the sedition charges or defamatory comments that could arise out of blogs which would potentially see bloggers being fined and jailed here (so much for civil liberty... ok better not talk too much in case I kenna).
Rather, I'm talking about comment spam - unwanted comments that get put there by special software.
For example -
"What a great site you have here, I bookmarked it!I have a
penile enlargements related info site. It covers penile enlargements related information.Check it out when you can. ;)
By
7472, at
4:21 PM "
The joy of seeing 3 comments on a blog entry, then clicking to find out that one's on gay dating, another on penile enlargement, and the last one's on drugs or forex global trading or some crap like that.
Rubbish.
Thus, I urge all bloggers to turn on word verification for comments to prevent comment spam.
And for all you comment spammers out there, you ought to feel ashamed, preying on innocent bloggers out there.
Two words - Bugger off!
Al's Snippets
Kenna tagged by xy...
7 things that scare me:
1. Losing a loved one
2. The unknown
3. Girls that cry when they're alone with me (sometimes I get agitated by this too...)
4. A dog barking (dunno why), sudden sounds.
5. Heights
6. Losing my voice
7. Getting a terminal illness
7 things I like most:
1. Seeing lives touched by the power of Christ
2. Making money by buying low and selling high
3. Writing a solid article that is appreciated
4. Overcoming impossible odds to succeed
5. Singing
6. Fast cars
7. Beautiful people
7 important things in my room:
1. My photo albums/letters/cards
2. My laptops/desktop
3. My bed
4. My wireless router and cable modem
5. My documents/credit cards
6. My wardrobe
7. My football/basketball cards
7 random facts about me:
1. I struck the 4D first prize on my first birthday
2. I was from the GEP
3. I've appeared on the Pyramid Game (TV)
4. I once owned two cars in London at the same time- a BMW 318 and a Nissan Primera
5. I've interviewed/met many famous people
6. I bashed a kid in Primary 1 till his nose bled
7. I turned down a chance to be on ESPN last week because of cell group meeting
7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. Make lots of money so I can bless my family and friends and the less fortunate
2. Meet the love of my life and marry her
3. Own a Porsche/Ferrari
4. Be a travelling evangelist
5. Buy a vineyard and a chateau on the France-Switzerland border and retire there
6. Have kids
7. Own a majority stake in Liverpool FC
7 things I can do:
1. Write for the newspaper
2. Play several sports
3. Sing/perform
4. Drive (manual, automatic, left hand drive, right hand drive, motorbikes etc.)
5. Talk to strangers and get their phone numbers
6. Recognise faces and remember facts/figures
7. Find and spot a good deal
7 things I can't do:
1. Lie convincingly
2. Renounce my faith
3. Write with my right hand
4. Stop supporting Liverpool FC
5. Stop watching EPL
6. Not exercise
7. Go without sleep
7 things I say the most:
1. Com'on
2. Yes!!!
3. Noooo...
4. Oh man...
5. Aiyo...
6. Yeah baby...
7. jialat...
Surveys, surveys, surveys...
| Your Summer Ride is a Mini Cooper |
 You are all about unique, one of a kind adventures.The only thing predictable about your summer is that it's unpredictable! |
More...
| You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish |
You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.
Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.
You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.
You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be. |
Lesson of the day: Don't play badminton immediately after having drinks!
Well, I could not resist a chill-out beer at Muddy Malones with the rest of my course mates after a 'tough' week of lessons, before I went to Hougang for badminton.
Had a terok headache after the game... *should have known better*
Overall, it was a weird, but exciting week. We had 'fieldtrips' to the sub courts, and parliament - both were shiok, though the first was more entertaining than the second.
They say you get to see life in the raw in a courtroom, and the class wasn't disappointed.
Witnessed an American who was sentenced for conning various parties - his eyes turned red when he heard the sentence - 2 yrs in Changi prision.
Parliament was more boring, though we toured the chambers, and spoke to the DY speaker.
Now to enjoy the weekend - such occasions are rare where I work...
*fingers crossed that I don't get recalled to work on Sun*
Money no enough
IF THE PRICE OF PETROL GETS MUCH HIGHER I WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO INVEST IN ONE OF THESE...
A Cowasaki!!!
Being on course rawks!
I've said it many times, but I'll say it again - the start of my month-long course equals the rebirth of this blogger's social life.
It's nice leaving the office way before sunset.
It's refreshing to prepare for cell group, youth service sermon and songlead at prayer meeting instead of thinking of story ideas and rushing to meet newsroom deadlines.
The course's interesting and enlightening - been picking up lots of tips daily. Hope I'll be able to apply them to my work.
Received a weird message from an unknown mobile number on Tues night.
I tried to ask who that person is... and I get more crazy messages.
Oh well, time to ignore and hope this person stops sending me those.
I wanna score, but where's the goal?
I can't understand why Boss is making such a big fuss over a golf tournament.
Sure, there is a need to impress and outdo all the other media, but at the expense of our readers?
Do they really want to read 3-4 stories on a local golf tournament that they can also catch live on TV or watch on the news or live in person instead of news on local football, or other sports?
Is there a need to go so technical in our pieces that even leisure golfers would be hard-pressed to figure out what's happening?
Yesterday's work experience can be best summed up by this analogy.
I feel like a soccer striker who's told to score a hat-trick, but isn't told where the goal is until the 80th minute. And I'm still expected to bag 3 goals.
How to score even 1?
I thought I was shooting in the right direction, only to be told to shoot elsewhere late on.
It's never good for morale if only mistakes are highlighted, and good work ignored.
Hoping that today would be better.
Scott Story Success
It feels real good to have your work praised by your boss' s boss, especially in front of the entire department.
"Good crop of golf stories today. I like Alvin's story on Adam Scott in particular. It is well-written and has lots of interesting details. Keep it up!"Big BossEspecially since the piece was largely unedited, and lots of research and toil went into it. And I took care to write it so that it would appeal to non-golfing readers as well. Hope that worked.
For three days, I slept with my mobile and notepad next to me, and I brought these items with me everywhere I went, eagerly awaiting his call.
Thanks to the Judah cell for praying for me regarding this assignment.
The Lord answered every word exceedingly and abundantly!
Finally... sports to go with being at Sports
Thurs - badminton with terlim at NUS
Fri - badminton with josh, jc, paul and cy at Hougang
Sat - golf with dad at Mandai
Sun - Mizuno Wave Run at Kovan Hub
Tiring, but satisfying...
