Hi all,

This is just a note to let everyone know what is going on with this blog.

I am afraid that my current commitments does not permit me any time to blog on a consistent basis
However, I am still looking forward to being to blog again in the near future.

Take care and God Bless
Kelvin

This guy’s idea of a sick joke : spoofing a channelnewasia website and saying that Jerry Ong died.Ok, we have all had our fair share of throwing brickbats at Jerry during the Singapore idol final but this guy needs mental help. It’s not funny joking about someone’s demise like this.At least Jerry had the guts to
1) Stand up for what he believes in (declaring his love for Jesus Christ publicly)
2) Do his best despite the nation-wide media crucifixion
3) Kept believing in himself throughout.

I could not stand his singing but his conviction needs applauding.

As the for the dastardly act by this guy, ChannelNewsAsia should sue the pants off him.

UPDATE : Thx to HuiChieh, here is a link to an interesting article that talks about blogs and annonymity.
How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else)
————————–
This will be my final entry on anything even remotely related to the CZ issue.SingaporeAngle provided an excellent summary of how it started and how the issue have ballooned out into the Singapore blogoshere.I think thus far, most of the bloggers, have been reasonably fair in their entries, with most of us expressing disdain and anger against the VERY distasteful, shocking and discriminating comments Cheng Zhan made on his “private blog”. Rather it is the comments by others and in SPUG that borders on witch-hunting.Ever since my entries got picked up by google and yahoo, I have been linked from multiple blogs around the world. >400 people found my blog by searching “PSC Scholar”, “Cheng Zhan racist”, “chua cheng zhan” etc etc.

As such, my blog has now come under the radar and while most of the comments made on my blog has been decent enough, I have had a friend of CZ email me and call me some pretty unkind stuff.

I am not too bothered by it because I know where I stand and my self-worth in God will not be determined by that email. Apart from the ill-advised use of the word bigot, I think I have been pretty fair in my comments about CZ.

Back to the intent of this entry.
Should a blog be private?
CAN a blog be private?

I think that recently, bloggers have been thrust into the limelight all too often as the “old media” have pounced on this new rich source of newsworthy information. Computer Times even has a blog of the week section!

AcidFlask (who himself came to limelight recently on the issue of scholarship bond breaking) and SingaporeInk talks about the power and influence of the blogosphere.

Is it scary? You bet it is.
Not as scary as a Casino in Singapore but scary nonetheless.

I think what people need to realise is, blogs can never be private.
It goes against the very concept of a blog and the underlying technology that makes blog such a powerful tool of communication in today’s society.

It is no hidden secret that google loves bloggers.
I have had friends complain why people find their blogs through words like “sex toys, S&M, kinky baby etc etc”.
Just say a single F-U-C-K in one of your entries and soon, people who search for that word will find your blog.
THAT is the power of the internet. You do not have exact control over who reads your blogs.

Tools like technorati makes it all the harder to keep your blog private.
The concept of blogging is like Friendster - well connectiveness.
It is built on the foundation of technology and protocols that promotes this.

With the sudden push towards “tagging” as the next big thing now, the influence of blogging will only increase.

So what does this mean for the average blogger who wish to just have an online PERSONAL and PRIVATE diary?
Go offline OR implement proper password protection. (even the latter is no gaurentee of privacy).
The internet is not a private medium. If you wish to say anything that is not suitable for public consumption, hold that tongue.
After all, the bible tells us that our tongue can be a venomous snake (paraphased) and that we should rein it in.

I have seen blogs by lawyers who spout so much vitrol in their blogs that I fear it will come back to bite them one day.
It will be a matter of time before your prospective employer might do some investigative work and find your blog. I think it can be so much more effective than psychological testing as a blog can be the window to a person’s soul and character.

Recently, a student on attachment with my company got me in trouble with a client when she blogged about that client. Private thoughts in a public domain just does not work.
I lost that client for being unprofessional. ANd I agree with my client.

I get resumes sent to me by people looking for a job. The amazing thing is some of them proudly put links to their blog in their resumes.
So i thought “He must be trying to show me he is a good writer or he is a witty and sharp intellectual”. Imagine my horror then when I start reading blogs filled with grammatical errors, angst-filled thoughts, vulgarities and just show off their immaturity.

Trust me when I say that your prospective employee will not be impressed by how you wax eloquent over your heartbreak of losing your gf, nor by how high you score in lame online quizzes or tests.

—————————————-
It is gonna be some time before the whole CZ issue blows over.
Everyone wants their pie of the attention and their own 2 cents worth.

Whether he loses his scholarship or not, I think it will be equally a tragedy if he does not change and learn. THAT should be the focus of concern here.

Well, this will be my last two cents worth because I think I have made my point and I think CZ and his family should be left alone now for them to sort out their son’s problems.
I think that we can all learn a lesson from here.

LATEST UPDATE:
You will not believe some of the vitrol that has been unleashed against him at SPUG and this blog .Even worse, the outrage against Cheng Zhan has spilled over from the Singapore blogsphere to the Sunday Times today.Large pic of him with interviews of his friends, former classmates and his parents defending him, saying it is not his nature, that he volunteered in Nepal etc etc.
They all say he meant it as a joke.
A joke? I know a joke when i see it I seriously doubt he is joking.
I am praying his parents do not overlook this and treat it as a folly of youth. I honestly think their son has serious issues and its best they face up to it and address it.

That said, I do feel sorry for the guy. Yes, I was equally out-raged by his racism and bigotry BUT to turn it into a witchhunt? I was totally stunned when i read the article in Sunday Times. Apparently one enraged blogger collated all his posts and sent it to the media. Scary.

This will be a really hard lesson for him to learn. (i am hoping he learns)
While the people at SPUG are crying for the PSC scholar to lose his scholarship, my point is, what will that achieve?

To all the youths at PP, learn from this. What you blog reflects who you are.
———————————————
[original entry]

I am amazed by how so many people think that they can stay hidden on the internet. As such, they blog with wild abandon and with half-baked thoughts and incriminating monologues, thinking that they can hide cowardly behind a password protected page.

Well, in a continuation of my previous post, more gems from his blog. (several other blogs and local forums are having heated discussions about him now. It’s a matter of time before he will be forced to shut down his blog).

Urgent: please return to the river ganges.
Dear Vivek,
you’re an utter pain in the arse.
i request that you ugly species vacate this planet. moreover, since your surface area is so huge yet your brain so small and useless, you are a mere waste of precious resources.

if you sincerely believe that our miraculous miracles is Cleopatra and you are Mark Anthony reigning in the Caesar Forum in Rome, by all means, go forth and propose your “constitutional amendments” to your “populous.”

if not, i suggest you smelly goon return to Madras. (oh yah, you aren’t even from singapore…and you’re running for Singaporean club president~). back in your alleys, you can stink and rot for all you want and be the “forefather” of your own generation of indian bah boo singhs who irritate the hell out of me.

i pray to the god of vishnu that you will be washed into the abyss of the river ganges, where its so dark that even you cannot be seen!

vanakam~~

(help…who turned off the lights)

ahhhh~ that was a good break from my thesis.

reading xangas…n came across some entries where my friends were talking about serious stuff and how they feel about things. n looking at it all…i’m like “wooo…these ppl are really accomplished. the true PSC scholars who have brains and can make a difference to the world and to the causes they fight and stand for”….
so in response, of course i have to demonstrate how frivolous i am and how stupid PSC has been to give me the scholarship…heheheh. being frivolous is just so me…

My point is, WATCH WHAT YOU DO OR SAY on the internet.

In our Christian walk with God, we are asked to live our life in a “Fish Bowl” where we have to be consistent.
Well, that is certainly the case with the internet.

I just hope and pray that ChengZhan will realise how wrong he has been learn from this experience before he gets censured by PSC.

It’s times like these that the application of “Love thy neighbour as thyself” is really tested.
Man, I sooo wish i could slap him a few times and get his PSC scholarship revoked and have him publicly shamed.

But *slaps myself*, I know I should not be having such thoughts.
Guess that is one more entry into my prayer journal.

While reading through my RSS feeds, I had the misfortune of chancing upon a racist and elitist who so happened to be a PSC Scholar!!
read : future civil servant, potential MP (*faint*), future PM (*I am gonna migrate*)

Got it from a blog by a local lawyer.

Check out what he blogged is his entry on April 10th 2005 :

somehow, the singaporean association here in my school has become an indian association. so gross. and somemore non-singaporean. its just so repulsive…these ugly guys with dark skin n irksome features. ya. i discovered i’m so racist. at the club (under lighting in which everyone is supposed to look good), i still find indians and filipinos (dark ones) so repulsive n such a turn-off. anyway, so now we have this ugly mass as our president. n his indian counterpart who isn’t even singaporean is our senator. what is the world coming to? why are indians dominating the singaporeans here?
all these mang ka-li….gross gross. don’t come near me!

>.< disgust.

It just gets better…

In his entry dated April 21 2004

i think an issue which finally dawned on me is that my family is pretty impressive in some senses… like i told my di i realised it…n he was like “duh”. hahahaha. putting it in light of sociological analysis (ahem)…maybe i was justified to have not noticed it earlier. coz i have always been in like the “best”….since pri sch. thru RI, n HCJC. like it juz seemed “normal” that everyone was getting scholarships n everyone was smart. but i suppose to many others, this didn’t seem “normal.” den my bro got into GEP n got straight As for A levels etc…it just didn’t seem out of the ordinary for me. now i think about it, actually it is.

n the followup question is always : is ur sister stressed? i think somehow me n aaron came to e same ans…sadly to say, if u’re pretty far frm comparison u juz dun bother to compare. (like, does proton saga compare itself to a jaguar??) or there is juz little need to compare.
not saying proud or anything. juz a sociological observation.ha…i love sociology!!!!

Can you believe this guy?
Racism + Elitism, what a “POWDERFUL” combination.
Then again, he might come in here and correct my “lowly” english. After all, I am just Proton Saga right?

I am sure in time, he will remove his blog entries.

HOWEVER, I will always remember his name and if he ever steps into politics, you can be sure you will hear from this proton saga.

We can compare “sociological observations” then.

Yes, it is that time of the year again where Florist and Restaurants alike perform legal extortion on the hopeless romantics and boyfriends of hopeless romantics. :newsmilieys8:

Every year, I practically spend all my “angpow” money on V-day and looks like this year will be no exception. However, I consider myself really lucky that my gf is not really too into V-day .
Best part, she does not want flowers on V-day as it is a waste of money. AMEN to that :newsmilieys: .
I can give her flowers 350 days a year, just not the week before and after V-day.

Last V-day we spent the Saturday basking in the sun and kayaking at Sentosa beach, with sandwiches made by yours truly. No flowers, just exchanging of gifts. I did write her a poem and designed a “newsletter” proclaiming my love for her.

This year, since V-day falls on a work day, it will be a small diamond necklace with a Teppanyaki Buffet Dinner at Hoshi Restaurant…followed by a post V-day picnic at Sentosa this weekend

To those reading this, do let me know how you will be spending your V-day this yr

And to Velle - Happy V-Day!! How does it feel? First V-day as a wife?

Grown men acting like small kids. Sigh (click on image to see video of the alleged fracas where Viera taunted Gary Neville and Keane stepped in to confront Viera).

Video is a little dark so you will have to probably increase its brightness. Also, you will need to watch it 4-5 times before you can make out some of the shouting that went on.Caution, video is choke-ful of expletives, mostly from the gangster, Keane.Check out Neville’s face in the end. It is a classic.

This is really funny. I found myself laughing and laughing when i read it.A polish friend of mine sent it to me.

I think Ben would appreciate most of the jokes in it

“NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE” by John Cleese

To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up “revocation” in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Then look up “aluminium.” Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘favour’ and ‘neighbour’, skipping the letter ‘U’ is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter ‘Z’ (pronounced ‘zed’ not
‘zee’) and the suffix “ize” will be replaced by the suffix “ise.” You will learn that the suffix ‘burgh’ is pronounced ‘burra’ e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as ‘Pittsberg’ if you can’t cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up “vocabulary.” Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as “like” and “you know” is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up “interspersed.” There will be no more ‘bleeps’ in the Jerry Springer show. If you’re not old enough to cope with bad language then you
shouldn’t have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won’t have to use bad language as often.

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents.

It really isn’t that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as “Taggart” will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we’re talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is “Devon.” If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become “shires” e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as “Men Behaving Badly” or “Red Dwarf” will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can’t cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, “God Save The Queen”, but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American “football.” There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American “football” is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays “American” football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American “football”, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the ‘World Series’ for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls’ game called “rounders,” which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because e don’t believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called “IndecisiveDay.”

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren’t even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called “crisps.” Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as “beer,” and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as “Lager.” The substances formerly known as “American Beer” will henceforth be referred to as “Near-Frozen Knat’s Urine,” with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as “Weak Near-Frozen Knat’s Urine.” This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.

13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or “Gasoline,” as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon - get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you’re not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you’re not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you’re not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us crazy.

(16.) Tax collectors from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).