hit the ground running.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

weiming / is chao-tah

OK, my computer screwed up just a coupla minutes ago so it's taking all the patience and love for blogging (zilch) for me to start writing this post all over again.

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I entertained the thought of ceasing to try and think of witty one liners as blog post titles, and just put my current MSN nick up there, since those tend to reflect my current mood, and are also invariably witty. Or maybe I'll just continue with the one-worder titles that also appear every other post, signifying an inability to think up anything vaguely meaningful as a title. Or maybe not.

Anyway, I was just wondering, earlier this week, how some people manage to find the means and the time to blog everyday. By this I not only refer to some of the big-name Singaporean bloggers (e.g. Xiaxue et al), but also to the lesser-known "what-I-did-today" blogger.

Admittedly, I don't read the blogs of any of the former characters even vaguely regularly; I have, however, read a post or two from xiaxue on occasion (generally, when there's nothing to be done, or when I feel like making myself dumber). Yeah, I know, I run the risk of getting myself exiled to blogspot's version of, er, Siberia (hey wait, I think that's like, China?) by blatantly slagging off one of our local blog-celebrities. I might even get my blog hacked into and log on only to discover that my password's been changed. Well all the better, then I'll finally have a reason to stop blogging, after all.

Anyway, I do admit that some of the big-name bloggers do have a certain amount of wit that nearly befits their status. Others however, not so.

Fact is, I'm quite inclined to think that many of the religious readers of a certain famous local blog (and a coupla others) are sorely lacking in proper literary exposure. Now, I don't proclaim to be the messiah of blogging myself, nor am I under any false illusions that my writing is worthy of a daily readership of 20,000. What I am rather affected by, however, is that after a certain female blogger blogged a rather lengthy post about her hate for parsley, when she was blatantly referring to spring onions (as evidenced by the posted photo), approximately 90% of the 219 readers that commented blindly agreed with her and chipped in with some vague comment about how parsley sucked, automatically registering in their Singaporean minds that them little squarish green splots that came with their food was parsley. Cheers though, to a certain seth who correctly identified that everyone else who commented before him (about 150 of them) basically said the same thing.

Now, what do we learn from this, then? That her readers haven't eaten out before? That they don't cook? That they don't have minds of their own? That I'm jealous of her blog's success? Well, all of the above, 'cept for the jealousy bit, of course.

It would obviously be unfair for me to draw evidence from a single post, and condemn an entire population for it. But well, I decided to read on further, and decided there wasn't much worth reading on the blog. Just more cursing and swearing and the occasional sexual reference.

If there's anything to be gleaned from the above rant, it's merely that Singaporeans are sorely in need of a life. The bulk of the population's so quickly taken by any vague scandal or outspoken-ness. Case in point, the latest handphone video incident (shall refrain from mentioning the magic technorati-ed words, lest any paedophilic pervert stalks by). Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to put down the country at any opportunity I get - fact is this particular situation's true. The only reason why blogs like SPG or XX made it big is because they were controversial. Granted, SPG does write reasonably well and most definitely is pretty well-read too, but I honestly doubt the blog would get half of its readership if not for the sexual content.

I'm willing to wager that if I were to pose as a 17 year old Singaporean girl, and post up appropriate pictures of "myself" using er, "borrowed" photos, and then proceed to detail my "sexual escapades" on my blog, it wouldn't take long for me to make the news, much less tomorrow.sg. A daily readership numbering in the thousands wouldn't be surprising - a 17-year-old nymph, who uses proper grammar? What a revelation!

Now, not to detract from my original point (what was that?) - our country's boring. Not that I'm really looking for much excitement in the way of bombings and the like, but we've really got to buck up and open up our minds a little to the world outside. While I appreciate that the ol' gah-men's doing their best to make the country more exciting, and I also do acknowledge the role of XX and friends in reaching out to the common man, it really does require a radical change in mindset.

Meanwhile though, I guess we'll just have to resign ourselves to the continual worship of the undeserving, while I'll continue to indulge myself in the literary genius of er, Pet. Heh.

Flame away, clueless public.

4:15 PM