ShortTakes

I was watching the ending minutes of the President's Star Charity, and I clearly remembered that the donations was less than $500,000. (Less than a peanut), so I was very very surprised with this news report that:

The President's Star Charity show has so far raised S$3.8 million, outperforming last year's figures. [link]

It is a good thing to see that there is no backlash from donors. It will be, if you are someone who don't question anything you read, and take every number given to you at face value.

To confirm that there is no backlash, we need to delve deeper.

Is there a breakdown of this $3.8 million, between call-in donors and corporate donors? I can't find it. Maybe we'll never know.

Edit: Now We know

"Since phone lines were opened last week, individuals called in $480,990 worth of donations, less than last year's $693,800. " [TodayOnline]

In other news, Sunday's Straits Times and New Paper both had an extravaganza of Blog related news. Blog Blog Blog. I'm so tired by this shite.

Why are they playing up blogs like Sandralicious and Xiaxue and not Serious Blogs like Commentary Singapore and Singapore Ink? Even Sumiko Tan joined in the fray by writing that blogs are not serious, spread unsubstianted rumors etc etc.

Enough of this shite already, I mean, it is sad that there are so many bloggers that write much better than Sumiko Tan and not paid a single cent for writing, and I am actually wasting 5 mins of my life reading Sumiko Tan's article when I'm on the crapper.

If I'm a techno-phobic parent reading ST, I might conclude that blogs will make your children waste their time online, don't study hard, pose naked/sexy pics of herself, enter a life of crime, things like that.

One thing comes to mind:

Traditional Media has woken up to the fact that fact that blogs can be a powerful tool to shape opinion, it might be a good time to start dis-crediting and downplay blogs.

Y'know with so many big upcoming events lined up, like Presidential Election, General Election etc etc. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Not that it'll work either.

In other news, some Singaporean Swimmer guy attempts to swim across the English Channel. I wonder why do some people do this, another pointless attempt at record making?

Please, unless it's for a good cause like raising money for charities. (which I don't see that in the article), don't bother. It's just boliao doing it.

Is it for publicity? Money? To write a self-help book? To Challenge one's physical limits? Who gives a shite?

Edit: Ok I was wrong. He is swimming for charity. [link] Helpful Reader TakChek provided the following info [see the comments].

Isn't Blogging wonderful? When is the last time you complained directly to Sumiko Tan about her wonderful articles? Here in this blog, we allow you to do just that.