Ipoh, Famous For Its Chicken And Hot Chicks

Life-o-Meter

Blog For World Peace Launched!

Hi guys!

Well if you are one of the die-hard followers of my blog, you would have noticed that I was under-going some secret plan which I have given you two clues in my blog posts hinting you to what I was up to.

Clue One: A peace symbol

Clue Two: The word 'blog'

I am finally reavealing what my secret plan is. So I introduce you to 'Blog For World Peace' (BWP). BWP is a blog site which I will be working on from this day forward. BWP is a platform I have created for us to voice out our opinions and thoughts on the happenings of the world and also to share on ways to make this world a better place to live in.

So head on there to find out more!

I am constantly looking for people who can contribute to BWP. May it be writers, designers, advertisers, sponsors, practically anyone who can help in one way or another. If you have any ideas, feel free to contact me through my email (zhengdhong24@gmail.com) or leave me a comment.

One more thing, to show your support towards World Peace, do have this button badge pasted in your blog/website/social network page/etc. Remember to link back to BWP!

150 x 150 px

<br><a href="http://blogworldpeace.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy278/zhengdhong/BWP/bwp-150x150.png" border="0" alt="blog world peace"></a><br>

I'll see you there!

Jack Of All Trades But Masters Of None

So these past few weeks, I've been watching this show called Project Runway. Project Runway is a show that is somewhat similar to all reality tv shows out there which is to find a winner out of a group of people. Project Runway is a show based on fashion design. Fashion Designers from all over America come together and compete in challenges (making garments in particular) where there will be a winner and a loser each week. Every week someone will be kicked out from the show, whereby in the end there will only be 3 who will be presenting a 12 piece collection in New York Fashion Week. From there, the winner of Project Runway will be chosen.

I'm a person who has a lot of dream and wants to achieve a lot of things. This is because I get influenced easily by my surroundings. I want to do everything! Having watched this show, I begin to have interest in making my own clothes once again. I've always wanted to make my own unique clothing line but there wasn't really a path for me to start. I don't event have a needle!

Having so many dreams and aspirations all at once is really confusing at times. One day you might want to do this but the next day you can totally change your mind and start doing something new.So is it good to have interests in so many things? Having the fact that I can't even complete or be an expert in a certain field.

Having to choose a field to excel in certainly can be an easy choice for some and others a tough decisions. Some choose to walk the path where they find they have the most interest in while some choose the road which will lead them into a better future later.

Some rather just do everything all at once and be Jack of all trades.

I've Messed Up My Biological Clock

Right now its already past four in the morning and I'm still staying up to finish a quick sketch for a short blog post to be up in the afternoon. Tell me, is my biological clock messed up or what?

When people sleep, I stayed up late till 4am and when I do sleep, I sleep till the sun is above my head. But the thing is, although I'm up past midnight, my mind isn't as alert as it is during the day. It's like I'm awake but my mind just wants to switch off and do nothing. During the day it is just the total opposite. My mind is ready for work but my body is just too lazy to move around.

Yikes!

Guitar Growing Webs

It has been in its bag for a long long time. Untouched.

Still haven't learnt to play it. It's sad to see it sitting there, waiting for someone to play a song with it.

I need a tuner.

CNY and Valentines Day Falling On The Same Day A Good Thing?

Getting Conned Through Online Shopping

Anyone of you ever shopped online before? Let me re-phrase that. Have anyone of you ever shop from blogshops or forums before? I certainly have and I have found out an easy con scam which can be easily executed. Many of us who have bought things online before surely understands the risks involved. For starters, whoever is selling you the merchandise might just take your money and run away. I'm writing this post based on this issue.

You pretty much have no insurance or guarantee that you will be getting your product after payment is done. Imagine how is it is for people to make you put money into their piggy banks and run away missing after that. I mean, it can't get any simpler that this!

To make things clearer, here's a scenario.

Can you believe it's so simple and easy to con people these days! And still a lot of people are falling for these tricks. I've seen a lot of these cases online. People losing their money after the 'mastermind' ran away. Where have I see this happen? Most of them happened in a popular Chinese forum, jbtalks.com.

Now for the best part. These 'conmen' aren't men at all! Almost every single one of these 'conmen' are kids! Kids as young as below 15 years of age! OMFG! I am totally speechless! Blarrdy Chinese kids!

We are going to have a corrupted country if this is to continue.

#yorais Hitting The Top Charts

First of all, I would like to say that I'm not really following the politics of Malaysia that closely nor am I following much of the news. You can say that I am in a world of my own. However there was this incident recently, where by one of the ministers of Malaysia said this:

"We are not saying that they cannot use Facebook or Twitter but when using such facilities they must upkeep the values taught by Islam, Buddhism or Christianity to maintain our culture."

He is non other than Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

Views of politicians not being accepted by the public is something we possibly see most of the time. This time the ones taking the blame is Facebook and Twitter. Two of the most famous social media networks out there.

He added that, "We must be strong in our believes and culture because the identity and image of our country depends on us."

I don't really understand this statement. Can social media networks actually change our culture and our identity as Malaysians? I'll leave this to you.

So anyways, with what he just said, this has caused an uproar in the online world. Blog posts were publised, Facebook statuses updated and Tweets tweeted, all denying and objecting his statement.

Today, a new trending topic in Twitter has emerged. Search the hashtag #yorais to find out for yourself., you  might have a good laugh. As I am typing this, it is ranked 5th place in the Trending Topics of Twitter. The highest it went was 3rd place, if I'm not mistaken.

So, what are your thoughts on this? Are we really losing our minds and falling into the traps of Americans?

Related post:

• The Star Online: Malaysians advised against being immersed in Facebook, Twitter
• KLue: Rais Yatim to M'sia: "Stay off Twitter!" 
• MalaysiaKini: Beware of Facebook, Twitter: Rais warns

Offering Design Services For Cash

I Disagree With This Statement: 'Please Blog Using Proper English'

I'm sure many of your have come across blogs which are written in broken English. Thus, you think/say this, 'Please Use Proper English To Blog!', 'I Hate Bloggers Who Doesn't Blog In Good English', 'KNCCB Don't Know English Then Don't Blog!'.

Okay maybe not the last statement but I'm sure most of you have had thoughts that blogs with bad english is a blog not worth reading. Actually the statement in the title of this blog post can go both ways. Either you are telling that to a blogger who knows how to use proper English but just refuses to or you might be telling a blogger who knows and uses English but isn't very good at it.

The story might be different if you are telling this to someone who knows how to use proper English but just refuses to. Simply said, it is the fault of the blogger. However, if someone uses English to blog but he/she is not good in English, is it okay for us to judge him/her and say that he/she has not quality in blogging thus saying 'Please use proper English to blog'.

It is not entirely a person's fault if he/she hasn't mastered the English language. I mean our country has people from all kinds of races, each having their own language. Although English is widely used, there will still be some who seldom or won't use English as their main language.

My experiences tell me based on the environment that I'm in, most chinese educated people do not use proper English. This does not mean that they do not want to use proper English, it just that they are poor in English.

So, you might say, 'Learn and Improve First!'

Learning English is a life long journey. We start from the time when we were still young, we graduate from school until we get old, we are still able to learn. It simply cannot be done in your education life, says 5-6years? So are you saying that if a person never gets to improve his/her English up to your standards, are you still going to say this, 'Please Use Proper English To Blog.'?

How can one learn English if he/she does not practise using it? Yes, there might be mistakes but do give them a chance to learn.

Do You Subscribe To Comments?

Future of Environment

As what the title says, the 'Future of Environment'. What is the first thing that strikes your mind after seeing those keywords. Future and Environment. Well, to me, I do not think that there will a an environment to talk about in the future. Simply because the environment will be so destroyed until the environment simply becomes extinct! Wait a minute, is that even possible?

The environment in is current state is way below the healty state. I think you people should already know about this having the fact that you breathe in polluted air every single day! The air we breath, polluted. The seas we swim in, polluted, The city streets we walk in, polluted. It seems that everywhere we go, everything is polluted. What seems to be the cause of all this? Besides us humans of cause (humans are the roots of all problems in this world). Well, in my opinion technology seems to be one of the many problems which is causing pollution to the environment.

Don't you think so? Up till now technology has been so highly over-rated with its good points that all its bad points just slip by us without us even noticing it. One of the very first technology ever invented was the wheel and from there technology grew into making it becoming more sophisticated, into an automobile.

Yes, technology is there for us to advance in life and live it a little bit easier but has anyone invented something and thought about it's effects to the environment. Maybe some have. What about those who have not? An automobile (eg. car) might seem to be a great solution to our problems of transportation but in the long run, what will it do to our fresh clean air? The answer is all around you right now. Literally. Polluted air.

What's in my mind is this; Can we live without technology? Technology is everywhere in this 21st century. How well can we cope if every single piece of technology simply dissappear? No technology, no pollution which means a healty environment. If that happens, then we will be back living the way cavemen did and the only thing that will be 'polluting' the air is the smoke from the fire we make and the smell of our bowel secretions.

The environment is in a very bad shape today. Is there a way to save it? Numerous campaigns have been brought up world wide. 'Go Green' campaings. 'Please Recycle' campaings. Are these campaings really that helpful? Can we really save the environment by just planting a tree? Will we be able to save a forest by using recycleble shopping bags? To me all these actions will be in vain if it does not get the support of the citizens of the Earth. What if we, the human race, do not want to co-operate and think selfishly? Are we just going to sit back and wait for Mayan calendar to take its course?

The fact is, people are selfish. We will not learn until it really happens and falls on us. Thus, if we are to watch the Earth die and then learn from it. Will we ever survive Earth's death? Where will we go? Shall we make friends with the Martians? What I'm trying to say is, if we are going to keep ignoring the fact that the environment is indeed dying and once it is 'dead', we will be too. That's is why we must act now.

This time around, why not invent something to help cure the environment rather than harm it. People are getting smarter and smarter each and every day but still why hasn't anyone come up with something to suck the pollutants free from our atmosphere?

Yes! Hybrid cars are invented. Even cars which run on french fries oil is invented! Ever wonder why these inventions are so costly and pricey which will make the invention useless. Getting things done is one thing but getting people to use it is another. Just like what I said, if the citizens of the world do not co-operate then everything will be done in vain.

I have yet to see a trend on saving the environment or am I just blinded by thick smoke?

The future is near, we only have like 2 more years till 2012.

Remember that the future is what you want it to be.

Shopping For Shoes Isn't Easy

Short Update Until My Exam Is Over

My Exam Date

It will be a morning paper which starts at 9.00am. So technically I will have 48more hours to study. Maybe less.

Nang Me, Nang You: The Response

This current post is sort of a reply entry to my previous blog post. In this case, if you have not read the previous post, do take some time to read it first. It may be long but the message needs to get out to all bloggers out there. The link to my previous post is here; Nang Me, Nang You.

I am glad to say that my thoughts on the previous post has reached out to so many bloggers and is getting a good response out of it. I am sure most of you by now have a clearer picture in mind of what blogging really means. It is not about getting to the Top 10, not about monetary issues and surely it not about nangs.

Indeed I have gotten alot of response from my 'Nang Me, Nang You' post. One of my best entries I must say. Now instead of replying the comments there, I will do it here. I will reply and give you my feedback on some of the comments right here in this blog post.

Because I do think that there are more issues which needs to be clarified more and what a not a better way to do it but a blog post? That way, we can get different perspectives on how we are looking at the issue and thus, have a better conversation about the matter.

Now let me start with the comment replying.

Jimmy said...

i got stuck in this culture for the previous few hours until Yat made me realise that i'm blogging for the sake of money. I swear not to do this again. Honestly, i think nuffnang should ban this culture.

For those who have seen me into this "nang me nang you" culture, i'm sorry and i regret getting involved at the first place.

Well, the fact is, most people do see money before they see anything else. I mean, who doesn't like money? If there's a chance to make/generate money, I am sure you will go for it right? I know I will too. However, think of it this way. Do you want to earn your money and use it happily or do you just want to make money the wring way? To make things even more simple, ask yourself, do you want to go to work to earn your salary or do you want to rob a bank and secretly using the money?

It's the same thing for blogs, do you want people to just randomly click on your blog and leave or do you want them to actually appreciate what you have written in your blog? And may I quote this from Tzia's blog, "Comments from the reader, to me, is the most amazing thing about a blog." Yes, comments and response are those things that just keeps your blog alive. Unless of course you want to keep your blog private and personal but other than that, I'm sure you are looking for some kind of response from the readers right?

Saying that Nuffnang should ban this culture, to me, can't really work. Cultures are hard to be banned because cultures comes from a person's doings, a person's attitude and a person's action. That's is why to get rid of this so called culture, we need to find the source, which is us bloggers. Enlighten those who are unaware and I'm sure, this culture will not happen. :)

cr3ap said...

    Well, people started it, I just followed up the trend since I'm still new at blogging. I also wish my blog to be worthy and have some good comments too. I actually do agree that those people asking people to nang here and there quite annoying. But I can't help it but just to follow the trend. But this evening someone scolded me and write about something in the chatbox. Therefore from there onwards I stopped posting about nang anymore. I totally support your voice out and you should comment to the nuffnang.

Trends are easy to follow aren't they? Getting new bloggers into the scene is great! The more the merrier. If I was new to the blogging scene, I would have most probably followed the trend too. I mean since everybody is doing it, why shouldn't I? It's like, if I don't follow the trend, then I will be left behind. That's what happening in the real world; everyone is trying to keep up with the latest fashion, latest gossips, latest TRENDS. There are good trends and bad ones, we just need to figure it out by ourselves which is best for us to follow. :)

Jessy said...

I do agree with u. I did promote my blog on the cbox too. But even if I get nangs, i wun be very happy since they nang u js so u return the favour and not actually reading the blog.

I do get frustrated too when people go around and say "i've nang u, return the favour"

But because of the abuse, those which I have came across with good blog post but are not in top10 is because they did not participate in the "nang exchange" activity.

So I guess the best way is to remove the chatbox! Yep! u shuld request to nuffnang!

~cheers~

Jas said...

I agree with you wholeheartedly on this matter. Having said that, readership is really much more important than traffic (:

Well in any case, I've experienced a 'sudden' increase in traffic after posted something on innit but after a few days gone 'silent' for not posting anything new, my traffic dropped back flat again. This goes on and on...

Bloggers these days do not visit other blogs for updates/entries/posts anymore. They visit for one reason only and that reason is hoping that other bloggers will visit their blog back and in turns, increase their traffic.

This so-called new culture began as a result of the blooming of the blogging industry. Recently, there are more and more blogs starts to operate and bloggers felt compelled to compete against each other. With thousands of blogs out there, who's gonna read all of em'? We dont have thousand of readers, because basically everyone's a blogger and in their opinion, "why read yours? I got my own blog!". So the fastest way to gain 'emergency traffic is by basically 'working together'

Simply put, I view you - You view me! I click your Nuffnang ads - You click my Nuffnang ads. And etc etc etc you get my drift....

In my opinion, this new culture has brought a whole new meaning to blogging....

But heck, I still from time to time nang others in hoping that they'll nang me back all in the name of getting 'emergency traffic' (:

That's so true. What's the use of just getting nangs when nobody even reads your blog or gives feedback? Getting into the top list means nothing if you do not have quality posts. Readers are just going to ignore your blog the next time, which means that you will need to 'work' for nangs everytime you write a blog entry. However, if you keep on posting on quality posts, you will get positive response and maybe gain some readership. :)

Dak Wan said...

Vive Le Difference! I do believe that nowadays it's all about monetary gain. There is no such value as good blog post any more. Anyway, why join Nuffnang if it is not for money rite?

Sometimes it is about monetary gains. Money can be a very big issue and it is important as well but like what I said in my reply to the first comment above, do you want to earn money or rob money? Having the feeling of doing it the right way always feels better don't you think so?

I disagree with what you have said that 'there is no such value as good blog post any more'. With how you have said this, it can mean two things. You are either saying blog posts can't be rated good or bad OR there aren't any good blog posts anymore. Well, rating blog posts can be a very subjective matter but depending on how mush feedback a blog gets, we can more or so at least say how 'good or bad' that particular blog is. But if what you meant was the latter, how sure are you? Are you saying all blog posts are bad and poor now? Then what is the use of having a blog then?

What Nuffnang offers us bloggers are more than its monetary values it brings us. Yes, many would have joined Nuffnang because it offers us a way to make money, which is from the ads but Nuffnang isn't all about that. It is also a platform for us to get to know more people in this case more bloggers out there. Gaining monetary values from Nuffnang is just a side option. :)

Nuffnang Sdn Bhd may be a business and I know one of the purpose of having a business is to make money and through their advertisement on blog, they are able to generate profit from there. Nuffnang being an advertising company means they ADVERTISE things. Having said so, if you are looking for nangs just for the sake of traffic and people coming in clicking your ads. Then what's the point of having Nuffnang in the first place when they are not advertising anything?!

Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade its viewers, readers or listeners to take some action. It usually includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume that particular brand. -Wikipedia

With that I shall end this long and lengthy post. Sorry that I can't reply to all of the comments I've gotten from the previous post. If I did that, this post will be SUPERBLY LONG! But most of your comments speak for itself and some may find it similar to the ones I've posted here. So, I think I have spoken enough. Let's hope things change for the better.

Have fun blogging!

Nang Me, Nang You

Technology and ideas in social media has advance greatly in the world. Starting from ICQ, then we moved on to MSN which is now called Windows Live and the latest social media advancement today, we have Twitter!

Little did we know that chatboxes still remained as chatboxes. Or is that all true? I guess the chatbox in Nuffnang's Innit is not a chatbox afterall. Well, to give it credit, it used to be a chatbox until this recent time when everything changed...

Bloggers started to ask for nangs profusely from everyone and anyone in hopes of getting into the Top 10 Popular Posts which then leads to more traffic to their blog. That's what I assume is in everybody's plan.

If Nuffnang would allow me, I will try to explain the concept of having Innit available to bloggers. Nuffnang admins, correct me if I'm wrong. I shall start my brief explanation now.

Innit is a platform established to help new and current bloggers to have a head start in their blogging life/hobby/etc. Thus, the option for us to post our latest blog entries into Innit is made possible, which will then be published for others to read if they are interested. By just posting up entries might not be too exciting, that is why Innit has this Top 10 Popular Post in Innit in hopes of finding the best 10 blog posts to be published for at least 24 hours.

How do you get to the Top 10 list? Every time you upload your latest blog post into Innit, there will be a 'Nang It' and 'Dang It' button. These buttons are available for fellow blogger readers to vote whether they actually like (nang) your blog post and thinks that it is well written and has quality or whether they dislike (dang) your blog post. With a well written blog post, you can collect enough nangs and you'll find your blog post in the Top 10 in no time.

One of Nuffnang's goals is also to unite all bloggers together. That is why a chatbox is put in Innit. A chatbox being a chatbox, is for us to not only chat but also make new friends and of course get to know new bloggers as well.

Having done describing Innit. Now let's take a look at what's happening right now.

Like what I said, bloggers are asking for nangs 24/7 in the chatbox. Blog posts with quality or no quality, everything is getting nanged no matter what. Currently nangs are exchanged more than earned. The system has changed, now, it is a race to see who gets the most nangs the quickest so that they can get to the Top 10 faster.

Now I have to admit that I myself have asked for nangs but it is coming to see that this is getting out of hand. Something needs to be done. Well written blog posts are getting lesser these days.

It is good too see that the amount of Nuffnang bloggers are increasing but the new bloggers need to be taught the correct way of blogging too. I know, up to a certain level, you have freedom to blog about anything but there is always an etiquette to consider too.

I know it is a very delightful feeling of getting high traffic into your blog but is getting high traffic that good if all of them came from people who just 'blogwalk' without actually reading your blogpost? Or do you just want them to click on your ads? Blogging was never about generating money when blogging first existed. I still remember the first time I blogged in Xanga during my early secondary school days. Telling stories of how school went and puppy love messages.

Techonology changes with time and so does the purpose of blogging. I'm not saying that blogging has changed completely but it has evoled and advanced itself to a new level. This time around, advertising is introduced into the world of blogs. When there is advertising, there sure will be money and cash equivalent involved. However, this reason (to generate money from blogging) should never be the case for us bloggers start or continue on blogging.

I myself have tried getting traffic into my blog too and of course trying very hard to get that traffic to generate money for me but sad to say, it has never ever worked for me this way. I guess the wrong way will never work. Recently, I have started a new blog with a new theme. A comic blog to be precised and I have noticed that I slowly start to gain readership with my blog. My blog entries start to get comments and I start to get happy.

Have readership is much more worth is than having traffic. Traffic might come and go due to reasons of new roads (new blogs) but readership stays with you. When you have that quality, you will get return visits.

To tell you the truth, I'm still not very pleased with my blog's traffic, that is why what I'm doing now is to try to have good blog posts and also to update regularly. That's what reader wants these days. If you have good blog posts and update regularly, I'm sure you will get what you want in blogging.

Let's keep blogging fun shall we?

~~

Shall I send a note to Nuffnang?

Well, if the problem above still persists, I recommened that the chatbox to be removed as it already does not serve its purpose anymore.

I honestly think the Innit should be revamped to be better. The idea of having the Top10 posts is very good indeed but the process of getting there isn't very well planned out.

Nang to like the blog post and Dang if you dislike it. Correct? We are aware that everytime new blog posts are posted up into Innit, the blog post before will be pushed down. Some time on, the wil be moved to another page. Then another and another, too far until we are not willing to search for it in the back pages. The truth is, though you can click on 'older>' to get to the older posts but I'm am sure not many does that.

Since the amount of bloggers Nuffnang has now has increased by the folds (118,817 Bloggers on the entire Nuffnang network. WOW!). Innit users have too. So if an amount of bloggers upload their posts to Innit all at once, then it will all be pushed to the back pages. Thus, chances of other bloggers coming to Innit let's say a couple of hours later, won't be able to read the posts. Thus, unable to Nang or Dang.

Will it be possible for the layout of Innit to be changed? At least something that makes posts easily accessible to bloggers although it's posted some time ago.

Just hoping to help.

~~

Now bloggers, do you agree? What's you thoughts on this matter?

No More Attacks Please?

I Forgot All About My Eggs!

Streaming PPStream, Watching Survivor: Samoa

I Have A Scholarship Worth RM18,000!

Happy 2010!