A THOUSAND CROSSINGS X

Dear Diary...
Messages.
mercredi 10 novembre 2010

A penny for your thoughts

Do you remember the times when thoughts cost a penny? Well, even a dollar as The Band Perry sung in "If I Die Young" (A penny for my thoughts, oh no I’ll sell them for a dollar/They're worth so much more after I’m a goner) I don't think they cost as much these days when our thoughts are readily available on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and on microblogging sites like Twitter and Tumblr. And I'm guilty of this too, airing my thoughts in public portals, right here on Blogger!

So, is this increasing openness a bane or a boon?

I made a recent casual comment on Facebook yesterday, "we should stop writing our feelings all over our faces, or in this modern context, all over our facebook walls. Just my 2 cents." It received a couple of likes as well as a couple of comments disagreeing with what I said. So I thought I shall delve deeper into my two-cents-worth comment.

Have you posted song lyrics in your Facebook status update, or similar? Were your really just sharing a meaningful verse, or were you trying to tell everyone how you feel and get someone to comment on it? Here's an example off my Facebook wall, "Nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy/And you're doing your best to avoid me." Those are lyrics from The Story of Us by Taylor Swift. So, honestly, was I sharing just another verse from a song? No, not really, it's a subtle way of seeking attention, we all know that, don't we?

Here is another scenario. You post an interesting video, most of the time its a music video of a song that you like. But you don't post it simply because you want to share it with everyone else, do you? Here is another example off my Facebook wall again, "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPJp3wrV0OQ :D
The Corrs : What Can I Do ( Live Acoustic) HQwww.youtube.com>Good live version of their first big hit single What Can I Do (Composer- Caroline Corr, Andrea Corr, Sharon Corr, Jim Corr) I haven't slept at all in days It's been so long since we've talked And I have been here many times I just don't know what I'm doi.."
Did I post it because it sounded good? Yes it sounds good, but I don't think that is the main reason. You know it isn't the main reason too.

And other times, we decided not to use song lyrics or videos. We simply decide to post a wise proverb or a saying, or just something wise-sounding. Here is yet another example of my Facebook wall, "苟且偷生". A simple 4 Chinese characters open to everyone's interpretation. Anyway, it means to keep alive without serious ambition. So, why did I post that? It cannot simply be a random, ordinary comment right? It was meant to describe my first JC year. Okay, we digress.

Of course, there are also some times when we are completely insensitive with some comments we make. Something like this: Sigh, missed 1 mark to an A. Or: I'd rather get a B then suffer the agony of not being in the top percentile. Or even: Sigh I got 3 As. And that 1 stupid B that is half a mark from an A.

It sounds so funny as I'm typing all that, but those comments usually cut deep.

So do you see? We (ok maybe just I but I believe we all are guilty okay. haha.) publish our thoughts on public portals, depreciating the price of our thoughts (haha, this is meant to be darkly humourous), expose our vulnerable and ugly selves and allow people to read our minds like a book, in an amazingly subtle manner. But is this for the better or for worse?

Take cyber-bullying for example. Sure, I agree that punishment should be meted out to cyber bullies and they are the 21st century's latest, and soon-to-be biggest villians. But I can't help thinking that we are the ones making ourselves vulnerable. We air our thoughts publicly, thoughts that used to be private and were meant to be kept to ourselves before the advent of Facebook and other social networking sites, publishing to the world our vulnerabilities giving and cyber-bullies a chance to do their damage.

Sure, we have become more "connected", the new wave of communication technologies were supposed to form communication links around the world, bring the world closer, encourage different people to be more sensitive and understanding towards each other but how much of this has been achieved?

Regarding the point on sensitivity towards others, some of us still don't make the mark. Read this: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146169/singaporean_blogger_arrested_charged_with_racism.html

Have we achieved what we claimed? Some may have, but a significant number of us have not. The danger with posting everything we feel online, however subtly is that what we publish cannot be erased or retraced.

So, I just think that maybe we should start being more selective with what we say and publish, just like things were before. Some things are meant to be secret, some things are meant to be kept to ourselves, some things are meant to be kept mum about. Thoughts were meant to cost a penny.

And there, my 50 cents worth.

I'm guilty, are you?

Au Revoir
yongliang

he closed his diary at {11:49}

Dear Diary...
Unstoppable
dimanche 7 novembre 2010

Back from watching Unstoppable! It's a gripping movie about a runaway train, and I shan't say more to avoid spoiling the show for those who haven't watched it. I would highly recommend this movie, I was kept at the edge of my seat for most of the movie. Although the plot is simple enough and the ending was easy to guess, it was still very exciting! :D So, please go watch it if you haven't!

Anyway, the movie is loosely based on the Crazy Eights train runaway incident in Ohio in 2010, you can read more here: http://articles.cnn.com/2001-05-15/us/runaway.train.05_1_jon-hosfeld-runaway-freight-train-tank-cars?_s=PM:US

So, now you can roughly guess what the movie is about yeah? :D

Go do yourselves a favour and watch it now, it's eggciting :D You know you wanna.

Au Revoir
yongliang

he closed his diary at {00:44}

Dear Diary...
Why Can't I Own A Canadian?
mercredi 3 novembre 2010

Hilarious article which I chanced upon after Google's autofill suggested the search: Why can't I own a canadian, and it led me to the humanists of utah website which hosted the article. I guess I'm slow, because the article had been published in 2002. That aside, the article is still a funny and insightful one.

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15:19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 (Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee) by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16 (And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death). Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14 - And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,
Jim

I guess nothing should be taken at face value, even religious books.

Au Revoir
yongliang

he closed his diary at {12:17}

Dear Diary...
Sparks Fly

After waiting for 3 years (or even 4), Sparks Fly has finally been recorded. :D

Sparks Fly
Taylor Swift

The way you move is like a full on rainstorm
And I'm a house of cards
You're the kind of reckless that should send me running
But I kinda know that I won't get far

And you stood there in front of me
Just close enough to touch
Close enough to hope you couldn't see
What I was thinking of

Drop everything now
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile
Get me with those green eyes, baby
As the lights go down
Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around
cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile

My mind forgets to remind me you're a bad idea
You touch me once and it's really something
You find I'm even better than you imagined I would be
I'm on my guard with the rest of the world
But with you I know it's no good
And I could wait patiently
But I really wish you would

Drop everything now
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile
Get me with those green eyes, baby
As the lights go down
Something that'll haunt me when you're not around
cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile

I'll run my fingers through your hair
And watch the lights go wild
Just keep on keeping your eyes on me
It's just wrong enough to make it feel right
And lead me up the staircase
Won't you whisper soft and slow
I'm captivated by you baby like a fireworks show

Drop everything now
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile
Get me with those green eyes, baby
As the lights go down
Something that'll haunt me when you're not around
cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile

Au Revoir
yongliang

he closed his diary at {11:33}