Just visited  Daphne’s blog recently and I stumbled onto this article about a local food Blogger called Lady Iron Chef.

The controversy seems to have gone upscale by getting itself reported on Yahoo news and making its rounds on the internet.

According to Yahoo News:

A young food blogger had demanded that he and his three companions be given free meals at an upscale restaurant in the Joo Chiat area.

When presented with the final bill of $435, the blogger initially refused to pay and repeatedly told the restaurant’s chef, “I never pay for food in any restaurant.”

The restaurant eventually offered to waive off the cost of the meal for him and his partner as well as the cost of the champagne out of goodwill, thus lowering the bill to $159.

Still upset but finally relenting to pay, the blogger then threw his credit card onto the bar counter in front of the cashier before storming out.

Personally, I don’t know the Blogger in question and I actually thought that the blogger was female, until I read the article in Yahoo.

As the Blogger has not been out to defend himself, I feel that in this case, we might have to give the blogger the benefit of a doubt. I believe that it is more appropriate to  hold one’s peace until we have heard the other side of the story.

We must realize that everyone has an agenda…including the friendly News provider…

However, I think that the issue does bring out certain points to ponder about:

My current Blogging escapades seem to have brought me certain benefits, as people have began to ask me to review their products and it even got me to Club Med!

I, for one am not complaining, as I really enjoyed Club Med, and I also enjoy meeting new people as well. However, as blogging started out as a hobby for me, I have not given the commercial aspects much thought until today.

Basically, I just write and take pictures, because I enjoy it, and it’s also a fun way for me to communicate with my family and friends. I strive to  get the basic idea across that Parenting is Fun, and that there are people out there, who laugh at themselves and their kids too!

However, I also understand that it is difficult to write unbiased reviews, especially when money or some other fringe benefits are involved.

Is there a way to strike a balance?

1. Maybe Bloggers should just label their posts more deliberately, especially when it is a paid Advertorial.
2. Bloggers should have a certain level of integrity. I seriously don’t want to recommend to my friends a really lousy dieting product and find out that they suffer from liver failure in the near future.
3. Can’t think of any more points at the moment?!? Maybe you guys can help me…

And lastly, I think that everyone makes mistakes. To err is human, to forgive is divine…

Maybe we should just be less critical and more forgiving. After all, at the end of the day….Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah is just a cheer!  

In 2 more days, the Voting Phase of the Singapore Blog Awards will be officially closed, and this is going to my last “shameless” post to remind everyone to PLEASE Keep on Voting!

Once again, each account can only VOTE ONCE a day – this means that you can still VOTE TODAY & TOMORROW.

If you don’t have an account, you can register for one FREE of charge, and with your vote, you are entitled to Win attractive prizes sponsored by OMY as well.

Anyway, In order to promote the Singapore Blog Awards, OMY did an interview video, and also fielded us with a range of questions to help the Bloggers introduce themselves. This is me taking a shot at answering the questions. Hope you guys enjoy it!

1.       Tell us about yourself in 50 words.

Hi Everyone! ED Unloaded is basically a Daddy Blogger who blogs about his adventures with his 3 kids. ED is actually Edmund in short, and the blog is basically a place where he unloads himself online. As you might have guessed – the kids are the “Stars” of the blog!

2.       How long have you been blogging and why did you start blogging?

I started actively blogging in Dec 2007, and this was because a friend challenged me to put my thoughts down online. It was kind of weird at first, as I grew up in an age where there wasn’t even an option to SMS my friends. However, I  got good feedback from my friends who read my posts, and being a rare Daddy Blogger, I decided to continue on!

3.       How do you feel as one of the finalists in the Singapore Blog Awards? What do you think is your chance of winning?

I feel Overjoyed being chosen, as it is a real privilege to be 1 of the blogs chosen from 1000+ blogs. This is also my first time being a finalist, so I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best!

4.       Who do you think are the strongest bloggers in the category you are nominated for and why?

Every Blog has it’s own distinctive, and therefore has its own strengths. But with the increasing national focus on Parenting and being a Father myself, I read a lot of Parenting Blogs.  I therefore have a natural inclination to read blogs like Big Joe’s. Blogs like the Wondering Wanderer also offer a different perspective to life in Singapore.

5.       What would you like to say to your blog readers and those who voted and supported you?

A really BIG Thank You to everyone of my friends and family members who have been voting for me! Your constant comments and feedback have also kept me going, and it has been a real joy sharing my life online with you.  Finally, I also really want to appreciate all my loyal “following” and for every comment left on this blog, Facebook and Twitter! Your love and votes are Priceless!

A Big Hug from Nicole to Everyone!

6.       What is your most controversial blog post and why?

Well, I don’t show much flesh, and I don’t think questionable pictures of myself will sell as well! As a Parent who blogs, I think the most “controversial” posts are really incidents where I try to be real and genuine about my Parenting experiences. (Read them here) Parenting brings with it many joys, as well as challenges,  but the kids really make the journey worthwhile.

7.       Have you ever gotten into trouble or got rewarded for blogging? Elaborate.

No trouble yet! The kids are too young to give Dad a “hard time” for revealing too much in Public…but things might change when they discover that they can READ!

My best rewards for Blogging are meeting and networking with new friends and organizations. Getting to know the people from UFamily (An NTUC initiative) and Maybe Baby (An MCYS initiative) has been a real plus point!  I also managed to network with prominent organizations like Julia Gabriel, and this has really broadened my horizons.

Currently I have been engaged to blog for this year’s National Day Parade (NDP 2010) and this has been a really interesting assignment as well!

(Click here to Vote!)

It is 8 more days before Voting Season for the Singapore Blog Awards Ends.

If you have not Voted, here is my friendly reminder for you to please Vote for ED Unloaded.

If you have Voted before, please realize that you can vote again, as each user is allowed to VOTE ONCE a day. Your help is greatly appreciated, as competition is tight!

And if you have not caught the Video that I did for OMY for the Blog Awards, you can catch it today.

To tell you the truth, the whole segment was done in 1 take, and although I offered to repeat the take, the offer was not taken up…you can therefore see me struggling for the words at certain points, as I was thinking of what to say!

So…do help me by Voting Today, if you have not done so…And many Thanks in advance!

*Note that New Users to OMY must sign up for a  FREE Account before they can VOTE.

Wohoo!!! Great News!

ED Unloaded has been nominated as a TOP 10 finalist in this year’s Singapore Blog Awards organized by Singapore Press Holdings.

It is a great honour being selected by the Judges, and I really want to thank the Judges for selecting us to be a finalist!

Currently, the awards are in the voting phase, where 30% of the total score goes to Your votes!

And this is where I must shamelessly ask for your help!

Please sign up for an OMY account and VOTE FOR ME!

Each I/C Number is allowed ONE account, and EACH ACCOUNT CAN VOTE ONCE PER Day.

ED Unloaded is in the running for the Individual Category, so please look for us there!

This means that you can  Vote today, and also 24 hours later (If you really like me )  So Don’t forget the password to your account…as you can use it again!

The Voting phase ends on 30 June…and I really need your VOTES!

I hope this this guide works, and it will make your navigation much easier…and do remember to keep on VOTING Till June 30th.

Thanks in advance!

Exciting News!

We made it into Last Week’s Local Chinese Newspaper, as we were part of the team at the launch of the Maybe Baby Web Portal, managed by I love Children and Supported by MCYS.

If you are wondering why Singapore needs a Web Portal about Parenthood, You can check out my latest article on the Maybe Baby Portal.

Nicole was of course excited when she found out that she was on the Sunday Times (Zao Bao) 

Nope…That’s not me..I have not made it to the front pages yet…

But turning to page 5, you will see us there…

If your Chinese is much better than mine, you may want to read the article here:

If you can’t really read Mandarin, you can check out a short excerpt of the whole event on Razor TV (This is the Interactive TV by the Straits Times)