NTUSU? No, I vote for the NTUBS.

You're going to be late for class. The last two shuttle buses were packed to the brim and you couldn't get on. You see half a million 179s passing by and you wonder, why don't they go in the other direction? This is especially true if you live in the old halls cluster, on the wrong side of the route from CS to hall, so even if you're willing to pay you can't get to CS. You have to walk. A familiar scenario?

Here's another one. Its night. You are very sick of eating at can 1, 2, 4 and 5, and you would like to try some other canteens further off. You wait, and wait, and wait. One million 179s pass and mock you in the process. Finally, a shuttle bus comes, but you've already fainted from starvation. And when you finally finish your meal at these far off canteens, guess what? There aren't any more shuttle buses to take you back! You have to walk.

All these bring me to one question. Why do we even have a shuttle bus system? If I have to walk half the time, isn't the system redundant? The irony is, the closer you live to the school campus, the more redundant the bus system becomes. I guess its fine for those who live in the halls at the back like 11-15, because they live too far away from the school campus to really walk, and they have an added bonus of proximity to good canteens. But for those who live in the other cluster of halls, you have the option of walking, so you can still get to school, but you live far from good food, so you have to eat junk.

That's probably why hall 6 is where it is. Just close enough to walk, yet just a little too far from decent food. So since you have to exercise so much but you can't over nourish yourself, you become even fitter than you already are. As for the rest of us mere mortals, we just die of frustration waiting for buses or walking after realising they aren't coming. Or worse, we spend a long time agonising about whether we should walk because the bus could come anytime and we would miss it, compounding our agony further.

Another thing I don't understand is how one service can arrive 3 or 4 times more frequently than the other. Shouldn't there be equal numbers of buses going in both directions? And the best part is the service in question actually changes. At certain times, there are more blue buses, and other times there are more reds. But the frequency of 179s never changes, in the one aspect that it is still 3-4 times, or at night, 10 times more common than shuttle buses.

This shows us that firstly, the NTU shuttle bus system totally sucks. If anything its an abject failure because if someone were to do a calculation, one would realise that the majority of NTU students waste too much time and energy waiting for buses. However, we cannot squarely place the blame on the poor bus uncles and aunties because after all, the service is free so their pay is probably peanuts.

So what should be a solution? At this juncture, I turn to the NTUSU. I think everyone agrees more or less that they are really a useless institution. They are too far apart from the average student to do anything, and one often gets the impression that they are in their own world preening themselves, taking flashy photographs in business suits and polishing up their CVs.

I suggest that we pull funding from the NTUSU, dissolve them totally, and put the money into the shuttle bus system. We would get more buses, more drivers, and finally, the NTUSU never has to complain about the shuttle bus system again because that's really all they do isn't it? For once, rather than complaining about the problem, we solve the problem.

The NTSSU cares about your welfare? Don't kid me. The individual faculty councils are far more than adequate for such matters. 10 dollars a semester on the NTUSU is 10 dollars wasted. I'm sure if we were to do a straw poll, most would agree that we should put the money that goes into the NTUSU now into the NTUBS (NTU Bus System) instead, with the exception being the preening and posing peacock-sters in the NTUSU.

So I say NTUSU? No, I vote for the NTUBS.

Do yourself a favour, stop living the lie

Sometimes living in CS, you can't help but feel pressured and under siege.

You are defined by what you wear in CS, how you look and what you say. The superficiality of life, as one might say. Even your desktop wallpaper, msn picture and msn nicknames come under attack. The best part is you can't even use bochap-ness as an excuse. Why don't I have facebook? Well I don't give a shit. If anything I am anti-facebook. I don't need everyone to know that I have 500 friends, because I don't, and I don't enjoy playing scrabble. I don't have one million and one photos to upload either, because I've never really been a fan of photography. That's as easy as it is, but people will insist on finding a reason why I don't have it, including how I'm antisocial and all. If that's what you choose to believe, perhaps we shouldn't be friends, because I only need friends who truly appreciate who I am.

I've heard quite a few other reasons that I find quite laughable. Firstly that I have no personality. Sorry man but my personality isn't something you can display on a canvas sheet. Its a lot more than that and I don't care if you believe me or not. I personally don't give two hoots about what you think. If I believed what everyone said about me, I'd be wallowing in self-pity everyday because everyone seldom has something nice to say about someone else these days. when was the last time someone complimented you or praised you? And when was the last time someone criticised you? I bet you will find the latter far more familiar.

I will continue using my nature wallpapers and boring msn pics (or none at all) and persist with my blatantly boring nicknames because I personally don't see a need to tell you everything that is going on in my life. I get enough attention. I don't need to let the whole world know that my day sucks or how I can't find my socks, or how I need to study. We all need to study. Since it is so blatantly obvious, save me some precious seconds that are wasted when I read about your extremely normal lives. In case you think that I am lying about the part of me getting enough attention because you think I don't get any, I may not be the most charismatic person but at least I don't whine and bitch about it. I'm pretty contented with what I have. That already makes me a lot better then people who have a lot of it and still whine and bitch.

After all, aren't all these msn name-changing, picture changing, desktop wallpaper changing superficialities a desperate plea for attention? When you think about it, I bet you'd agree.

Another good reason I've heard is how I don't have a life. Since I can't define myself in a picture, or in a neat slogan fit for advertising billboards, I don't have a life. That's a rich one, considering that most of us are after all university students. How much of a life could you possibly have? And furthermore, I don't like to live in guilt. If you asked me to choose between having a life and doing what I'm responsible for, that is to get good grades and graduate, sorry I think I know where I stand. The life part is subordinated to the responsiblity, unless you enjoy feeling guilty every night before you sleep.

In case you are wondering, this is not directed at anyone in particular. If anything, it is just an explanation of why I don't really give a shit. So please stop asking me to change my wallpapers and whatever. I will when I want to, and if I don't, well I don't. Its as simple as that.

P.S. This post may sound rather fierce to some, but its really a response to people who have asked recently whether I have been *ahem* emasculated by the environment in CS. Totally pissed the shit out of me. So yeah hence this post.

What your MSN statuses mean - a guide

Have you ever wondered why some people are permanently away, or busy, or never online on MSN? Have you also realised that sometimes, the status on one's MSN is no longer indicative of whether the person will chat with you? After doing some research, (aka spending hours on MSN and not doing my work) I have decoded the complex meanings of what MSN statuses really mean.

Online - I'm in a friendly mood now. I will probably chat with anybody, including people I don't like. However, when such people approach me, I will suddenly become "busy" or "away", or I will "be right back". Or worse, I will "appear offline". And then I will continue chatting with those I want to chat with. Has no filtering effect, so prepare to be chatted up by randoms.

Busy - I am currently busy with an assignment, work or project meeting of some kind. However, only people who know me well enough will know that even if I'm busy I will still chat with you. Hence this keeps out randoms. Alternatively, I could be really busy. But if I were really busy, I wouldn't be on MSN. So am I really busy? Go figure! Has a mild filtering effect.

Be right back - I need to do something and I will be back soon. However, soon ranges from anything from a few seconds to infinity, with infinity probably meaning "see you in school tomorrow!" Personally I find this one of the most irritating statuses, because the people who put this status usually forget to indicate that they are back. So it becomes "I'll be right back but you won't know when that is so bye!"

Away - I am currently not at my computer. Used most by serial downloaders who are online 24/7. Alternatively, this is a stronger filter than "busy". Because unlike "busy", you can actually claim you weren't at the computer when some swaku tries to chat you up. For busy you may not be able to, because you were there but merely busy. You actually have to put some "filler" text like "sorry I'm busy now can't talk". A proven effective filter.

In a phone call - It was supposed to be "away" but I misclicked. Alternatively, I am really in a phone call and I just had to let you know, so I couldn't have used "away" or "busy" instead. Used by people who like to talk on the phone, or like to appear like they talk on the phone a lot. Maybe they are trying to tell you that they are good communicators. Otherwise I don't see why this status even exists.

Out to lunch - More or less a redundant status. If I were really out to lunch, I could use "away", "appear offline" or just sign out. I put this when I want to be away and yet different from other people. Note - It looks like away but its "out to lunch". Chao extra. Cool right?

Appear offline - The best status in the world, because it is so useful.
This is used by people to check who is online before they decide what status to give themselves when they come online. Secondly, it is used as a filter all system. People can't talk to you, but you can talk to people. It totally eliminates any chances of stalkers, weirdos, and other randoms talking to you.

Decoding MSN statuses is an art. Do it well and you'll always have friends to talk to online!

Just Do It - When ordinary students do the impossible

In all of my life, I don't think I've ever worked this hard. I don't recall a period of time where I spent everyday sleeping at 2am or later, and waking up at 7. I don't recall in a period of time in my life where there is a constant deadline for numerous assignments, quizzes and what have you hanging over my head like I have now, reminding me every waking moment that the end is near. However morbid that sounds. What kind of insane existence is this? Who the hell told me uni was fun? Is your idea of fun having no life? Like when was the last time you went shopping? Or did anything you wanted to do?

Its so bad I'm beginning to look at army as being slightly better because I did not have to use my brain and it was a stress free existence. I didn't have to think of what to wear everyday, or even think for that matter, and you basically ate the free slop they threw in your plate everyday. In NTU, you pay for the slop. Mmm I lived like a pig, but a skinny one that could not be fattened up.

However, I suddenly remember how there were no girls, and I banish all thoughts of army being better.

Has anyone realised that its only been 2 months since we started uni? I have no idea why but it feels like half a year has gone by. The days in uni seem to stretch and merge into one another, becoming one long neverending ordeal of work, work and more work. Maybe its getting to me but doesn't it feel like that to everyone? And what's frightening is how fast the weeks seem to fly past. Before you know it, another week has gone past and suddenly you're staring right at the deadline for that term paper you've barely begun. And who could forget that all the work that you're behind on piling up on your study table.

This is when... ordinary students become heroes. This is when... they just do it. They do the IMPOSSIBLE. I salute all the brave souls who have gone this way before me, simply because its seriously shit.

You have a term paper due next week and you haven't started? Holy crap. There's no time! And thus, the student transforms into a superhuman creature who needs no sleep, who can work for hours on end, grinding away at the most mundane of tasks, poring over thousands of words and eventually, the term paper ends up on the lecturer's table. Who knew the sweat and sacrifice that went into it? Who knew how many hellish nights the student endured struggling to come up with something coherent? Who knew how many days the student woke up with an imprint of a keyboard on his or her head?

And you never realise how much you can cram into your brain till the night before a test. The fear of failure drives people to do amazing things. Everyone suddenly becomes a professor on the subject topic. If you were to visit the school on the day of the test, you'd be astonished at how many little professors there are ready to recite definitions and explain abstract concepts to you. Come back a week later, and everyone becomes normal again. Apparently PhD (permanent head damage) only lasts a week. Unless you get the cert and you're certified. That is permanent.

The student. How innocuous looking, yet how inspiring. (Can you tell I'm trying to inspire myself? Oh nevermind. Back to work.)

The one blogskin to rule them all.

I was looking at a few blogs around and I realised that everyone had such beautiful blogs. Maybe it was time for a revamp. Hence I began the long arduous process of searching for the right template.

Too girly, cannot. Nice colour scheme, but on closer inspection got butterflies and swirly things. Cannot. Got nice little pink ribbons and ponies. Cannot. Got pictures of guys. Confirm cannot, I don't swing that way and I wouldn't be able to look at my own blog without cringing. Got couple embracing. Cannot. They don't look right for each other.

Layout not very readable. Also cannot. Then I chanced upon a layout that was almost perfect. Why almost? Because in one corner there were a few little hearts! Ooh so cute ah. But I'm a guy. Argh damn it why are blogskins so girly???

And so my search took me through many websites, over search engines and personal webpages. There were many blogskins, but none of them were suitable, and I soldiered on, hoping that one day I would find THE ONE. The blogskin to end the search for all blogskins. The one skin that rules them all. And finally, in a space of ten minutes, I located not 1, not 2, but 3 suitable blogskins! And I thought my search was over.

So I took a look at the 3 I had selected. The naruto one was ok at first sight, but the jokes soon got pretty lame after I looked at them a second and a third time. Ok maybe not. Then I had a look at the skin about alcohol being a man's best friend. It wasn't too bad, only problem was the html was in Spanish. Good luck trying to edit that.

That left Stewie Griffin from "Family Guy" mooning Brian. That was quite an interesting skin. I decided to try it. I copied and pasted it into my template, clicked the preview button, and held my breath.

Everything was just mashed together. The pictures merged into the text, and the boxes at the side were in the middle. I couldn't understand what was wrong, so I tried to read the html and see if there was anything I could change.

Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do. It was all geek to me. Hence, 4 hours later, the blog has not changed, and I have nothing but a stupid post to show for it. Sheesh.