Benazir Bhutto's Death

The major fiber optic lines are cut, gas stations are being burnt (that is why they're all closed), ATM machines are being broken down and we're told to remain inside our homes because the situation outside may be dangerous. I don't know for sure, but my friend who just came over tells me he hardly saw more than three cars on his way here. Usually it would take him more than 40 minutes to get here because of the insane amount of cars on the road. But he says nothing is really happening out there. It's just that something might happen.

I'll admit, I was one of those who said, "And she survived!?" after Benazir's motorcade was attacked upon her arrival in October. But now when I look at the complete anarchy in our country I realize that this tragedy will just further ruin the great nation's image. The whole world only gets to see these things in an exaggerated form and they don't know the peace and tranquility it offers - that I have experienced all my life.

Benazir's death is as sudden as it is sad. She was one of those well-educated politicians our country has hardly seen. The Bhutto family could be considered to be the reason why democracy was seen as possible in Pakistan in the first place because of their style of politics. Both her brothers were killed, her father was killed and now herself. Two shots in the head and one in the neck - while wearing a bullet proof jacket, sitting in a bullet proof car.

I am now anxiously waiting for the next Newsweek issue and I bet it would have something to say about Pakistan on the cover page.

I think to myself, isn't Pakistan like one of those contacts on Facebook that always show up on your homepage or at the top of your "Recently Updated" pages?

So what, that makes Pakistan an attention seeker?

What it means to be in Lahore

Stuck in one of those moving parking lots they call roads nowadays, I noticed the car right in front of me moving backwards in neutral gear. It was about to hit my car! I meant to blare my car horn and put the car in reverse gear but instead I just honked and moved the car forwards right into it. My car's bumper fell off! (There goes my record of driving since 13 years and never having met with a single accident!) To be fair, it was only a minor accident and the other person's Suzuki Baleno's bumper paint came off slightly. He stopped his car and I could've made a dash, but I just wanted to be responsible, you know? So I stopped and apologized, and the two men just shrugged it off. At that point I thought to myself, "I love this city!"

See, Lahore's not just about driving for me. It's about the world of interaction with its people that comes with it. The honk patterns, the meanings of a single beam or a double, the coordination with the plethora of pedestrians jaywalking, the movement of the bicycles in the center of the road, and more recently, the weird looking rickshaws. Lately, you can find dozens of these new-age rickshaws that run on compressed natural gas (CNG), painted in unaesthetic colours, shaped like shoe boxes and that can now hold more than two passengers. For those of you who have been on the Canal Road, you know it's also about guessing whether the next underpass would fall on your left or your right, and for anyone who has never been to Lahore during election time, it's about those hundreds and thousands of cars with all kinds of weird Pakistan flags on them - insignias of various political parties' the owner of the car supports or promotes. You can also see the banners and posters of them all across town.

Pakistani politics... *chuckles*

Everyone I know who is reasonably intellectually sound has their own version to the overplus of stories behind the current and recent 'situations'.

"The emergency was a hoax to just get rid of the chief justice that opposed him."

"Musharraf did the right thing by imposing State of Emergency - this nation needs discipline!"

"They're all liars and thieves, all of them, so my idea is, why bother?"

"Emergency!? What emergency? You see anything that has changed in my life? Has anything changed in your life?"

I don't have my own version I guess. I really don't know who to believe or who to side with. So I'll just leave it to that. I didn't register for the elections anyway so I can't vote and that little piece of red tape means my voice can't be heard.

The love is amazing here. You see it first at the airport, where a bunch of your friends could come to meet you and to hand you a pack of cigarettes so you have something to smoke when you get home without making your parents stop on the way. Not to mention the ten or so relatives who could come to pick you up even if your arrival was supposed to be a surprise.

If you arrive home in Lahore after a long time, all you need to do is to eat some street food and get sick. You will get the massages, the special treatment (that means a load of things) and all the (junk) food you desire. Anything you may want, just u.t.t.e.r.i.t.

It's not all that much fun being sick though, I mean, if you are really sick - you know, with high fever and all (which I was). Then you have got to make trips to the doctors and the pathology laboratories and eat throat-gagging tablets and capsules. But love is worth it, right?

I feel one thing I will distinctly remember about this trip to Lahore would be those medical trips I made - and I made a lot of them in the one week or so I've been here. The specialist doctor's opinion that could cost me nearly five hundred Singaporean dollars costs me five hundred rupees here, which is less than fifteen Singapore dollars. Since I've been here, I've seen dentists (plural, yes), a skin specialist, other specialist physicians and a phlebotomist.

Just to be clear though, I'm not that sick. Well yeah I was for one day and it was totally worth it. But otherwise I am perfectly alright. I am just being greedy by seeing all these specialist doctors who wouldn't even turn to look at you and give you an informal diagnosis for a nominal fee back in university land (that's Singapurah, lah!).

And you know what's the funniest thing about restaurants here? Just like we have smoking corners or smoking tables in Singapore (sometimes) we have non-smoking tables and corners in Lahore!


Only some of these fork lifters have dropped cars in the past:

Passengers Create Electricity at MRT Stations

The East Japan Railway Company (JR-East), aiming to develop more environmentally friendly train stations, has been doing research on some sort of human-powered electricity generation system.

If the research provides reasonable results, the "ticket gate electricity generation system" could provide a fraction of the electricity consumed by huge and busy train stations.

The system relies on a series of 'piezo' elements embedded in the floor under the ticket gates, which generate electricity from the pressure and vibration they receive as people walk over it. If the system is attached to some high-efficiency storage system, these ticket gate generators could serve as a supplementary source of energy in this time of global warming awakening.

Currently the system is being tested at the JR-East head office in Shibuya and they might have installed it at other outlets by now, but it seems like it will take a while before such technologies will make it to Singapore MRT stations.

Women Can Now Wee Anywhere!

Picture: The Whiz Plus

It sounds crazy, I know, but there are loads of women out there who complain they can't sit on toilet seats in publics washrooms, let alone doing it behind a bush.

There are these feministic 'ladies' who think it's unfair that God made man such that he can open his zipper and wee anywhere whereas a woman just can't do that.

The company called WhizBiz is selling three different models of what they call The Whiz. One is for indoors use, one is for outdoors (it's made of some high-tech plasma coating so that all liquid is repelled and it always remains dry), and there is one for collecting midstream samples for tests as well.

Everyday, women are becoming more and more like men and vice versa. Just think of all those guys who don't wee standing up any more because it's not 'decent' - and now these women are going to feel 'enpowered' that they can wee standing up. I mean, if you look at the symbolic significance of these things happening, you will see that the world we live in doesn't make much sense any more. It doesn't to me.

Containing Angelina Jolie's Hotness in a Burqa

In her movie A Mighty Heart, Angelina plays a journalist's wife stuck in Pakistan where the movie shooting took place. Yes, Jon Stewart asks an impertinent question: Can the Burqa conceal her hotness?


[The Daily Show link]

I hurt

I've been hurt. I've been hurt today by someone dear and close to me.

To be thought of as conceited. To be thought of as someone who has ulterior motives. To be thought of as someone who would push a loved one down just to stay on top of the food chain. To be disrespected. To be talked down to. I've been hurt.

I've been hurt that I am not thought of as the man I think I am today. I've been hurt that my integrity had to come into question. I've been hurt that it always has to be this way. Always.

Things are often the way they are because of nature's scheme, society's prejudices or just plain old chance. There are choices made for everyone that they haven't made themselves. Life is full of it. Some are good. Some are bad. But if we all start finding places to bury blame, then everyone's a goner, now isn't it?

Whether it's good advice, honest suggestion or real fact, it always has to suffer brutal force. Action reaction.

It's always the case - one moment you're on top of the world, and the next, you come crashing down. Life, is a sine wave.

Persistence is key.

I shall endure.

Stinkfist

Something has to change.
Un-deniable dilemma.
Boredom's not a burden
Anyone should bear.

Constant over stimu-lation numbs me
but I would not want you
any other way.

It's not enough.
I need more.
Nothing seems to satisfy.
I don't want it.
I just need it.
To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

Finger deep within the borderline.
Show me that you love me and that we belong together.
Relax, turn around and take my hand.

I can help you change
Tired moments into pleasure.
Say the word and we'll be
Well upon our way.

Blend and balance
Pain and comfort
Deep within you
Till you will not want me any other way.


[YouTube link]

It's not enough.
I need more.
Nothing seems to satisfy.
I don't want it.
I just need it.
To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

Knuckle deep inside the borderline.
This may hurt a little but it's something you'll get used to.
Relax. Slip away.

Something kinda sad about
the way that things have come to be.
Desensitized to everything.
What became of subtlety?

How can this mean anything to me
If I really don't feel anything at all?

I'll keep digging till
I feel something.

Elbow deep inside the borderline.
Show me that you love me and that we belong together.
Shoulder deep within the borderline.
Relax. Turn around and take my hand.

Media Giants Set Agenda

After Musharraf: Why the future might look bright for Pakistan.

Suddenly the world is talking about taking down Musharraf because he has 'become dangerous'. I wonder if political advisers get their policy cues from these media giants. It's so easy for countries like the U.S. of A to take complete U-turns on their policies so suddenly. I really wonder what's really going on. I mean, the guy did get his Supreme Court to dismiss 5 out of the 6 petitions against his presidency. And all the parties have boycott the elections except for Benny's PPP. Crazy. And I thought I would get to vote in free-and-fair elections when I go back home. What sadness.

But the 13th army general has finally announced he will step down this Thursday, November 29th as Chief of Army Staff (COAS). That is, of course, because he will take oath as the president of the country for the next 5 years! This will be the tenth year of Musharraf's power struggle since October 1998 as he opens up the COAS position in favour of General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. Looks like Musharraf won, finally.

Right?

Pakistani Rockstar On Emergency

Thankfully, by now, the US is "beginning to understand that Musharraf has become part of the problem" (New York Times article). But Benazir still holds the keys to the hearts of the Western media as the 'saviour for democracy', which is disturbing.

Here, I publish a Pakistani rockstar's insight on the situation in Pakistan in its entirety - thanks to Emad's blog where I found it.

Salman Ahmad was the founder of the internationally acclaimed Pakistani rock band Junoon and has gone solo now. He is also a social activist and the UN goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS.

As the world watches, Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons, descends into political chaos, much attention has been given to two leaders competing for power – the current dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, and the media-savvy Benazir Bhutto. The White House, for the moment, appears to be backing Musharraf as its best bet in the so-called "war on terror," while the world media and the western liberal elite see Bhutto as a democratic savior for a country mired in Islamic fundamentalism.

Both fail to recognize the core of the problem that plagues Pakistani politics and society.l believe that without a strong and independent judiciary,Pakistan will be forever at the mercy of power grabbing dictators and politicians.Its the lack of oversight and institutional accountability which leads to the coups and counter coups and helps perpetuate a constant state of instability in the country.

As an artist and a social activist I have worked extensively with both Musharraf and Bhutto's governments on peace initiatives and social uplift themes before, and have been disillusioned by their lack of commitment and political will to get any real work done while spending most of their time in consolidating their power bases.

On several occasions after September 11th, I was invited to General Musharraf's house in Islamabad, and was surprised to see him even join me onstage in concert to help support a united national anti-extremist front. I,like many others of my generation,initially believed and supported his commitment to introduce a new era of "enlightened moderation" in Pakistan, a nation that was hijacked by religious fanatics during the American-backed military dictatorship of General Zia ul-Haq in the 1980s.

Unfortunately General Musharraf forgot that artists like myself are not seduced by presidential palaces or official praise. We had supported him for his promise of fighting extremism,bringing accountability into politics,opening up a free and independent media and reducing the immoral gap between Pakistan's rich and poor communities.No amount of political song and dance or governmental fear-mongering can make us look the other way while he imposes emergency rule,intimidates the media, dismantles the judiciary and muzzles any form of dissent against his flawed vision of democracy which is doomed to fail without the respect for civil institutions.

And yet Benazir Bhutto is no savior. The queen of hypocrisy and media manipulation, she has managed to hypnotize Western liberal classes with her false claims to represent progressive elements in the Muslim world. Ms. Bhutto is a charlatan and a false prophet of democracy. How can she insist on being a democrat while selfishly appointing herself life chairperson of the Pakistan people's party? Her years as Pakistan's prime minister witnessed staggering levels of corruption and billion-dollar graft that left even the most cynical Pakistanis speechless. Benazir's own niece and sister in law accuse her of conspiring to murder her own brother,Murtaza,who was becoming a thorn for her government and a real challenge to her power during her second term as prime minister.She continues to see Pakistan as her personal feudal fiefdom to be pillaged and plundered at will and threatens to bring back the rule of the gangster rather than the rule of law.



During the late nineties I recorded a song called "Accountability" [YouTube link] along with a music video that satirized Pakistani politicians like Bhutto whose corruption scandals were being reported in international publications like The New York Times and Newsweek. Her government's response was to ban the music video and threaten my life. In the years since Bhutto fled the country to escape investigation of her family's corrupt activities, her greed to regain power has blinded her from the genuine struggle being waged by Pakistanis on behalf of true democracy. One of her own party members,the lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, who won the case for the restoration of the Chief justice of the supreme court, still languishes in jail along with thousands of others while Benazir attends diplomatic receptions and makes speeches about freedom and liberty. Earlier this year,while lawyers and human rights activists faced injury and death for standing up to Musharraf's authoritarian regime, she was sipping lemonade on the sunny beaches of Dubai waiting for her go ahead from Washington.

So if neither the path of the military strongman nor the path of the feudal democrat serves the needs of Pakistan, what is an alternative model? The answer comes from within the genesis of Pakistan's freedom movement:One needs to only look at Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's struggle and sacrifice as a clear example of legal and political activism.Jinnah ,belonging to the Muslim middle class of India,was a strict constitutional lawyer,and an exellent blend of both Islamic and Western values of social justice.60 years on, the vast majority of Pakistanis still look back at him as being the best role model for Pakistani politics.Although secular in outlook he quoted his inspiration to be Prophet Muhammad,who he recalled as being the greatest law giver in history.Tenacious and uncorruptible to the core,Jinnah, sacrificed his life and property arguing the case for Pakistan and won independance from the British imperialists.The US and its allies need to unequivocally support civil society:the Pakistani supreme court judges, lawyers,journalists and human rights activists who are fighting to protect the rule of law.That in itself is the best weapon against the extremists and will also provide a safeguard against other adventurous leaders.

Shakespeare warned that the first instinct of a dictator is to "kill the lawyers." He was right. It is the lawyers and the Judiciary who are the hope and the future of Pakistan. Let's stand by their side and not surrender to the Pharoahs and the false prophets, whether they are clothed in a military uniform or a stylish Hermes scarf.

Loving Pakistan to Bits - Literally

Students all over Pakistan are 'celebrating' Black Day everyday in Pakistan (at least the university LUMS is) - holding processions, hunger strikes (since 12th in LUMS) and what not. The General can not ignore them, but he will still do whatever he wants.

(Click here to download a press release issued by LUMS about the arrest and bail of its faculty members.)

I have always had a tendency to try and think opposite to whatever is popular or the things mainstream says. It is what gives me a broader world-view and I feel it contributes to my understanding of scenarios as I can often imagine and see two sides to a story with storming ease. Often, I see more than two.

In the current scenario, Mushy boy may as well be the Genghis Khan Pakistani blogs, YouTube videos, CNN, Geo and other media channels are saying he is; that this may be a martial law rather than a 'State of Emergency'; that holding processions and peaceful rallies may be the best form of 'action' to bring about positive change; but what if?

What if Musharraf's activities really are justified given the information that is only available at his level? What if such information is really so sensitive that it can not be made public? What if whatever Mushy boy is doing really is in the best interest of Pakistan - even if it doesn't appear so?

Now I am not saying that Mushy boy is a good boy. I do know that Benny Booto is definitely not a good girl either - especially the way she is holding rallies (unsuccessfully) to bring back democracy but at the same time not saying jack about reinstating the judiciary. I don't have much faith in Imran Khan either because power corrupts the soul, and why would this famous cricketer be an exception? I don't want Qazi Hussain Ahmad to take power by using Islam as his weapon and then proceeding brainwash the entire country.


YouTube link

Me, and countless other Pakistanis don't want an 'extremist' government. We don't want a secular state either where Pakistan can build casinos and more breweries. It's a very hypocritical mix that we want, and I say that because it is neither truly Islamic nor truly democratic (because of Shariah/Islamic Law). We think it should remain an Islamic State - that is what most want, I believe.

The Pakistani public is always being deceived. I remember they said Nawazi was good for the country with all his reforms, underpasses and the motorway. He was taken down by Musharraf and exposed as corrupt. Earlier, Benny Booto's government was also doing okay until she was taken over by Nawazi and exposed as owning castles and what not in the UK. Mushy boy was also very popular - "best thing to happen to this country" they would say - but now I'm sure all such people think otherwise. What is the real truth, no one knows. No one ever does until it is too late.

I sometimes even question the legitimacy of Quaid's (Jinnah) reasons to form Pakistan as a homeland for Muslims - did he want an Islamic state with Islamic law or did he want a so-called nation that consisted of corrupt politicians, breweries and loudspeakers in mosques that can brainwash civilians?

Many would say I am not a patriot for questioning Quaid here, or choosing to study abroad, and planning to work abroad later (I have a work bond with the Singapore government). The truth is that I am passionate about my country and I love it to bits - not the kind of bits it is in right now though.

An AIESECer, Emad Nadim, seems to be in the know and his blog is worth visiting as he updates it regularly with information and perspectives on the current crisis in Pakistan.

Click here to see Emad's blog.

2007 World University Rankings: NUS, NTU down

National University of Singapore (NUS) appeared at #18 in the 2004 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) World University Rankings but most Singaporeans weren't aware of it. When it showed up at rank #22 in the 2005 Rankings, NUSians celebrated their success. In 2006 it was better - NUS jumped to spot #19. Everyone probably thought at the time that whatever NUS administration, faculty and students were doing, it was just right - that they were moving in the right direction. Which is why this year might come as a shock to many.

NUS is ranked #33 in the THES World University Rankings to be released this year - a rank shared with the University of British Columbia (Canada) and University of Queensland (Australia). It is now ranked lower than McGill University (Canada), which has gone up to secure rank #12.

Even Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has fallen from grace, going down from #61 in 2006 to #69, but that is not much if you look at all the others that have fallen harder.

University of California, Berkeley (US) is down to #22 from #8 (that is a big fall for that university); University of Geneva (Switzerland) is down to #105 from #39; Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) is down to #130 from #67; Macquarie University (Australia) is down to 168 from #82; UNAM (Mexico) is down to #192 from #74; and Washington University in St. Louis (US) is down to #161 from #48!

But we can see big uprises as well: UniCAMP (Brazil) is up from #448 to #177 (what a leap!); University of Florida (US) is up from #226 to #135; University of Western Ontario (Canada) is up from #215 to #126; Ohio State University (US) is up from #219 to #120; and University of Waterloo (Canada) is up from #204 to #112!

So there is definitely something different about this year's rankings. I went through the trouble of checking it out and here's what I could find:

One of the things different in this year's THES QS World University Rankings is that peer reviewers were prevented from promoting their own university. Using peer reviews is one of the basic methodologies used to make the rankings (40% weightage in 2005) and this difference alone seems to show surprising effects in this year's ranking.

Now, THES rankings actually began in 2004 and have proved to be useful on many occasions but they were criticized more often and debated over and over. Back then, they used Thomson's Web of Science - represented by "ESI" as the only available, well-reputed citation data that measured the research strength by university and seemed most appropriate at the time.

Scopus on the other hand, which was also born in 2004 seems to have evolved over time: the Scopus database responds better to queries; it also covers more sources in languages other than English; and it places less emphasis on mere publications leading to greater representation of research done by universities. Another good thing about using Scopus is that it removes the bias towards American universities resulting in a reduced advantage in their favour for this indicator.

In a nutshell, ESI and Scopus both have their merits but the only criticism of using Scopus is that it does not track citations before 1996, and that actually makes it better because THES does not look at data beyond the past 5 years (at least for this year's ranking). So another thing different about the 2007 rankings is that THES has used Scopus to come up with them.

Here I present to you:
The 2007 THES - QS World University Rankings (Top 200)
(Download link for HTML file)

PDF version here.

To compare these rankings with the US News one - America's Best Colleges 2008 (featuring top 124 in the U.S. of A only), click here. (Thanks Kenneth for the link.)

Below is an article published in The Straits Times:

Nov 8, 2007

NUS drops from 19 to 33 in global rankings

But shift is due to new method of compilation, NUS' low staff-to-student ratio

By Sandra Davie, Education Correspondent

THE National University of Singapore (NUS) took a tumble, from 19th spot to No. 33 this year, in the ranking of the world's top 200 universities published by The Times of London Higher Education Supplement on Thursday.

However, this is due to a new way of scoring, said QS, the careers and education group that compiled the much-followed ranking.

It said, with the change, NUS' previously high scores in certain categories such as the percentage of international faculty, did not give it much overall advantage this year.

On the other hand, NUS' low score on staff- to-student ratio affected its ranking.

Mr Nunzio Quacquarelli, managing director of London-based QS, said NUS continues to do well in all other categories.

NUS improved its score this year for the number of academic citations faculty members notched up. It scored 84 out of 100 here.

'There is no doubt it is one of the elite universities of the world,' said Mr Quacquarelli.

'NUS and NTU's placing in the top 100 are recognition of the quality of education that Singapore's universities offer.'

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) ranked No. 69 this year, down from its 61st spot last year. Singapore Management University is not ranked because of its specialisation in business.

There are six categories.

Forty per cent of the total score depends on what academics from around the world think of the universities; while global employers' keenness to recruit their graduates counts for 10 per cent.

The numbers of foreign students and staff a university attracts are worth 5 per cent each; and the ratios of students to staff and academic citations to staff count for 20 per cent each.

NUS president Shih Choon Fong said: 'NUS still has good standing' as one of the top 50 universities and as one of the top five in Asia.

He said NUS will continue to 'enhance students' experience and push for world class research'. He pointed out that NUS' effort in improving research is already showing in the citation score.

On the staff-student ratio, he said many universities in the United States have significantly higher budgets and endowments and can thus afford to keep their enrolments low and faculty counts high.

He added: 'We don't want to go and hire more faculty just to boost the numbers. We want to ensure they are top quality in their field.'

NUS currently has a 1,944-strong faculty, of which 52 per cent are from overseas.

Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford and Yale universities maintained their top four positions for the second year. University College London and the University of Chicago join the top 10 for the first time.

Apart from NUS, the London School of Economics was also affected by the scoring changes, dropping from 17th last year to 59th this year. Stanford fell from sixth to 19th.

The universities of Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kyoto, Beijing, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua and Osaka were other Asian institutions in this year's top 50.

Mr Martin Ince, contributing editor of The Times Higher Education Supplement, noted: 'The 2007 rankings show that the US and UK model of independent universities supported with significant state funding, produces great results, but they also prove that academic excellence is found on every continent.'

Author's edit: I apologize but I realized that NUS was ranked #18 in the 2004 ranking (as opposed to not being ranked at all as I said when I made this post). Sorry for the mistake. I have corrected it now.

Emergency Not Entirely a Consipiracy

All the international media are telling the world there is some kind of conspiracy as to what Musharraf is telling the people of Pakistan and the actions he is taking. Their implication is that Musharraf, in his address to the nation, declared the state of emergency solely to control the situation regarding extremists. Then they say this is not true.

In the address, Musharraf tries his best to explain how the collapse of the judiciary is related to the spread of extremism, such as releasing confirmed terrorists from prison, and he implies that these released felons may be the ones behind the attacks in Karachi and Rawalpindi. The judiciary, the legislative and the executive pillars of the government need to become one, Musharraf explains. The judiciary can not be pulling the strings in other political bodies.

The situation is terrible to say the least, and I am no fan of Musharraf at the moment either. Whatever justifications he may give, there are definitely signs of a struggle to maintain his grip on power that Musharraf is unable to let go. But BBC News, ABC News, USA Today and all these major news sources are portraying a more negative image of Musharraf's reasons to declare a state on emergency.

On the cover page of last week's Newsweek issue, well in advance of the emergency, it says:

The Most Dangerous Nation In the World Isn't Iraq.
It's Pakistan.

The US keeps threatening to 'review' its aid to Pakistan - as if it will terminate it. If it does there may be some relief to the Pakistani public who have never seen any sign of the US $10 billion Pakistan has reportedly received up till now. But such a move would mean Bush would stop his support for Musharraf in his self-proclaimed War on Terror and that would have dire consequences for the army general. Such a move by the US could pronounce consequences for the general public as well, because Musharraf intends to remain dictator for what might be at least a year from now because that is how long the elections are to be withheld.

What's more, when I see clippings of protests by students, lawyers and others, I can not tell from the tone of their voices what they mean to say when they shout, "Go, Musharraf go!"

Do they mean, "Go on, Musharraf, go on!" or "Go away, Musharraf go away!"?

Don't get killed now Musharraf - that's what I say - you have dug your grave very deep this time, and this country can't afford to go into utter anarchy just now.

My entry for Silk Road Poetry Slam

Smooth sliding down the Silk
By Nabeel Khalid

Standing on the top of the Mindai Mountain
I can see my silk route
I will leave Singapurah on a carriage
With old friends and new

An alchemist in search of Gold
Air-borne with great insight
Cheeky townsfolk and crazy festivals
Hand-loomed carpets on which we dance

We dance wild in our khussas with their curled toes
Drink from porcelain bowls made by a man from Lanchou
Bangles play music as women cheer
Unaware of the missing caravans and lost merchandise

Children cry as pirates enter
They eye the remaining gold-threaded cloth;
The Ruby necklaces from Varanasi;
And expensive carpets from Persia

Disputes and deceitful companions
Leave us searching for a pirates trail
Tattered clothes; sand in feet
Mirage after mirage; deaths on schedule

Landslides arrive like automatic burials
Down glaciers on the Hindu Kush
We make it to palm trees and waterfalls
A lack of motivation met by lush green mountains

At the Meluhha I eventually arrive home
I taste the water of the ancient Indus
I wash my face; I close my eyes
And in my head; the journey begins again

This blog is PG-13

Free Maryland Dating

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

• sex (9x)
• cock (1x)

I can't believe I used the word 'cock'! It must be in a different context I'm sure though. I can't seem to locate it... Oh wait - there it is - in the Links section. The link to Talking Cock dot com! Damn!

Things I want to eat when I go back home

Yes, I've already started making my lists!

Saag Gosht with Makai ki Roti (From Gawal Mandi, Lahore)
Nehari (From Waris or Mohammadi)
Haleem (Anywhere!)
Chicken Biryani (Made by my mother)
Chicken Tikka (From Afghani Tikka Shop near Bhayya's, Lahore)
Pizza (Pronta from Pizza Time)
Phalliyan Gosht (Made by my mother)
Curry (Made by my grandmother)
Paye (Made by my grandmother)
Laal Lobia (Made by my mother)
Chicken Kofta (Made by my mother)
Seekh Kebab (From Bhayya's)
Chapli Kebab (From that place in Main Market, Lahore)
Falooda (From that place near Gawal Mandi, Lahore)
Keema Katlama (From that Halwa Poori shop in Barkat Market, Lahore)
Rau Fish (From Basheer Dar-ul-Mahi)
Chicken Garlic Mayo Roll (From Hot'n'Spicy, Karachi)

The curse

The curse of Windows Live Messenger: Yes, that is what it is called now - deal with it - stop calling it MSN!

I've said this a number of times while speaking to my friends but I'll repeat it here:

I could be voice chatting with such excellent voice quality that it would seem like a normal telephone call - over Skype, or even Windows Live Messenger (WLM) itself. But when it comes to transmission of text messages (compared to packets of sound data), WLM fails. I mean, it's text! It takes the lowest amount of kilobytes to transfer! What is wrong with Live!

In comparison, Google Talk is excellent. It serves its purpose at least - it transmits text messages whenever you send or receive them, and it is done effortlessly. If it's not delivered, you're informed right away - unlike Live. It doesn't have those corny emoticons or flash animations that make WLM more popular but at least it delivers what it promises - a reliable mode of communication.

So then, why not just switch to Google Talk? In this day and age of 'Web 2.0' - that annoying buzz word - you are still unable to sign on to multiple IMs (that's Instant Message/Messenger you dorks!) using one service. And why I still use WLM is because of my extensive contact list with people I have to or need to stay in touch with. And these people don't recognize the value of a service like Google Talk. At least, not yet.

So I have to keep both services active.

But sometimes WLM's eeriness becomes a blessing in disguise. You might send a stupid message to your contact - an unthought ask-out, an enraged comment, a comment revealing your stupidity, or something of the sort - and then a split second later you would realise you didn't want to send that message - but it's too late then. Your contact would reply back, appearing to ignore your insane comment and you would begin to wonder what you need to do then... Just a few seconds later, your stupid message bounces back. You're saved! Those are the only times you can stop cussing at WLM. (Unfortunately, as per my experience, messages that are not delivered successfully are not always bounced back either, which makes two-way communication nearly impossible.)

A Flash Idea in the Desert

Cen Sen
(715-770)

Riding to the West frontier seems to the Heaven,
Since my leaving home, the full moon twice seen.
I wonder where I will be staying tonight
As the flat desert vast without human sight.

(Tr. Z. Manfield)

Another Dream Job

Interaction Designer

Yahoo! User Experience Design is looking for a bright, motivated interaction designer to join the Yahoo! Groups team. Yahoo! Groups empowers group leaders to grow, customize, and participate in global online communities. As an interaction designer you will collaborate with product management, engineering, marketing, user research and visual design to produce innovative designs that best meet customer needs.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Setting product direction and UI requirements based on business, user and brand needs
• Collaborating with product managers, engineers and research specialists to define the user experience
• Designing user interaction models, workflows and user interfaces
• Working hand in hand with visual designers, web developers and engineers to deliver the final product
• Pushing the boundaries of what's possible to create better experiences for our users

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

• 5+ years of experience as a key member of a UI team through the product development cycle of several successfully launched web, mobile and/or software applications
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in HCI, product design, human factors/ergonomics or related field
• Although a business degree is not required, the candidate must have a strong affinity with business and user metrics

PREFERRED JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience building pages using HTML, DHTML, CSS, Javascript etc.
• Ability to prototype in Flash, Director or other dynamic prototyping tools
• Past experience working in an Agile/SCRUM environment

Please Apply Now by sending us a resume along with portfolio links if available.

Human Nature & Sexuality

Consider a man wearing wings designed as if to allow him to fly. But since the wings aren't designed according to the laws of aerodynamics, the pressure the wings apply on the atmosphere is not enough to lift the weight of the man himself.

When the man jumps off a cliff, he can feel the pressure on himself. He can feel the pressure on his wings. For a few minutes the man sees the ground below him far away. He thinks he is flying. But in the end he is subject to the laws of gravity. That is when he comes crashing down – realizing too late that he was, indeed, not flying.

Our society is sliding into ruin, and it is sliding fast. I don't mean to preach, or act like one of the preachers. But this is also exactly what the preachers say as well (using “God said” as an argument instead).

Sodomy is undoubtedly the first step. It is the reason why I will not condone homosexuality (in general). I wouldn't condone sodomy even amongst heterosexuals or bisexuals for that matter.

Before, society was more reserved. They say the time of Sigmund Freud was that of "sexual repression" when they covered a table with a table-cloth to conceal its "naked” legs. Today, such thinking would be deemed backwards.

Today, sex is everywhere. Entertainment, advertising, shops… PDAs (public-displays-of-affection) are more than a common sighting now. Society, today, has developed a tolerance for sex.

In fact, sex is so 'normal' now, that there are other behaviors that are becoming more and more tolerable. Take homosexuality, for instance. After all, it's just a "sexual preference" or "orientation" for any individual; why should anyone else even bother?

This April, when the movie "Zoo" was released, there was much debate over it. The Traditional Values Coalition denounced the movie because they say it is an attempt "to normalize bestiality as simply another sexual orientation." Even the American Family Association has threatened to boycott any company that promotes it.


Zoo is about zoophiles – people who eroticize animals. Unlike homosexuality, which society in general has become very lenient towards, zoophilia (which is not bestiality) probably has a few decades more to go before it becomes an acceptable behaviour or even "orientation".

Borrowing the language of gay liberation, Philip Buble, a zoophile, said, "I'm the first out-of-the-closet 'zoo' to be attacked because of my sexual orientation." While speaking to the Bangor Daily News, Buble says the "relationship" between man and beast "can develop to be a sexual one."

If sexual liberation didn't occur overnight; if homosexuality wasn't deemed acceptable overnight; if the barriers on pederasty came down in the 1960s after being around since the 800s; then why would zoophilia be acceptable overnight? All it needs now is time.

You are probably shaking your head now and thinking, "No! Never!"

Let me tell you, people did that both with sex and homosexuality in the recent past. In fact, a huge population still denies their acceptableness - for good reason too.

Most of us have already witnessed polygamy and pedophilia in this era. Sadomasochism is also acceptable to many nowadays. We know it's out there and it's happening. Gay marriages are being allowed by more and more states - so much so that even incest stands a chance to be legalized.

Yes, incest.

Scientists claim that sex between a brother and sister is “icky” or disgusting because the notion of sex with a sibling correlates with how long they have cohabited with that sibling and watched their mother care for him or her. Incest aversion correlates more to experiential factors than the belief of the sibling being genetically related. Simply put, if you weren’t brought up with your siblings, you might want to have sex with them.

The famous brother-sister couple from Germany, Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski, were separated as kids and when the brother, aged 23, met his sister, they both fell in love. They have had four children out of which one has epilepsy and two are 'special'.

The couple has received a lot of support from friends and neighbors and when they walk in the supermarket, people recognize them and tell them they support their legal challenge. A ruling is expected in the next few months once a "fundamental discussion" is held about this issue in Germany.

So what is my stance or my argument when I put all these things together? Our society is like the man with wings trying to defy nature in trying to fly. Sooner or later, our society will come crashing down.

How do we avoid that? Homophobia? Incest aversion? Banishment of zoosexuality and zoo sadism? I don't think so. Clearly, acceptance of all these traits is not the answer either.

We need to put sex back in the closet. What goes on in a dark room ought to remain in there. What you do in your private time is none of my business; or anyone else's for that matter.

If you are a guy, you could be groping your woman in public, groping your man in public, your animal or even your sister. But it is none of my business. So keep it to yourself.

Please don't do it in public. Please don't do it in the media. Don't file petitions, try to make headlines, or apply for legislation of your sexual acts. No one is going to come and check on what you do in the middle of the night.

Let’s save our society from going into ruins. We are not flying. It’s time to take a step back and examine the situation. No one wants to fall flat on the ground. Nature wasn’t designed for us to.

Disclaimer: I am not a homophobe. I respect the uniqueness of homosexuals and trust their good intentions. In fact, I have tons of friends who are homosexual or bisexual, and we get along pretty well. But I am against homosexuality in general - not homosexuality in particular; but in general.

Soft Knowledge

Many undergraduates enter university after years of school thinking it would be the place where they get past their last few years of education by studying books and attending classes. What most don’t realize is this is the minimum requirement to rightfully graduate as a person with expanded worldviews and global mindset.

But that’s all fancy talk for someone who doesn’t read local or even campus news.

Most undergraduates think they know what is going on in their own lives, in their families or among their friends. They don’t realize there is a huge amount of information they are not receiving that is directly or indirectly relevant to them. For example, there are students who have mapped out all the modules they want to take at university and think their university career is all laid out for them clearly. But if they are not aware of the latest goings-ons at their schools and faculties they could miss out on meaningful events, updates on student activities, learning opportunities, interaction with the student body, and above all, important academic information.

Recently, the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory policy at National University of Singapore is being revised and the University Administration has been consulting the NUS Students’ Union to get feedback and comments on the available choices. Decisions such as these are important to the entire student population, and for undergraduates (and graduates alike), information such as this directly affects them.

For both Singaporean and foreign students, they need to know the relevance of Singapore in the global community – for different reasons. When Singaporeans choose to travel abroad for work, further education, business, or any other reason, they act as the ambassadors of Singapore, and it is their duty to communicate an honest image of their country. This is true for locals studying at local universities traveling anywhere in the world.

For foreigners, when they return to their home countries, or visit other countries – especially those who choose to stay and work in Singapore, it is of utmost importance for them to educate themselves about and understand the local culture, as they too act as ambassadors of Singapore. Moreover, they are obliged to connect with the local and foreign population.

Serious things aside, one needs to have a reasonable amount of awareness on local issues when attending business networking sessions, gatherings of friends and other social events. More avenues are open to people who know what is going on, where everyone is ‘at’, and who is doing what.

In a nutshell, undergraduates in universities need to focus on gaining certain kinds of ‘hard’ knowledge, but without ‘soft’ knowledge, their hard work and dedication to studying and scoring high grades might as well be considered a complete waste.

What does a student do?

They make us play poker rounds with our careers... What does a student do!?

(I need to take both Media Writing and Advertising Strategies but I can only exert full horsepower on one!)

Singapore Radio Jockey disses Muslims

I was listening to Gold 90.5 FM at around 12 noon today when Melissa was reporting about the latest South Korean hostage situation and she referred to Taliban fighters as "Islamic millitants - rather Islamic elements".

'Elements'? Isn't that like referring to ALL Muslims everywhere as being the same as Taliban fighters because everyone of them possess quite a few Islamic elements!?

I'm gonna see it...

No Smoking

Quit smoking date: June 16th (Shubhangi's birthday)

Today's date: July 21st
Time elapsed: Exactly 5 weeks (more than a month!)

Have I made it this time? Have I really quit? My last attempt to quit was not successful. I quit quitting 9 days after my quit date. However, this is my second-most successful attempt to quit smoking cigarettes since the time I started smoking 13 years ago.

Goofy animation "No Smoking" explains smoking as experienced by smokers and quitting smoking as experienced by "quitters". (Thank you Omer for sharing this with me!)


[YouTube link]

"It's a Phylis Morrison!"

"Give the smoker enough room, and he will hang on to his habit."

Not this time.

---

Previous post on a similar topic:
Ruminations: Day 1/The Day/The Big Day/Cold Turkey Day/Quit Day

The best "music" in the world today

Having been an annoying and persistent telemarketer in my 'past' life, I hate it when I "buy" something someone else is trying to sell to me. By "buying" i mean "accepting" to buy here. Recently I started listening to BBC World Service, Gold 90.5 FM, WKRZ etcetera, and I came across this song by Rihanna called Unbrella.

Now you must know, I am very, very, VERY anti-pop music. I abhorr it. Ever since the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and NSync era has passed, I have realised that none of it is real music as I understand it now. Did you know that NSync's second album, No Strings Attached, sold 2.4 million copies in the first week after it was released but the music itself was outsourced to a whopping fifty-two people? It was a team composed of sound engineers, music technologists, real musicians and what not that made the so-called "music". NSync was just the face of the music.
And here, Rihanna is the face of her music.

If you just look at the video after you hear the song, you will see how the video has got nothing to do with the song. The song is about being just friends and sticking out for each other till the end no matter what. It's not really romance (think failed romance maybe?) and it's not really sexual. But the video is selling sex.

In her interview with Channel 5 in Singapore, she admitted that her director had told her to project the image of a rebellious girl and the only reason for that could be that he has cracked the commercial code like everyone else - he knows it is stuff like rebellious girls that will make a hit. Britney and Christina are good examples of "girls done bad" trying to maximise their album sales once their stardom started to fade. Naturally, a rebellious girl will show more skin, mingle with the wrong crowd, get tattoos and piercings... Everyone knows what happens when a 'girl goes bad': she has a lot of sex with a lot of different men. Men, as I have come to know most of them, will "buy" that image. I don't think most men are self-respecting enough to turn down a one-night stand.
This brings me to why I am making this post. Having the understanding of the "music" industry as I have demonstrated, I HATE it when I still "buy" some of their crap. The umbrella song by Rihanna is one such example of a song that has got stuck in my head. It's annoying the hell out of me. But I can't get it out of my head - the sound of "umbrella, ella, ella, ay, ay, ay, under my umbrella, ella..."


[YouTube link]

My explanation? I heard this song on the radio a few times... I was somewhat forced to listen to it as I had limited options while travelling on the bus (my phone can only store 128 MB of songs). Then I was forced to see the interview, since, once again, I had limited choice (only one English channel in Singapore). When I saw glimpses of the video in the interview, I immediately signed on to YouTube to see the complete video (I guess I bought the sex in it). And since then I have developed a strange obsession with the song. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. And I am falling in love with Rihanna.

I may be aware of what they're trying to do here, but I am still unable to help myself. I wonder, how can I judge all those people who still listen to Backstreet Boys and believe they have bad music choice? Is it really their fault?

But there is hope... The imposed popular, hit-driven culture is coming to an end. The people behind all these blockbuster hits are about to sell out soon. Maybe they wouldn't sell out completely, but the new media will take over most of their blockbuster business. And people will finally find the things they really like. Not what marketing thrusts upon them. Not pop.

My dream job these days

Creative Maximiser / Internet Copy Writer and Keyword Expert - Singapore

Position will be based in Singapore.

Do words come easily to you? Do you have a knack for phrasing things "just right"? We are looking for an excellent, analytically-minded writer to "Maximise" the performance of advertising that runs on Google. You must be able to metamorphose the essence of our clients' products and services into targeted keyword lists and text adverts. Problem-solving skills are essential and you must be an excellent communicator, sensitive to language, and comfortable composing language on demand.

Google's advertising program sells highly-targeted text ads that help connect our advertisers with potential customers. Attention to detail and excellent communication skills are essential because the Maximiser works closely with the Sales & Operations team as well as the clients to coordinate and execute the creative optimisation of campaigns. The Maximiser must be analytical, creative and get results.

Responsibilities include:

• Building relevant, researched keyword lists for campaigns.
• Categorising keywords into scalable groups.
• Proactively monitoring and analysing campaign performance data.
• Leading efforts to improve ad relevancy in your region.
• Suggesting ways to improve performance.
• Working closely with sales team and client to implement suggestions.
• Quickly completing maximisation requests.

Requirements:

• Bachelors degree in English, Journalism, Communications or equivalent.
• Proven writing and communication excellence.
• Detail-oriented; ability to complete large volumes of work quickly.
• Significant problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Strong editing skills.
• Ability to multitask.
• Ability to work cooperatively and proactively with team members and clients to implement suggestions.
• Proven track record of exceptional performance and high productivity.

For immediate consideration, please send a text (ASCII) or HTML version of your resume to jobs@google.com. Important: The subject field of your email must include Creative Maximiser / Internet Copy Writer and Keyword Expert - Singapore.

Like, wassup?

More than half the vacations are through by now - Western and Asian nations have agreed to end 'green imperialism' together after accusing each other for the alarming change in climate the world over, Gaza journalist Alan Johnston was released after being kidnapped for 114 days, some Mexican Mr Slim managed to get a wallet fatter than Bill Gates', Apple released the first generation of the new iPhone, and smoking was banned in clubs in Singapore and UK - but where is AIESEC? Is AIESEC dead?
Continue Reading...

The love I miss...

dear beel bhai i am missing you so so so so so so so so much I was thinking if you were here we all could hava had so much fun . i forgot how was your face how kind you were to me how hansome you were and i forget how much you love me well i i love you so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much. O AND DID YOU KNOW I AM PROMOTED TO CLASS 4A

My kid sisters are in LA with our mother these days... For those not familiar with Urdu/Hindi, "bhai" is what you call your brother. And in Pakistani schools we have "classes" rather than "grades" or "levels". I miss the babies so much... they aren't babies now actually - not anymore. It's been a year since I last saw them. Come December, come! I want to go home!

Admission into NUS this year (2007)

There has been a lot of argument over why so many outstanding Pakistanis applying to NUS have been rejected. People outstanding enough to have gotten into places like Yale, UPenn, Cornell etc. have been rejected by NUS. My first thought was that NUS may be trying to increase it's "yield" - something American universities are known to do. It involves rejecting applicants that are too outstanding to actually join the university, since the university expects applicants would definitely get into better universities and reject their offer only to spoil their yield. Yield of a university is obtained by comparing the number of admission offers made, to the number of applicants who actually accept these offers and join the university. Universities like MIT and Harvard usually have a very high yield because almost no one rejects an admission offer from these universities.

However, it appears I was wrong about NUS being self-conceited.

For those unfamiliar with Chinese culture, every 12 years is considered to be the year of the Dragon. The Dragon year is usually related to a rise in birth rate and it shows in the figures too! People born in years 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000... are referred to as "Dragon babies" and it so happens that the graduating students from Junior Colleges this year in Singapore (A Level) are mostly born in 1988.

The case being made by the Singapore university trio (NUS, NTU, and SMU) is that there are more applicants this year than any of the previous ones, and despite the increase in places of admission available at these universities, it is still not possible to accept all the kind of students that would usually have been accepted in previous years. This, plus the fact that the quality of applicants has increased significantly this year once again.

As already pointed out in an AsiaOne article (pasted below), this may not be a reasonable excuse because male Singaporean students, after graduating from Junior College, have to complete their two-year National Service under Singapore Law. So what the universities are dealing with, this year, is just half of the Dragon baby cohort.

While prospective students search for a consensus on the reason why so many people are being rejected this year, NUS continues to advertise heavily on MSN, in trains and elsewhere, enraging rejected applicants and parents

As much as I have come to know personally, I have developed some theories as to the numbers of reasons why NUS is rejecting applicants:

1. No A Level results. International students who have yet to take their A level examinations in this term are getting rejected despite having straight 'A's in their O level and high scores in their SATs. Apparently having incredible A level results is the only criterion for gaining admission into NUS this year. If you bothered yourself with taking SATs just so you could enter NUS a year earlier, your efforts have gone to waste. You must spend a year at home before joining NUS. Yes, you are free to lose those extra pounds or pick up that sport you always wanted to learn.

2. Late application. Note that this does not mean you applied to NUS after the deadline had passed. It only means that if you applied earlier you may have gotten in. "First-come, first-served" seems to be a policy that has been adopted by NUS Admissions Office this year. I only say so because some people were accepted while others were rejected when they had exactly the same grades and were applying to the same faculty/school. The only difference observed in such cases is that the ones who applied earlier were the ones who got in.

3. No GP taken. GP is the AO Level General Paper that is almost compulsory for applicants to NUS. Previously, people who didn't take GP were always free to take the university's Qualifying English Test (QET) after arriving, but this year's applicants haven't been offered such a leeway.

Here's what they're saying in the media:

Average grades? Getting into uni is a squeeze
By Jane Ng - May 30, 2007
The Straits Times

A RISE in the number of university applications this year, partly due to the Dragon Year cohort, has resulted in those scoring average grades being squeezed out of a varsity spot.

Dragon Years, being particularly auspicious in the Chinese Calendar, are usually associated with a spike in the birth rate.

Mr See Chee Wee, 55, a retiree whose letter was published in The Straits Times Forum page yesterday, said his daughter, who had applied for arts and social sciences, had been rejected by all three local universities despite scoring grades of A, B, E and a C for General Paper.

'She has met all the criteria for entry to a local university. Not all students are outstanding, you have to be realistic. You can't say there's no space. If I buy a ticket for a movie, there better be enough seats for me,' he said.

'If I had enough money, I would send her overseas and not argue. Now I will have to mortgage my house. You're marginalised in Singapore if you don't have a university degree,' he added.

Replying to queries, the three universities said the sheer number of applicants, coupled with an overall increase in quality, has left those with average grades out in the cold.

Said a Singapore Management University (SMU) spokesman: 'It is likely that, depending on which degree programmes this particular applicant has applied for, she does not meet our admission requirements on an overall holistic assessment.'

SMU assesses its applicants based on their academic credentials, co-curricular activity records and performance during an interview. At SMU, 39 per cent of A-level applicants scored A, B and B or better in their results compared to 30 per cent last year. At the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 35 per cent more applicants had at least three As this year than last year.

The increase in quality has meant universities were more selective in choosing applicants. For instance, the National University of Singapore (NUS) Law Faculty considered only those with three As for its interview and test.

NUS received a total of about 34,000 applications for around 6,600 places; NTU got 35,000 applications for 5,850 places; while SMU received about 12,900 applications for 1,485 places.

At NUS, 15,700 A-level school leavers from the Dragon Year cohort applied, an increase of 2,200 from 13,500 last year.

Dean of admissions Associate Professor Tan Thiam Soon pointed out that even though the universities are dealing with the Dragon Year babies, the number is not as large as parents imagine because only the A-level girls are entering university this year.

The Dragon Year boys will be admitted only in two years' time, after national service. Those who entered polytechnics will also enrol in universities later.

Universities also say they have beefed up enrolment to cope with the expected increase in applications.

For example, NUS has increased its overall enrolment by 200 spots across all its faculties, while SMU has a new law degree which will take in an additional 82 undergraduates.

An NTU spokesman pointed out that applicants applying for a particular programme should have good grades for related subjects: 'For example, a candidate wishing to pursue Communications Studies should have a good grade in the General Paper.'

Students who have yet to hear from the universities about their applications said they don't have high hopes. One, who scored B, C and E and applied to the NUS Arts and Social Sciences Faculty, said: 'I don't think I stand a chance, I will probably start looking at overseas universities now.'

You can download a PDF file to view this and other articles. (Right-click and Save As)
You can click here to read another article where NUS explains its admissions policy.

Futurology from the future

A very interesting school report from the future... I saw this in Wired - the September 2006 issue. Some of the terms and concepts used here are pretty cool and very realistic for the near future; like, "Podiobooks", "genetic" testing for admission into MIT and Stanford, "meatspace", varsity "Halo" teams, "smartpaper", and insulin transplants.

Interfaces such as this report card always intrigue me. They are always talking about digital paper but I don't know when the technologies will come down to a price that the average person can afford them (like cell phones today).

Note how (under Citizenship/Behaviour) it says "Frequently switches classrooms with her clone". Now there's an option no one would mind! Both clones could follow their individual interests - if there is such a thing as individuality within clones. I wonder if clones have souls? I guess we're still far off from this one though.

Procedural animation (under Art) is one of the most cutting edge computer graphics fields today, and it has been used to simulate elements like smoke, fire and water, and also rigid body dynamics - like movement of clothing, hair - not to mention character animation. So far it has been used in Quake III Arena, Spore and also in the upcoming Unreal Tournament 2007. I wonder what more they can do it with it apart from application in video games. The damnest thing - if I had opted to go to LA with my family, I could've attended this year's E3 - the annual trade show for the computer and video games industry. An old friend I ran into earlier on facebook told me he had extra invitations for it but people were willing to even pay up for them ever since they majorly downsized it this year, so I had to tell him to pass on the invite. Regrets, regrets!

This month I have had so many regrets, it's amazing. But it's true - attending a trade show such as this one could really have opened my eyes towards the opportunities this industry offers. I need help in deciding if I want to concentrate my major on Interactive Media - that includes a lot of game design and I find VERY interesting. My other options are New Media Studies [who wants to be a professor?] and Communication Management [aka spin masters; you know, Public Relations practitioners?]. But then I guess the first step for me should be installing a graphics card and a bunch of video games and then getting down to "analyze" the games, not buying a ticket to LA to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3].

My pun of the day: while missing E3 is not a very major regret, it is still qualifies as a "major" regret.

Thanks AR for spotting this 2018 transcript and sharing it with me. (She was sure I would make a post about it if I saw it!)

Playing in my head, over and over again

[Video Link]

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in, without a fight.

Hey you, out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you, with your ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home.

But it was only fantasy.
The wall was too high,
As you can see.
No matter how he tried,
He could not break free.
And the worms ate into his brain.

Hey you, out there on the road
Always doing what you're told,
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,
Can you help me?
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.

University Health 'administration' Center

Yes, that's the unofficial name for UHWC [University Health and Wellness Centre]. So if you have any visa or administration-related documents that concern with your health status, just queue up there - all the people who are really sick and deserve more attention than you will wait for you. So staple those forms and start queuing!

If you're really sick, it doesn't matter if you're staff or student, or if you have fever or not. Rules are rules. Doctors have limited time, and it is not fair for a doctor to see a sicker patient who came in later than a perfectly healthy "patient" who just cares for the doctor's signature under "healthy" and not his/her diagnosis.

So at the beginning of each semester or even special term [as I recently discovered] there is always this bulk of people who need to get their health status verified and documents completed, even if they are in perfect condition. What's funny is that they can only get their checks done when they are perfectly healthy, otherwise their requirements for the student pass etcetera may not be met.

So my point with all this is that a sick person demands immediate attention from a clinic or hospital. Poor or unprioritized administration in government hospitals was tolerable in Pakistan since the government is not even half as rich as that of Singapore, but medical and health centres [mostly private ones] of the same repute and "standard" as UHWC have much better standards for patient care than UHWC does. For a clinic designated to a world class university such as NUS, this is utter shame.

Sick people need to be treated. Before they get sicker. Or before they start spreading their germs. Or before they miss another hour of work. UHWC operates 8:30 am to 6:00 pm [till 5:30 pm on Fridays], which means you are advised not to get sick at any other time. It does not matter if you purchased their "comprehensive" medical insurance plan, which is obligatory for us international students, you are only to get sick during these office hours. And if you do get sick during these office hours, it does not matter if you are working on an internship during vacation time or attending classes during semester time, you will still wait in queue for an hour or more, just to see the doctor's face. And these are no specialists, mind you! For anything slightly advanced, they will refer you to NUH [National University Hospital] which could charge you enough to make you homeless.

So it's a bad deal for everyone. For minor things like a chest infection, you have to miss hours of work [bad] or hours of lectures [worse]. For surgical things like a toe-nail surgery that come under "can do without, but better if done", you still have to pay for it as the insurance won't cover it. For allergies, they are considered to be "pre-existing conditions prior to entry to the University" and hence the medicines are not covered. In fact, any medicines that are more advanced than paracetamol need to be purchased. For people using spectacles there is nothing. Also, there is no explanation as to why Singaporeans only pay $60 while we pay $140 for the same services. [Actually, we get "Hospital and Surgical Insurance Scheme" that Singaporeans don't get, but it mainly includes SARS treatment that most people from "third-world" countries are resistant to (I don't even think it exists; it's just a good rumour), and I don't think charging us $80 extra for it is a fair deal.]

Oh, and women, you are not allowed to get pregnant while studying at NUS because your insurance won't cover any maternity care!

Similar Minds dot com

Advanced Global Personality Test Results Extraversion |||||||||||||||||||| 86% Stability |||||||||||||||||| 73% Orderliness |||||||||||| 43% Accommodation |||||||||||| 50% Interdependence |||||||||||||||||||| 90% Intellectual |||||||||||||||||||| 83% Mystical |||||||||||| 50% Artistic |||||||||||||||||||| 90% Religious |||||||||||||||||| 76% Hedonism |||||||||||||||| 63% Materialism |||||||||||||||| 70% Narcissism |||||||||||||||||||| 90% Adventurousness |||||||||||||||||||| 90% Work ethic |||||||||||||||| 70% Self absorbed |||||||||||||||| 70% Conflict seeking |||||||||| 36% Need to dominate |||||||||||||| 56% Romantic |||||||||||||||| 63% Avoidant || 10% Anti-authority |||||| 30% Wealth |||||||||| 36% Dependency |||||| 30% Change averse |||||||||||| 50% Cautiousness |||||||||||| 43% Individuality |||||||||||||||||||| 90% Sexuality |||||||||||||||||| 76% Peter pan complex |||||||||||||||| 63% Physical security |||||||||||| 50% Physical Fitness |||||||||||||||| 64% Histrionic |||||||||||| 43% Paranoia |||||||||||||||| 63% Vanity |||||||||||||||| 70% Hypersensitivity |||||||||||||||||| 76% Indie |||| 18%

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personality tests by similarminds.com

Stability results were high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic..

Orderliness results were moderately low which suggests you are, at times, overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment.

Extraversion results were very high which suggests you are overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense too often of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Trait Snapshot:
social, outgoing, worry free, optimistic, upbeat, tough, likes large parties, makes friends easily, rarely irritated, open, enjoys leadership, trusting, dominant, thrill seeker, strong, does not like to be alone, assertive, mind over heart, confident, controlling, feels desirable, likes the spotlight, loves food, social chameleon, hard working, concerned about others