Working with master student

It’s been a tough time this semester because of Information Retrieval Project. My part alone, I’ve been working on it ever since it started and just when I finished my part plus report(including hers), I still have to help her.

I’ve been vomiting blood cos this partner I’m working with will just ask for snippets and snippets of code and to help her code them out just eat away my time. Why can’t she even look and understand my code. I don’t think it’s that difficult.

I wouldn’t say I’m great but in the past my supervisor will just leave me there to die. Yes leave me there to survive on my own. I find it somehow why life ain’t that fair. Considering that I can don’t help her. I’ve been coding like 70% of the project and I should have my well deserved rest.

I tell myself not to work with them again and most probably won’t have the chance since this is my final semester.

p.s: I think I won’t feel this bad if she’s pretty. Too bad, she’s not my cup of tea Chinese ger

Snam

Tianhong

Making out in Starbucks

I am currently working for my IR report in Orchard Starbucks. Life has been peaceful until this couple sit in front of me and start getting touchy. The guy feels like an emperor with the lady cutting out the Cinnamon roll in pieces and feed him while the guy keeps caressing her back and waist and thigh….

Problem is they don’t look that young to me. I can’t stand it. Maybe I should call it a day and head home. There he goes again, more kissing….

Gone in 2 Minutes: Mac Gets Hacked First in Contest

Check out this article. Macbook was hacked in 2 minutes. 2 MINUTES. Now I worry for my lappie…. I want to be a hacker and earn $10k in 2 minutes and I can be a millionaire pretty soon.

Gone in 2 Minutes: Mac Gets Hacked First in Contest: “Gets”

(Via NYT > Technology.)

Lobang for memory intensive application

Apply for a grid discovery zone provided by APSTC SUN. It has a cluster of computers that is designed for parallel jobs to execute. Even though with a single server alone, it still beats a normal computer flat down.

I’ve been running my information retrieval project over at the zone and I actually use up 1Gb of memory usage. On top of it, it finish my job in less than 10 mins while on my normal computer will take up to an hour.

Tip for memory intensive java program

Try “java -Xmx512m -jar dist\MyProgram.jar” to run memory intensive java program. By default the JVM only allows for 256mb of ram. For memory intensive task, you can up the heap size using “-Xmx” parameter where the number after that is the memory usage to specify and for this case we’re using 512 MB ram.

I need motivation

It has been the umpteen times that I have been running my indexer. Life just ain’t good to me and I kept getting out of memory exception. While doing too many IO to keep the memory usage small is also a bad bad idea, which can take weeks whole day to run.

The deadline at April the first is driving me crazy. It’s again crunch time for me. While the prof has been good and allowed for 1 extra day at the expense of 1%. Sigh…

Snam

Running java remotely

Append your java run command line with “&” when ssh into the server and want the java program to run remotely.

For example “java -jar MyProgram.jar &”.

A super useful command to use when the server has timeout in place and the program still need to be able to continue running.

Better eyesight for kids? Let them go out and play

Recently, everywhere you can see advertisement everywhere advocating parents to let children to go out and play to improve their eyesight. It is a known fact that we are a country of glasses. So is the advertisement blaming that parents did not allow their children to play outdoors?

Of cos the children should have their own “childhood” to remember from but the pragmatic society nowadays will drive the parents to push their children for “tuition” almost every single days. So is it the parents fault?

The society nowadays is more indoor rather than outdoor. We would rather surf net then to do sports.

In addition, did you notice that kids are more obsessed with PSP? Unless the gah-men decide to build a theme park in every neighbourhood, this trend will still be difficult to reverse.

Better eyesight for kids? Let them go out and play: “STUDIES have shown that children who spend time outdoors have better eyesight than their computer-obsessed counterparts.”

(Via Straits Times Interactive - LATEST NEWS.)

Owned by own professor in forum

Something funny to share with all when I’m searching on the net for Iterative quicksort algorithm to leverage on (nicer word for copying). I saw this conversation when apparently the professor finds his student trying to get answer in the forum. I guess anyone would be shock to be in the same position.

Anyone had the same experience?

Bulgarian Idol : Song title : “Ken Lee”

Thanks to Adlina for sharing this funny video on Bulgarian Idol. Well I know there’s many Ken Lee, but I can’t remember Mariah Carey had a song “Ken Lee”. Check this video to understand what’s going on.

Donation scheme in NTU - iGive? Why don’t you give?

For non-ntu student, iGive is a scheme to so call give back to the school in the name of getting stuff and dedicate messages on the dunnoe-how-many-inch monitor for the professor. It’s well marketed and packaged very nicely with banners and posters placed around school.

They called once while I’m having lesson and hesitate telling me who they are. They call me back again a few days later (of cos when I’m not having lesson) asked me if I want to join the iGive scheme. Btw I’m not attending convocation and there’s no particular prof that is very “gum” (close) with me. So to cut things short, I told them I’m not interested.

I’m very perplexed by the fact that why NTU is doing all this to get donation (I was informed by friends that they have full-time staff just to call people to donate). They even go all the way to send letters to your parents (not me but my friend) to ask for donation in the name that the school has help to groom their children to men and women.

For those who don’t have short term memory, the school has just increase the school fees by 4% this year. So much so for explaining that it is use to gain competitiveness against other universities. Aiyah, professor in NTU is underpaid mah. Must inflate their pocket abit lor.

For poly, the schools have projects with other companies and they earn quite a fair bit from fyp itself. Each project can cost up to $10k and the student still pay school fees and they are working for the school for free. Smart right?

So why ain’t the universities doing that and instead continue to use fee increment as their main source of income? Shouldn’t they be treated as an organization and cut cost to improve their profit margin inflate their own pockets?

Speaking about that, NTU has pride itself as an one that has entrepreneurial spirit. But when student approaches the school to commercialize a particular patent, the school are still protective about it. Thinking of which, they can easily license out their patents and cut a profit-sharing deal with the venture, they opt not to and it still remain a close door for most (cos I dunnoe if anyone has succeed). My point is if it turn out to be big, why left the patent hanging on the shelf.

In short, NTU as a whole is still squeezing student for income and they have not look for other ways to earn the extra income they need. Basically every few years, they will seek to raise school fees in the name to fight inflation.

Dreaming of NTU in becoming MIT, I think it’s a dream far far away to be even dream of. How can we said that we are entrepreneurial when NUS had so many real group that support undergrad in starting up business like e27. For NTU, I can’t think of any right now. Not that I want to complain but people are really finding lack of support for undergrad. Not only me but many others feel the same and we seriously hope situation will improve. Just like the question: is entrepreneur born or can be nurtured? I believe the latter.

It is intuitive to think that computer course should have the state-of-the-art facilities around. However sad to say, this is not happening. The lecture hall haven’t been upgraded ever since it’s built and I don’t see it happening anywhere near in the future.

Oya some recommendation from me, if they ever call you, maybe you can act blur and ask, “uGive? The school giving out money? I’m a poor student living in a One-bedroom home so can get much more right?”

DDay+1 : Report handed, smell of freedom ahead

Waking up without the stress of FYP is the best, of cos I still got lots of stuff to be done but the feeling is just different. The crunch time come in at 6 hour before the deadline. I had to rush through the report till 5 pm.

Before that, I still had parts of the report that needs to be written. I never had a drink, my “brunch” till around 8pm. Like what Ridz said, one works best when his back is on the wall. But I hope I don’t have to go through this again. Lesson learn: try not to hug the buddha leg.

Hooray to all FYP student, it’s a good job done.

I’m on my way to graduation and I can smell the freedom ahead. And this freedom comes with uncertainty. The uncertainty of future, which I’m yet to see clearly what’s in front of me.

Time to showoff my fyp report. Got this inspiration from Adlina. Well she finished PRINTING her report the night before and make me feel so so bad. But still thanks for sending me her report for copy reference. Seeing this picture really makes one morale shoot up.

The IR master student has been hounding me for the indexer which I have yet to finish debugging and yet to start out on the stemmed biwords. Don’t understand what I’m talking? It’s ok, I don’t want to have too many jargons in my blog.

I would recommend this subject to people even though it would take quite a chunk of your sleeping time. Students will only take subjects that are easy to do etc etc. It’s so shallow! For me, I love the challenge of creating value. Speaking of student, I am one myself. ROFL

I head to ASK hospitality management branch in Bugis to collect my stuff for interview next monday. The lady is extremely nice to me. She’s pretty too and guess it boost my morale for the day (or at least alleviate the pain of paying $225 for the visa interview).

There are quite a few post that are pending in my MarsEdit client. Will try to complete them asap so stay tune!

p.s: thanks jean for indirectly helping me out. will pay u back asap.

cool cucumber snam
tianhong

Interview for WAT USA

I will be going for interview for WAT scheduled at 4pm when tomorrow is the deadline for FYP report. It means no need to sleep tonight. And also burn 200+ dollar for the interview alone. Shucks

In the meantime, god really help me to crap. 9.7k words for now and still going strong. haha, maybe this is my latent ability. Will be meeting up with the gang for dinner.

But won’t be staying for long. Deadline means cross the line and not finish you’re DEAD!!!

Workaholic Snam

Tianhong

20+ more hours to FYP deadline

Another 20 more hours for my FYP deadline. Still left with intro, abstract, literature review, conclusion to finish. Not to mention diagrams like use case, system model, class diagram, er diagram.

Hope my fingers and brain will work at its optimal pace today.

Workaholic Snam

Tianhong

Archimedes Was Murdered Over Pi

Something interesting to know. While, Archimedes is the one that popularize the word Eureka, little did I know he’s also the inventer for pi. While I really admire mathematicians for their ability to think abstract logic and introducing so many symbols to my course (if only they can make it even simpler).

Archimedes Was Murdered Over Pi: “Murdered”

By no means a new rumor, but a little-known legend: truemor has it that when the Romans entered Sicily, during the battle, one of the soldiers met an old man (Archimedes) drawing geometric figures in the sand. As the soldier advanced, Archimedes shouted out “Do not touch my circles,” which prompted the legionnaire to draw his sword. It seems that Archimedes’ tireless work to discover the ratio resulted in his murder.

(Via Truemors.)