In the spirit of college football being is officially over for the season, I present my collated (incomplete) list of college basketball student section names. It took me a couple of weekends to put this together; some of these are tough to find and others are quite fluid with their names. Additions and corrections are warmly welcomed. Help me complete this list!
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Friday, October 05, 2012
What is in a name
I have everything that a 27 year old needs. Except for a badass nickname. It matters! Look at what I have to use instead.
Someone came up with a pretty researched list of sporting nicknames a while ago. Here are my personal favorites. And I hate all of you in no specific order.
10. Rahul Dravid - The wall
9. Lionel Messi - La Pulga Atómica
8. John White - The wolfman
7. Usain Bolt -
(He doesn't need one. See what I mean? Are you reading this pa?)
6. Marshawn Lynch - Beast mode
5. Kobe Bryant - The black mamba
4. Tim Tebow, Dwight Howard - Superman
3. Sachin Tendulkar - God
2. Tyrann Mathiu - The honey badger
1. Calvin Johnson - Megatron
On loop this week
Someone came up with a pretty researched list of sporting nicknames a while ago. Here are my personal favorites. And I hate all of you in no specific order.
10. Rahul Dravid - The wall
9. Lionel Messi - La Pulga Atómica
8. John White - The wolfman
7. Usain Bolt -
(He doesn't need one. See what I mean? Are you reading this pa?)
6. Marshawn Lynch - Beast mode
5. Kobe Bryant - The black mamba
4. Tim Tebow, Dwight Howard - Superman
3. Sachin Tendulkar - God
2. Tyrann Mathiu - The honey badger
1. Calvin Johnson - Megatron
On loop this week
Saturday, June 23, 2012
How to sleep at night
While a large fraction of us between the ages of 20 and 35 have no trouble claiming that we are night birds and even insomniacs, most of us do not really know what a true nocturnal or an insomniac even looks like. Should we really pride ourselves in being that? As much as it is a great fad to claim our differences from regular society, to show that in irregular eating or sleeping habits has an awful cost to benefit ratio. While a structured life is seemingly dull, you will be surprised how much a structured life can do to allow you to do your favorite awesome things better. A low effort high reward means of structuring is to just sleep at the right times. They need not be fixed for everyone in the world, but they need to be fixed for you and they need to be normalized to your surroundings. Here I present the one thing that I have through years of not doing in grad school.
1. Physically exhaust yourself
If you are reading this, chances are you are not someone whose job description is "heavy macho-ness". You work, drive, and unwind in the same position with a screen in front of you and at the end of the day, you have put your mind through a cane juicer. Physically you probably have given your eyes a heat-stroke but nothing more. The discrepancy between your mental activity and physical activity is what makes you toss around even if you force wrap yourself into your sleep-face. But if you could have some sort of physical activity for an hour or two (you have to sweat) to end your day, the physical exhaustion should automatically lull you to a good sleep.
2. Eat
It seems alright and even fun sometimes to skip meals. But starting with your mood, it could go on to determine if your grandchildren live to be 30 or 60. It may be hard to whip up mom quality meals four times each day especially if you are single. A bare-basic meal will suffice but it has to be there. When you have your meals is also crucial. Start with a 7-day program where you eat at the same time each day and eat enough quality food and the difference will start to show. Preparing the meal and cleaning up later could be part of your physical activity.
3. Make yourself comfortable
In some cases this could be a luxury but it is obvious that you need to be in a nice relaxed position to doze off. A lot of times however the determinant of comfort is mental. You could be in the best therapeutic bed and still toss around with all the thoughts running through your head. Empty your mind. If ambient noise is your thing, have that work in your favor. Stop analyzing. If you survive to to see the next morning, you can think about it. If you don't, it doesn't matter anyway. A lot of times though, the mental wandering is because of something that fuels the itch, which brings us to...
4. Tune out
Turn off that computer. You really do not need the music running. Those youtube cat videos, those facebook updates, those not-that-funny memes, all those tweets and blogs that just came up will not change your world forever, though a good night's rest could. If everything were to disappear when you ignored it and went to sleep, you'd never take a vacation ever. Oh you don't? Never mind.
5. Have a partner
I found that when I had my sleep irregularities in grad school, I kept a perfect 11 pm - 7 am sleep schedule when I visited my parents on vacation. I definitely was not working hard though I was eating better and stayed disconnected from the interwebs. But mostly it was simply because everyone else in the house was doing it. It worked as some sort of group therapy where I was comfortable with sleeping at 11 pm and springing out at 7 am because the others were. Having a partner for sleep works just like having a partner at the gym. Now you don't have to work too hard and find someone that will live with you. You could just have an agreement with a similarly afflicted friend and work the program from where you are.
5. Plan it
You will find that as much as sleep can help organize your life, organizing the rest of your day will help you sleep better. Make your sleep time that important to you. Do not skip that crucial time point that you are meant to retire at. For anything or anyone. Not everyday is an emergency. Those emails can wait until the morning. If they can't then it is too late anyway and the repercussions can be dealt with tomorrow. A good night's rest is a great reward to sleeping on time. Reward yourself for waking up in the morning too, with the thought or the song that you itched to listen to when you had to retire. It will give you something to wake up for.
You will find that a great many things will start looking better. Your health and energy will be on the upward trend. You will be able to restrain your need to do things impulsively. You will be able to channel your mind and body better. It is really all about the self-love. Once you have one important thing figured everything else falls in place automatically. If it doesn't, we'll deal with it tomorrow morning.
1. Physically exhaust yourself
If you are reading this, chances are you are not someone whose job description is "heavy macho-ness". You work, drive, and unwind in the same position with a screen in front of you and at the end of the day, you have put your mind through a cane juicer. Physically you probably have given your eyes a heat-stroke but nothing more. The discrepancy between your mental activity and physical activity is what makes you toss around even if you force wrap yourself into your sleep-face. But if you could have some sort of physical activity for an hour or two (you have to sweat) to end your day, the physical exhaustion should automatically lull you to a good sleep.
2. Eat
It seems alright and even fun sometimes to skip meals. But starting with your mood, it could go on to determine if your grandchildren live to be 30 or 60. It may be hard to whip up mom quality meals four times each day especially if you are single. A bare-basic meal will suffice but it has to be there. When you have your meals is also crucial. Start with a 7-day program where you eat at the same time each day and eat enough quality food and the difference will start to show. Preparing the meal and cleaning up later could be part of your physical activity.
3. Make yourself comfortable
In some cases this could be a luxury but it is obvious that you need to be in a nice relaxed position to doze off. A lot of times however the determinant of comfort is mental. You could be in the best therapeutic bed and still toss around with all the thoughts running through your head. Empty your mind. If ambient noise is your thing, have that work in your favor. Stop analyzing. If you survive to to see the next morning, you can think about it. If you don't, it doesn't matter anyway. A lot of times though, the mental wandering is because of something that fuels the itch, which brings us to...
4. Tune out
Turn off that computer. You really do not need the music running. Those youtube cat videos, those facebook updates, those not-that-funny memes, all those tweets and blogs that just came up will not change your world forever, though a good night's rest could. If everything were to disappear when you ignored it and went to sleep, you'd never take a vacation ever. Oh you don't? Never mind.
5. Have a partner
I found that when I had my sleep irregularities in grad school, I kept a perfect 11 pm - 7 am sleep schedule when I visited my parents on vacation. I definitely was not working hard though I was eating better and stayed disconnected from the interwebs. But mostly it was simply because everyone else in the house was doing it. It worked as some sort of group therapy where I was comfortable with sleeping at 11 pm and springing out at 7 am because the others were. Having a partner for sleep works just like having a partner at the gym. Now you don't have to work too hard and find someone that will live with you. You could just have an agreement with a similarly afflicted friend and work the program from where you are.
5. Plan it
You will find that as much as sleep can help organize your life, organizing the rest of your day will help you sleep better. Make your sleep time that important to you. Do not skip that crucial time point that you are meant to retire at. For anything or anyone. Not everyday is an emergency. Those emails can wait until the morning. If they can't then it is too late anyway and the repercussions can be dealt with tomorrow. A good night's rest is a great reward to sleeping on time. Reward yourself for waking up in the morning too, with the thought or the song that you itched to listen to when you had to retire. It will give you something to wake up for.
You will find that a great many things will start looking better. Your health and energy will be on the upward trend. You will be able to restrain your need to do things impulsively. You will be able to channel your mind and body better. It is really all about the self-love. Once you have one important thing figured everything else falls in place automatically. If it doesn't, we'll deal with it tomorrow morning.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Virudhagiri – An unquick review.
Right from the first animation sequence describing Captain Cine Arts – I realized that I was witnessing Captain's next magnum opus. To do proper justice to it, this review will be a running twitterish commentary on key points in the movie as they happen as I watch.
- Title song just blow everything that M. G. Ramachandran and a certain Mr. Gaekwad did out the window and the audience's brains. Of course SPB had to sing it.
- Captain just made and entry and quickly told the Aussies/English/Tamil-toting Caucasian bobbies to chill out while he shows some Tamilnaad swagger. Yes!
- Captain just explained his Holmes-grade teeviravadhis identification strategy. Only captain can make us awe his mental and sentimental faculties at the same time.
- Captain returns to Chennai and the media surrounds him. Of course he does not like praise you idiot of a reporter. That is why the title song was so subtle.
- Arunachaleshwara/Virudhagireeshwara has been invoked, may kickassery prevail. Was that the Obama – yes we can logo on the drum?!
- Captain has made his classic thoppi and thoppai entry. Another quick deduction on attacks on indian students abroad coated again with the warmth of culture sentiment.
- The flirtatious bimbo is his niece?! I thought...never mind. One can note that this is an off-beat captain movie – the lady love is not yet in the plot half hour in.
- The pace is now slowing down to calm the audience's raging blood pressure. Captain has to stop this international organ trafficking nexus. And Chokkan 65.
- Makkal police shows shows off his drosophila dietetics. On an interesting side note, wood can buffer the smell of rotting corpses. From everyone except captain.
- I love the cleverly concealed captain political propaganda. It sends a nice chalkboard-scratching shiver though the body every fifteen seconds.
- Great world unity touch. Malay guy with fake American accent in Australia/Malaystralia but knows tamil.
- Intermission rang in with a great punch translation off of Neeson's Taken. Of course captain will take out the 'Albanian international terrorist' the right way. With his eyes.
- Captain has an estimated 96 hours (from a reliable Tamilnaad police source) to save his niece before she is sold to Jabba the Hutt. Time to make a straight beeline to Malay fake accent guy.
- Next up, drop in on old crooked accomplice from Scotland Yard where they trained together. Who else but Arun Pandian.
- I like the awesome tamil (the most noble language in the world) touch all over the movie. Everyone including the Malay/Australian translator (speaks 46 languages) is more comfortable with tamil than any other language.
- 35 hours left. Looks like captain's still got a lot of punch dialogue in him left. Thappu seiyaravanga dhan da thappikanum.
- “I am from tamilnadu bolice”. “Naanum tamilnadu dhan saar”. Hard to watch captain hold back his paternal affection through his gentle investigation.
- More aascar winning dialogue - “Indha visiting card dhan en aayudham”.
- I just realized very late that this movie is actually an englipis movie dubbed to tamil with captain doing his own voice dubbing! Facepalm
- Captain breaks the villain boy with his englipis shock treatment. Hard to say if the current or the dialogue is doing the trick (Wonly you gan say goodlack? That goodlack has wonly begum yuvar bad lack).
- Final plot exposed: 'Albanian international terrorist' got this entire racket going because he's jealous that India has IPL and Issarrai. Indrresting.
- A dojen awesome gapten calisthenics later, Inshallah! Villain is defeat. Nobdy can rock the trenchgoat and glaus like gapten!
WOW! A sunday afternoon that I would have wasted on CTF correction, I have now spent productively. Recommended for all like minded individuals.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Trippiness
Since I don't do drugs I did these today.
City of Blinding Lights - U2
Kula Shaker Govinda
Uploaded by ronaldmacdonald33. - See more comedy videos.
Govinda - Kula Shaker
Reptilia - The Strokes
Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins
Pottu vaitha - Singaravelan
City of Blinding Lights - U2
Kula Shaker Govinda
Uploaded by ronaldmacdonald33. - See more comedy videos.
Govinda - Kula Shaker
Reptilia - The Strokes
Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins
Pottu vaitha - Singaravelan
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
I haz a vada pawz
red riding hood doggeh...looks like a a wolf's grandchild
will poze for fud
crouching kitteh, maddened dog on
snap fur now hooman...i knows where you keep your fanzy ties
analyzt kitteh...tracks all soreces
but i jus speaks to him yesturday
what the hooman did not know was that Anil was in fact a ninja...
bukwurm doggeh...readz you bedtime story
youz not making me look good here
prinz of persia kitteh...scales to find an exit
do i getz a vada pawz now?
-with the earnest co-operation of Snowy, Scoobie, Looey, Kuppi and USC Trojan squirrel spy
Monday, June 01, 2009
Big fan. Really big fan.
I do like flashiness and eye candy when it is available. But that can be like the first snow effect. Looks good and feels good on the first day and only feels cold after the novelty leaves. What you need along with eye candy is good personal usability with minimal maintenance. Some manage to deliver it well so you can briefly come back to it later but it is really hard when both go wrong (read: Vista).
Microsoft Windows is like a socially conformist fair-weather friend. Everything is there at a superficial level, there are no goodies inside and no effort is made to change that yet people compromise and put up with it because they do not want to think beyond it. That is why Vista was still a success for Microsoft despite its big flaws. This is why Windows 7 will be a big hit like XP was.
Don't get me wrong - I do not blindly hate Microsoft, Apple or anyone else for the matter. Apple's hardware quality and design is near unbeatable. The day Microsoft does come out with a real quality product (in the lines of Excel '97 say) I will be one of the first to pick it up. However Microsoft has become lax and completely dependent on its market monopoly (resulting from various factors) and this mentality is reflected even in their "I'm a pc" ads. All innovation has gone out the 'window' and whatever is assembled is a cheap imitation of something original made by someone else. The "innovation" of the second half of the 90s as ruled by Microsoft was to make bigger meaner machines that simply take more load thrown at them. From a corporate perspective that may work effectively but from an academic and long term perspective it simply is not beautiful enough. How can McDonald's be the definitive element for satisfactory dining?
However the new millennium has gone back to defining innovation as an original product that can do better with lesser needs and an addictive interface that culminate into a great user experience (read: Wii, iPod) and Google has had a lion's share in bringing that back. Writing code is an art and Google, in that sense, is the Picasso of the current generation. Google's code-writers focus on how pretty the code is rather than what the end product is and have brought sexy back doing just that. Yeah they are a company too. They look at profiteering and gaining market share. But how they do it sets them apart. Indeed the compromising existence of a Windows user is relatively unfelt primarily because of what Google offers to balance their experience.
So here are twenty of the top ideas from Google that have changed our user experience for the better. I originally intended for ten but honestly there were too many ideas that were getting honourable mentions and I had to do them justice as a loyal fan:
Honourable mentions: Google Voice, Bots, Latitude, Sketchup, Ads, Vision, Blogger - Really I cannot allow past 20. The reader is bored already.
20. Images - Simple size control and customizable searches make this image search a winner over the others. No brainer.
19. Health - Unified health information for anxious minds. Great search based on input medical records. No Ads. Free for use. No profit for Google yet better than alternatives.
18. Code - This is what makes Google likeable to the free and open source community that is pretty much a closet bunch on platforms outside BSD and Linux. It is important that someone bigger than Canonical and IBM should promote open source development. Not only does it help release good developer ideas under public licences but also gives them tools to work with. And it holds a lot of personal good for Google to see all of this code and pick ones that are the coolest as personified by the Google Summer of code program. It really helps recruiting at Google as well, as it attempts to pick the best lateral thinkers thereby keeping its turnover as innovative as ever.
17. Video - Used to host videos until a month ago. Now functions as a pure search engine. It was a great idea to buy youtube.com as a video hosting site. Google video picks up from more sites and has a continually cleansed repository that makes it more child friendly than the yahoo alternative. The best part is that Web 2.0 based stats are available even for sites that do not offer that service.
16. Shopping and checkout - Froogle revamped. Great for cheap buyers who do not wish to risk some random seller on eBay. Even better for those who just want to get an idea on pricelines and the price-value trade-off. Not only are prices graded but products reviews are picked up as well.
15. Chromium - Really how much time would it have taken before Google forayed into a browser that best suits its vision and applications? The open source shell behind Chrome has just made its pre-release entries into the Unix word but even before that, it has done in just a year, what Firefox and Seamonkey were failing at - acquire market share from the dreadful and dangerous Microsoft Internet Explorer. Unfortunately, despite being open-source, it stays elusive to Unix-based developers who were the primary minds behind critically acclaimed Firefox plugins which is why its not higher up my list. But despite that limitation, it still has used its uncanny speed to rapidly garner fans much better than Firefox did. It scared Microsoft so much that they protested about Chrome potentially gaining complete monopoly if they provided it as part of Windows 7. Wonderful attitude.
14. Sites - The swanky new revamp of Page Creator is a futuristic tool. Where most page-makers are sticking to evolutionary changes, Sites has a wiki based approach that really makes it count. One does not have to bother about html's upgrades hampering website upgrades. Make a site like I write this blog.
13. Talk - Clearly there was something wrong with MSN and Yahoo messenger beyond their excessive options and slow interfaces. Talk did what Twitter's doing now. That is powerful.
12. Android - Nothing scared rival companies like the Android. Primarily because it embraced the FOSS ideology. Google first scared competitors by acquiring Android and releasing the Linux-based mobile OS. Then it did something scarier - it handed it over to the Open Handset Alliance to self-sustain. No it has not really affected the iPhone or Windows Mobile market much. But it has started off the first ever major open-source mobile software initiative that could threaten mobile monopoly. If only wireless service providers could allow it to reach its potential in at least as substantial form...
11. Reader - Google's feed reader is not too different from Mozilla's live bookmarks. Except for that it does not disappear if you reinstall your OS. It is not too different from other rival RSS services. Except for that it allows you to share articles with your friends with a click. And it works on my Wii.
10. Scholar - Pubmed was a go-to source and still is a great repository but Scholar beat it because of its spread and speed. More journals articles are scanned with more search options. There are links to the top names in a field which becomes very useful for a newcomer into the field. It even detects your subscription status to articles and offers links and notifications, but the biggest deal is that it threatens to dethrone the concept of impact factor. As long as your article is published in a journal with papers available online it is going to be picked up by Google Scholar so it does not matter which journal you publish in; your eventual reader and "citer" will be able to pick it up just like another high impact factor journal article. Many investigators profit immensely from this as they escape journal and academic politics and their citation levels gain unbiased from the number of people that view their publication online.
9. Picasa - First you make a web based photo album sharing tool that allows you to upload and download images in full size. Then you make a flashy desktop program for indexing and editing images. Then you allow easy integration, sharing and synching. Voila! you are alone with no competition.
8. Calendar - So every OS has a calendar and a appointment/task suite. Its a classic. What do you do when you forget to carry it with you? What if you need to recheck it? What if you want to change it remotely without all that remote computing hassle? Google Calendar synchronizes all tasks with most popular Calendars on all platforms.
7. Docs - No arguments here, nothing has been able to beat Microsoft Office yet. That is why most Macs carry Microsoft Office. And people pay to buy it even though Openoffice is free. Google Docs, instead of entering a flooded market of desktop-based suites simply creates its own Star-office based suite online. You do not have a winner but you have something that Microsoft never thought of. And that is because no one has done it before. So you don't need an office suite installed. All you need is a web browser with flash support.
6. Bookmarks - Everyone uses them now. Browsers even allow you to import from each other. How come nobody thought of putting it online? Actually yahoo did. And you can do more with yahoo's bookmarks like sharing them and seeing others' bookmarks. But well they don't involve themselves with a certain search algorithm...
5. Gmail - If you are of the rare species that has used gmail and left it for something else, shame on me. If you of the rare species that has never used gmail, etc etc. Who would have ever thought that you can put mails with the same title together into one conversation thread for a user? Who would have ever thought of giving more than a megabyte of mail storage space for free? Who would have ever thought of being able to search through your mail for something you need? Honestly, if you still use something like yahoo, hotmail or something more obscure, we must meet.
4. Wave - it is not higher on my list only because it has not been released yet. Since you have taken time off to read this blog post, take an hour more off and see this video. It may by your most productive hour for the week I guarantee you.
3. Integration - Apple really did well with its iLife suite that charms its patrons. But Apple is limited by its closed and monopolizing vision and that has been quite lucky for Google's system of integration. It will integrate with your mac, your pc or your hand-held. Google's way to success is not by selling closed products but by opening up to sharing, which is why so many have jumped on to the Google wagon. Google gears and Google Desktop get mentions here as fantastic proponents of the integrative capacity of Google. Way before the world coined the name 'cloud-computing' Google had its vision that would fit perfectly into the cloud-computing system where what hardware or OS you use would hardly matter in what you wish to do. Yes the internet is a must but once you have it, there's hardly a difference between what is on your desktop and what is out there in the rest of the world. And nobody has explored that like Google has.
2. Earth and Maps - Hands down this was Google's biggest gift. It is what made everyone realize how cool Google was. And it is still only halfway to where it is expected to be. Words cannot describe the ideas that went into these. Explore them. Period.
1. Search - Was there any doubt at all? The "grandaddy of 'em all" is the where it all started. Other search engines have not yet been able come close to its speed in a decade. Without this the other ideas would never have happened. Its as secret and not open-source thankfully and that is why it has been able to keep its feature, standards and speed as smooth as ever. Google search is probably the most benevolent and innocent giant you can find in any category of anything.
Sometimes idealism is the best way to be practical. I am feeling lucky.
I do like flashiness and eye candy when it is available. But that can be like the first snow effect. Looks good and feels good on the first day and only feels cold after the novelty leaves. What you need along with eye candy is good personal usability with minimal maintenance. Some manage to deliver it well so you can briefly come back to it later but it is really hard when both go wrong (read: Vista).
Microsoft Windows is like a socially conformist fair-weather friend. Everything is there at a superficial level, there are no goodies inside and no effort is made to change that yet people compromise and put up with it because they do not want to think beyond it. That is why Vista was still a success for Microsoft despite its big flaws. This is why Windows 7 will be a big hit like XP was.
Don't get me wrong - I do not blindly hate Microsoft, Apple or anyone else for the matter. Apple's hardware quality and design is near unbeatable. The day Microsoft does come out with a real quality product (in the lines of Excel '97 say) I will be one of the first to pick it up. However Microsoft has become lax and completely dependent on its market monopoly (resulting from various factors) and this mentality is reflected even in their "I'm a pc" ads. All innovation has gone out the 'window' and whatever is assembled is a cheap imitation of something original made by someone else. The "innovation" of the second half of the 90s as ruled by Microsoft was to make bigger meaner machines that simply take more load thrown at them. From a corporate perspective that may work effectively but from an academic and long term perspective it simply is not beautiful enough. How can McDonald's be the definitive element for satisfactory dining?
However the new millennium has gone back to defining innovation as an original product that can do better with lesser needs and an addictive interface that culminate into a great user experience (read: Wii, iPod) and Google has had a lion's share in bringing that back. Writing code is an art and Google, in that sense, is the Picasso of the current generation. Google's code-writers focus on how pretty the code is rather than what the end product is and have brought sexy back doing just that. Yeah they are a company too. They look at profiteering and gaining market share. But how they do it sets them apart. Indeed the compromising existence of a Windows user is relatively unfelt primarily because of what Google offers to balance their experience.
So here are twenty of the top ideas from Google that have changed our user experience for the better. I originally intended for ten but honestly there were too many ideas that were getting honourable mentions and I had to do them justice as a loyal fan:
Honourable mentions: Google Voice, Bots, Latitude, Sketchup, Ads, Vision, Blogger - Really I cannot allow past 20. The reader is bored already.
20. Images - Simple size control and customizable searches make this image search a winner over the others. No brainer.
19. Health - Unified health information for anxious minds. Great search based on input medical records. No Ads. Free for use. No profit for Google yet better than alternatives.
18. Code - This is what makes Google likeable to the free and open source community that is pretty much a closet bunch on platforms outside BSD and Linux. It is important that someone bigger than Canonical and IBM should promote open source development. Not only does it help release good developer ideas under public licences but also gives them tools to work with. And it holds a lot of personal good for Google to see all of this code and pick ones that are the coolest as personified by the Google Summer of code program. It really helps recruiting at Google as well, as it attempts to pick the best lateral thinkers thereby keeping its turnover as innovative as ever.
17. Video - Used to host videos until a month ago. Now functions as a pure search engine. It was a great idea to buy youtube.com as a video hosting site. Google video picks up from more sites and has a continually cleansed repository that makes it more child friendly than the yahoo alternative. The best part is that Web 2.0 based stats are available even for sites that do not offer that service.
16. Shopping and checkout - Froogle revamped. Great for cheap buyers who do not wish to risk some random seller on eBay. Even better for those who just want to get an idea on pricelines and the price-value trade-off. Not only are prices graded but products reviews are picked up as well.
15. Chromium - Really how much time would it have taken before Google forayed into a browser that best suits its vision and applications? The open source shell behind Chrome has just made its pre-release entries into the Unix word but even before that, it has done in just a year, what Firefox and Seamonkey were failing at - acquire market share from the dreadful and dangerous Microsoft Internet Explorer. Unfortunately, despite being open-source, it stays elusive to Unix-based developers who were the primary minds behind critically acclaimed Firefox plugins which is why its not higher up my list. But despite that limitation, it still has used its uncanny speed to rapidly garner fans much better than Firefox did. It scared Microsoft so much that they protested about Chrome potentially gaining complete monopoly if they provided it as part of Windows 7. Wonderful attitude.
14. Sites - The swanky new revamp of Page Creator is a futuristic tool. Where most page-makers are sticking to evolutionary changes, Sites has a wiki based approach that really makes it count. One does not have to bother about html's upgrades hampering website upgrades. Make a site like I write this blog.
13. Talk - Clearly there was something wrong with MSN and Yahoo messenger beyond their excessive options and slow interfaces. Talk did what Twitter's doing now. That is powerful.
12. Android - Nothing scared rival companies like the Android. Primarily because it embraced the FOSS ideology. Google first scared competitors by acquiring Android and releasing the Linux-based mobile OS. Then it did something scarier - it handed it over to the Open Handset Alliance to self-sustain. No it has not really affected the iPhone or Windows Mobile market much. But it has started off the first ever major open-source mobile software initiative that could threaten mobile monopoly. If only wireless service providers could allow it to reach its potential in at least as substantial form...
11. Reader - Google's feed reader is not too different from Mozilla's live bookmarks. Except for that it does not disappear if you reinstall your OS. It is not too different from other rival RSS services. Except for that it allows you to share articles with your friends with a click. And it works on my Wii.
10. Scholar - Pubmed was a go-to source and still is a great repository but Scholar beat it because of its spread and speed. More journals articles are scanned with more search options. There are links to the top names in a field which becomes very useful for a newcomer into the field. It even detects your subscription status to articles and offers links and notifications, but the biggest deal is that it threatens to dethrone the concept of impact factor. As long as your article is published in a journal with papers available online it is going to be picked up by Google Scholar so it does not matter which journal you publish in; your eventual reader and "citer" will be able to pick it up just like another high impact factor journal article. Many investigators profit immensely from this as they escape journal and academic politics and their citation levels gain unbiased from the number of people that view their publication online.
9. Picasa - First you make a web based photo album sharing tool that allows you to upload and download images in full size. Then you make a flashy desktop program for indexing and editing images. Then you allow easy integration, sharing and synching. Voila! you are alone with no competition.
8. Calendar - So every OS has a calendar and a appointment/task suite. Its a classic. What do you do when you forget to carry it with you? What if you need to recheck it? What if you want to change it remotely without all that remote computing hassle? Google Calendar synchronizes all tasks with most popular Calendars on all platforms.
7. Docs - No arguments here, nothing has been able to beat Microsoft Office yet. That is why most Macs carry Microsoft Office. And people pay to buy it even though Openoffice is free. Google Docs, instead of entering a flooded market of desktop-based suites simply creates its own Star-office based suite online. You do not have a winner but you have something that Microsoft never thought of. And that is because no one has done it before. So you don't need an office suite installed. All you need is a web browser with flash support.
6. Bookmarks - Everyone uses them now. Browsers even allow you to import from each other. How come nobody thought of putting it online? Actually yahoo did. And you can do more with yahoo's bookmarks like sharing them and seeing others' bookmarks. But well they don't involve themselves with a certain search algorithm...
5. Gmail - If you are of the rare species that has used gmail and left it for something else, shame on me. If you of the rare species that has never used gmail, etc etc. Who would have ever thought that you can put mails with the same title together into one conversation thread for a user? Who would have ever thought of giving more than a megabyte of mail storage space for free? Who would have ever thought of being able to search through your mail for something you need? Honestly, if you still use something like yahoo, hotmail or something more obscure, we must meet.
4. Wave - it is not higher on my list only because it has not been released yet. Since you have taken time off to read this blog post, take an hour more off and see this video. It may by your most productive hour for the week I guarantee you.
3. Integration - Apple really did well with its iLife suite that charms its patrons. But Apple is limited by its closed and monopolizing vision and that has been quite lucky for Google's system of integration. It will integrate with your mac, your pc or your hand-held. Google's way to success is not by selling closed products but by opening up to sharing, which is why so many have jumped on to the Google wagon. Google gears and Google Desktop get mentions here as fantastic proponents of the integrative capacity of Google. Way before the world coined the name 'cloud-computing' Google had its vision that would fit perfectly into the cloud-computing system where what hardware or OS you use would hardly matter in what you wish to do. Yes the internet is a must but once you have it, there's hardly a difference between what is on your desktop and what is out there in the rest of the world. And nobody has explored that like Google has.
2. Earth and Maps - Hands down this was Google's biggest gift. It is what made everyone realize how cool Google was. And it is still only halfway to where it is expected to be. Words cannot describe the ideas that went into these. Explore them. Period.
1. Search - Was there any doubt at all? The "grandaddy of 'em all" is the where it all started. Other search engines have not yet been able come close to its speed in a decade. Without this the other ideas would never have happened. Its as secret and not open-source thankfully and that is why it has been able to keep its feature, standards and speed as smooth as ever. Google search is probably the most benevolent and innocent giant you can find in any category of anything.
Sometimes idealism is the best way to be practical. I am feeling lucky.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
ten practical reasons to switch to linux (for the non-programmer/ordinary user...so don't run away on seeing the title)
Rules for me:
-The twisted world assumes that ideological = impractical. Therefore I will not invoke ideological debates on FOSS and corporate monopoly.
-Being better than the worst does not make you good. Therefore no comparisons will be made with windows vista. Though I thank it profusely for driving me into linux.
Hem, hem...Ten practical reasons.
10. Every average piece of software that you use on linux IS FREE. You may choose to purchase specific software suites like research imaging software but for everyday purposes, everything is free. This includes the operating system. You do not have to spend a dime on anything beyond your hardware. Ubuntu linux, in fact, is shipped for free as well when you order it.
9. Any software that you need is available in a single descriptive repository program called the package manager. All you would have to do is check what you wish to install from the list and once you are done the software gets downloaded and installed automatically and in one shot without going through a host of checks and options. Any software. You do not have to go online and search webpages for legal software and download and install each individually. There is nothing like a trial or partial version. The repositories are maintained free of malware so you don't have to worry about them. Just check off the list and it is delivered full and safe. And free.
8. The functioning is faster. The installation is faster. The internet is faster. It is just much simpler and better organized than anything else that you are currently using. A Mac definitely gets close because of its unix core but linux is the gold standard for speed because it manages even a heterogenous set of programs better. RAM utilization is excellent so you don't have to keep buying new chips every year. Recommended (basic is even lesser) system requirements match those of windows and mac from 5 years ago. And it is free.
7. Upgrade to new versions of programs and even operating systems seamlessly in minutes. Synchronize all your data online automatically without a click.
6. Middle click to copy and paste. If you do not find it more addictive than tabbed browsing then I will switch to Windows Vista for the rest of my life.
5. Eye candy. Yes, Eye candy. For those that value appearance and aesthetics, Compiz on linux is more customizable, use oriented and visually stunning than Aero or Aqua. In addition, the physics are spot on as made note of by experts. And it is free.
4. No you do not have to learn to use terminals and write programs. Yes you have a GUI with buttons and hyperlinks with easy options. Yes linux is compatible with almost every piece of hardware unless you are evil and tailor make it to be Windows only only only. It runs on Mac and on a pc to the full. I think someone actually managed to make it run on a toaster. And yes, it is free.
3. Customize. Integrate. Don't do what the program allows you to. Tell the program what you want. Tailor your desktop to look like a mac or a windows or a unique hybrid interface that suits your mood and whim. Work a web page like a program from your computer. Automate a sequence of unrelated programs and name it after your girlfriend. Delete anything including the start menu button and the dock. Create a hundred other things that you prefer in its place. Run windows games and even office 2007 or 2008. Make and break doors, walls and windows.
Windows does not do it. Mac tries. Linux delivers. For free.
2. One stop solutions. You have one player that plays all breeds of music and videos. One ripper for all purposes. One IM that covers everything. And it need not be an i-something. Pick what you prefer. Yeah, free.
1. Control. Liberty. Independence.
Rules for you:
-read without fear
-think without fear
-live without fear.
-The twisted world assumes that ideological = impractical. Therefore I will not invoke ideological debates on FOSS and corporate monopoly.
-Being better than the worst does not make you good. Therefore no comparisons will be made with windows vista. Though I thank it profusely for driving me into linux.
Hem, hem...Ten practical reasons.
10. Every average piece of software that you use on linux IS FREE. You may choose to purchase specific software suites like research imaging software but for everyday purposes, everything is free. This includes the operating system. You do not have to spend a dime on anything beyond your hardware. Ubuntu linux, in fact, is shipped for free as well when you order it.
9. Any software that you need is available in a single descriptive repository program called the package manager. All you would have to do is check what you wish to install from the list and once you are done the software gets downloaded and installed automatically and in one shot without going through a host of checks and options. Any software. You do not have to go online and search webpages for legal software and download and install each individually. There is nothing like a trial or partial version. The repositories are maintained free of malware so you don't have to worry about them. Just check off the list and it is delivered full and safe. And free.
8. The functioning is faster. The installation is faster. The internet is faster. It is just much simpler and better organized than anything else that you are currently using. A Mac definitely gets close because of its unix core but linux is the gold standard for speed because it manages even a heterogenous set of programs better. RAM utilization is excellent so you don't have to keep buying new chips every year. Recommended (basic is even lesser) system requirements match those of windows and mac from 5 years ago. And it is free.
7. Upgrade to new versions of programs and even operating systems seamlessly in minutes. Synchronize all your data online automatically without a click.
6. Middle click to copy and paste. If you do not find it more addictive than tabbed browsing then I will switch to Windows Vista for the rest of my life.
5. Eye candy. Yes, Eye candy. For those that value appearance and aesthetics, Compiz on linux is more customizable, use oriented and visually stunning than Aero or Aqua. In addition, the physics are spot on as made note of by experts. And it is free.
4. No you do not have to learn to use terminals and write programs. Yes you have a GUI with buttons and hyperlinks with easy options. Yes linux is compatible with almost every piece of hardware unless you are evil and tailor make it to be Windows only only only. It runs on Mac and on a pc to the full. I think someone actually managed to make it run on a toaster. And yes, it is free.
3. Customize. Integrate. Don't do what the program allows you to. Tell the program what you want. Tailor your desktop to look like a mac or a windows or a unique hybrid interface that suits your mood and whim. Work a web page like a program from your computer. Automate a sequence of unrelated programs and name it after your girlfriend. Delete anything including the start menu button and the dock. Create a hundred other things that you prefer in its place. Run windows games and even office 2007 or 2008. Make and break doors, walls and windows.
Windows does not do it. Mac tries. Linux delivers. For free.
2. One stop solutions. You have one player that plays all breeds of music and videos. One ripper for all purposes. One IM that covers everything. And it need not be an i-something. Pick what you prefer. Yeah, free.
1. Control. Liberty. Independence.
Rules for you:
-read without fear
-think without fear
-live without fear.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Brand Espousal
Cell phone - Sony Ericsson
Gaming Console - Nintendo Wii
Portable Console - Sony PSP
Guitars - Ibanez
OS - Gentoo, Ubuntu, SUSE
Shoes - Adidas
NCAA team - Florida Gators
IPL team - Mumbai Indians
Colour - Blue
Racquets - Wilson
Bats - Gunn & Moore long handles with wide grips
Clothing - Provogue, Gior Dano
Input accessories - Logitech
Music Directors - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, John Williams
Movies - Excel Entertainment
Shaving accessories - Gillette
Cars - Maruti
Shades - Police
Bikes - Mongoose
Headphones - Motorola
Memory - Western Digital, San Disk
Music - Carnatic, Heavy Metal
Games - Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley
Other Games - Maxis, Ubisoft
Rice - Ponni
Bath - Herbal Essences
Theme parks - Disney, Essel
Winter wear - Columbia
Watches - Timex
Tools - Black & Decker
Chips - Tostito's
Kitchenware - Corelle
Stationary - Camlin, Reynolds
Colors - Crayola
Chocolate - Cadbury's
Photography Cameras - Nikon
Video Cameras - Sony
Lighting - Philips
Washing Machine - Siemens
Refrigerator - Godrej
Language - Urdu
Salad needs - Bertolli
Computers - Sony, Dell
Amplifiers - Stranger
Speakers - Kenwood
Baggage - Swiss gear
Monitors - Samsung
TVs - Toshiba
Digital Clocks - Radioshack
PSC's - HP
Film - Kodak
Batteries - Duracell
Animation - Disney
Card - Visa Electron
Candy - Alpenliebe, Hajmola
Television - Shankar Nag
Dental needs - Oral B, Colgate
Wood - Rosewood
Floors - Polished tile
Soda - Pepsi
Tyre - MRF
Two-wheelers - Bajaj
Scent - Sandalwood
- material side
Gaming Console - Nintendo Wii
Portable Console - Sony PSP
Guitars - Ibanez
OS - Gentoo, Ubuntu, SUSE
Shoes - Adidas
NCAA team - Florida Gators
IPL team - Mumbai Indians
Colour - Blue
Racquets - Wilson
Bats - Gunn & Moore long handles with wide grips
Clothing - Provogue, Gior Dano
Input accessories - Logitech
Music Directors - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, John Williams
Movies - Excel Entertainment
Shaving accessories - Gillette
Cars - Maruti
Shades - Police
Bikes - Mongoose
Headphones - Motorola
Memory - Western Digital, San Disk
Music - Carnatic, Heavy Metal
Games - Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley
Other Games - Maxis, Ubisoft
Rice - Ponni
Bath - Herbal Essences
Theme parks - Disney, Essel
Winter wear - Columbia
Watches - Timex
Tools - Black & Decker
Chips - Tostito's
Kitchenware - Corelle
Stationary - Camlin, Reynolds
Colors - Crayola
Chocolate - Cadbury's
Photography Cameras - Nikon
Video Cameras - Sony
Lighting - Philips
Washing Machine - Siemens
Refrigerator - Godrej
Language - Urdu
Salad needs - Bertolli
Computers - Sony, Dell
Amplifiers - Stranger
Speakers - Kenwood
Baggage - Swiss gear
Monitors - Samsung
TVs - Toshiba
Digital Clocks - Radioshack
PSC's - HP
Film - Kodak
Batteries - Duracell
Animation - Disney
Card - Visa Electron
Candy - Alpenliebe, Hajmola
Television - Shankar Nag
Dental needs - Oral B, Colgate
Wood - Rosewood
Floors - Polished tile
Soda - Pepsi
Tyre - MRF
Two-wheelers - Bajaj
Scent - Sandalwood
- material side
Friday, February 27, 2009
There was a time when...
If I ever lose track, this will remind me...
- When I was 14, I shoplifted food products on a daily basis with trusted accomplices.
- I was 6 when I first beat Prince of Persia and within a couple of months I was able to complete it within 20 minutes...reproducibly.
- I enjoyed embroidery when I was 8. My mother approved because she was a broad-minded person.
- I excelled at making rudely-worded parodies of popular Hindi numbers with a partner in crime when I was 13. We are still very proud of it.
- I was goalkeeper for the school football team when I was 9. We lost our first and last game 5-0 and I scored one goal.
- I read my first non-pictorial classic – Moby Dick - when I was 6. I read my last – The Coral Island when I was 11.
- I have wanted to be a teacher/scientist ever since...well actually thats all I've ever wanted to be.
- When I was 13, my 11-year old sister was an inch taller than me and my best friend took special notice of that. I grew in late spurts.
- I learnt what the fear of death was when I turned 8. The Latur earthquake woke me up in the wee hours of the morning and I felt it for a whole 3 minutes.
- When I was 10, neck springs and hand springs took me the effort of dropping a pen. When I had to prove it to my friends at the age of 14...
- When I was 9, I made a superhero character for myself and called it Sharkanian (Shar-cane-yan) because I had pointier canines back then. I had a proper costume with a blue cape and leggings and a mask (modified from Cathay Pacific's original makes). I wore the costume everyday and took particular delight in making a superhero appearance in front of mom's guests. I even wrote and directed a skit to be played at a get-together complete with the background score taken from Danny Elfman's creation for Batman that my dad recorded for me. It was shot down for lack of superpowers and structure in the script.
- My tally of head injuries demanding stitches is 9. I still have the scars and bald spots.
- When I was 7, I regularly beat people up for fun during lunch break. The victims took it quite well. It was our fight club.
- I was quite convinced that I was a good sprinter when I was 15. I raced everyday and clocked 12 seconds. I told the faster runners that I was more of the long distance types.
- I climbed my first tree when I was 6. My parents were very pleased. My previous attempt at climbing was head injury demanding stitches number 2.
- When I was 13, I got inspired by the Parker Brothers and made my own WWE-themed board game that was loosely similar to Dungeons and Dragons. My dad critically acclaimed the effort and said that I should attempt to focus on educational value on my next project.
- I learnt Sindarin when I was 16 just because I wanted to escape to a new world.
- I held a green belt in Taek-won-do when I was 9. I was not the best student.
- I have been wary and fearful of girls ever since the age of 12. I still think that it makes me cool.
- I have never had a tooth cavity that required filling. Until two months ago.
- My most recurring nightmare is being back in SYJC and failing the board exam. Until the age of 17 it was being dragged butt-naked through the dead marshes to Mordor.
- I did not know competition (healthy and unhealthy) until the age of 20.
- I ranked 27th in the state in a scholarship exam when I was 12. And lost the mark-sheet.
- My dad bought our first car when I was 7. It was by far our coolest car because it was Aquamarine. Every car after that has been white or something duller.
- I fractured my right pinky in school after slipping and falling over water that I spilt myself when I was 11. It was my first and only fracture. I wanted to tell mom that a bus ran over it but muttered the truth and ran to my room in agony. For the next 2 months I learnt to write with two fingers and wrote an exam that way.
- I lost my last three milk teeth when I was 14 on three consecutive days during school hours. The girls laughed at me and my patient orthodontist was relieved that he could get started on fitting my braces.
- When I was 12, I once dreamt of a water-filled glass commentary box and a hole cracked on its bottom side. I woke up and thought over it and mentally derived Toricelli's Theorem. I described it to dad the next morning. His response was that I was already well established and that I should think about finishing my milk.
- I took my first photograph when I was 7 on a National analog 56. It was perfect for the first 5 minutes after which my curious sister succeeded in opening the rear compartment of the camera.
- I first saw the Adam West take on Batman and Robin when I was 8. Even back then I thought it was sad, stupid and funny.
- I learnt to spell my name completely when I was 5. It took me a whole of 15 minutes as I walked home from school with mom.
- I have smashed my nails on every one of my fingers (and 4 toes) and have had them regrow.
- When I was 13, I read the first Harry Potter book because my dad bought it for me from a trip to Hong Kong and liked it. I had no idea it would get this famous right then.
- Back when I was 14, my friends said that they would give me an over to bowl only if I bowled faster. I defended myself by saying that I was a leg spinner, hoping that they wouldn't have noticed my medium pace action and hold on the ball. I didn't get my over. I practiced leg spin for two months after that and returned to bowl a guy out on a wide delivery on my very first ball.
- I made a drawing for a Camlin competition when I was 7. The title was 'What I want to be when I grow up' and the best works were to be put on display in an exhibition. Back then, the only sophisticated job title I knew was training manager since my dad was one. I included the title in my artwork and handed it over and came home and told my parents. They laughed at me in the same fashion that people who know me generally laugh at me. Well then...you know what happened. I got a cert for my artwork and it was put up in the first row of the gallery.
- I learnt to read Tamil when I was 18. It was an entirely solo effort and my study material comprised only of bus labels and movie posters.
- I have read a total of 2 Enid Blyton books so far. After I figured out the sick logic in describing picnic food to young kids, I couldn't enjoy it anymore.
- I made my first seminar with transparencies at the age of 12 for a history class. I had to describe the works of Raja Ram Mohun Roy and dad refused to print photographs on a transparency for me so I exercised my drawing skills.
- When I was 13, I once chose to jump off the first floor to convince my friends that I was badass. An audience of 6 peers came to watch and waited for half hour as I was making all my mental preparations from the ledge that I was to jump off of. Finally one of the audience members, came up to the ledge and slid off its end and made a perfect landing after which I clambered slowly off the ledge and let go of it and landed. I assure you that still is as badass as it gets.
- Aamchi Jeeva, Aamcha Vela
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Why college football?
Since a countdown seems to have been well appreciated by my wonderful reading community (Archana and Manohary on the author's request), I will use the same here.
10. Because American football is a fun game. I have no knowledge of its roots or its relationship with the beautiful game but it is good fun to watch on its own.
Because games end in three hours so you can do something less productive for the rest of the day.
Because it has the statistics, the strategies and the diagrams for the pundits and just lines to carry a prolate spheroid across using 11 players for less informed skinny non-immigrant graduate students.
9. Because of talent, effort, strategy and skill being involved.
Because it involves brains as well as brawn.
Because reading the opponent is every player's job.
Because a single person playing well does not clinch the game. Because the word team carries a lot of meaning.
8. Because the tradition is at least a 100 years old in almost every college.
Because professors wear orange and blue on fridays and wish you 'go gators' when they see you. It is funky enough to note that colleges are that old but to have a well encouraged non-curricular activity for that long makes it something to want to be part of.
7. Because the Florida Gators are one of the hottest college football teams (Obviously I wouldn't lend my support a bunch of pansies to make me proud).
6. Because it involves young kids trying to make a career out of it. You cannot buy them and sell them. Nor can you fix games.
Because the players play come sun, rain or snow. And the crowd endures it with them.
5. Because it is a great feeling to watch fellow students and games that you saw in person being in the national spotlight every weekend.
4. Because Subbu now calls the beautiful game soccer. And went to a Bulls game. A year ago he called football a disgrace in the name of the beautiful game.
3. Because a loss can crush your mood, but not your team spirit.
Because of unique cheers, bands, songs and trademark action sequences for every team and crowd.
2. Because being at the Swamp is like being at a rock concert. Only better.
Because you being part of 90,000 frenzied, screaming rowdy reptiles DOES make a difference to the players.
1. For the top reason I will use the phrase "A video speaks 30 x 1000 words per second"
10. Because American football is a fun game. I have no knowledge of its roots or its relationship with the beautiful game but it is good fun to watch on its own.
Because games end in three hours so you can do something less productive for the rest of the day.
Because it has the statistics, the strategies and the diagrams for the pundits and just lines to carry a prolate spheroid across using 11 players for less informed skinny non-immigrant graduate students.
9. Because of talent, effort, strategy and skill being involved.
Because it involves brains as well as brawn.
Because reading the opponent is every player's job.
Because a single person playing well does not clinch the game. Because the word team carries a lot of meaning.
8. Because the tradition is at least a 100 years old in almost every college.
Because professors wear orange and blue on fridays and wish you 'go gators' when they see you. It is funky enough to note that colleges are that old but to have a well encouraged non-curricular activity for that long makes it something to want to be part of.
7. Because the Florida Gators are one of the hottest college football teams (Obviously I wouldn't lend my support a bunch of pansies to make me proud).
6. Because it involves young kids trying to make a career out of it. You cannot buy them and sell them. Nor can you fix games.
Because the players play come sun, rain or snow. And the crowd endures it with them.
5. Because it is a great feeling to watch fellow students and games that you saw in person being in the national spotlight every weekend.
4. Because Subbu now calls the beautiful game soccer. And went to a Bulls game. A year ago he called football a disgrace in the name of the beautiful game.
3. Because a loss can crush your mood, but not your team spirit.
Because of unique cheers, bands, songs and trademark action sequences for every team and crowd.
2. Because being at the Swamp is like being at a rock concert. Only better.
Because you being part of 90,000 frenzied, screaming rowdy reptiles DOES make a difference to the players.
1. For the top reason I will use the phrase "A video speaks 30 x 1000 words per second"
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