Tried My hand at Karaoke today.
Lets just say, had Billy Joel been there, he'd have yelled "Bloody Murder".
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
My Experiments with Ubuntu - I
Part I : Linux and Loving It !!
I finally got around to installing Ubuntu (Linux kernel 2.6) Hardy Heron 8.04 LTS 64 bit version on my computer capable of dual booting into Windows Vista.
Linux is awesome - lightweight and fast.
Right now I have got a couple of thing running on it - the wireless card, the microphone and sound, webcam to name a few. I still have to figure out what is not running and then get suitable drivers for those from somewhere.
Also a couple of experiments remain - still havnt explored all of Linux's strengths - need to learn a lot of command line commands, havnt test linux's ability to read and write into a NTFS partition. Neither have I tried to read the ext3 partition from Vista - which I hear is possible using a software called fsdriver.
There definitely is a steep learning curve in using Linux (the command line in particlular) after years of using a lot of windows and Microsoft software. But learning this is fun.
To all out there who have wanted to try Linux and have not done so - go ahead give it a try - its easy to set up a dual boot. Just google around for details.
PS : I was thinking about posting on how to set up the dual boot. But I figured there are enough of these HOWTOs on the internet. In any case if any body wants it I could put one up here too.
I finally got around to installing Ubuntu (Linux kernel 2.6) Hardy Heron 8.04 LTS 64 bit version on my computer capable of dual booting into Windows Vista.
Linux is awesome - lightweight and fast.
Right now I have got a couple of thing running on it - the wireless card, the microphone and sound, webcam to name a few. I still have to figure out what is not running and then get suitable drivers for those from somewhere.
Also a couple of experiments remain - still havnt explored all of Linux's strengths - need to learn a lot of command line commands, havnt test linux's ability to read and write into a NTFS partition. Neither have I tried to read the ext3 partition from Vista - which I hear is possible using a software called fsdriver.
There definitely is a steep learning curve in using Linux (the command line in particlular) after years of using a lot of windows and Microsoft software. But learning this is fun.
To all out there who have wanted to try Linux and have not done so - go ahead give it a try - its easy to set up a dual boot. Just google around for details.
PS : I was thinking about posting on how to set up the dual boot. But I figured there are enough of these HOWTOs on the internet. In any case if any body wants it I could put one up here too.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Self Destructing Email
I promised myself that I'd blog from the other side of the world the day I raced ahead of my homework assignments - Oh, take it from me, we get a lot of them here. But this was just too amazing to be left unblogged.
I was writing (an email) to a friend and suddenly wondered what it would be to have "self destructing email"? Yup, you are reading correctly - Self Destructing Email.
Of course I did what I do for pretty much everything these days - I Googled It. And my results were no different than for most of my (supposed) sudden and brilliant brainwaves - someone else had already thought of it, here.
This service is not free. Although they have a free trial that I have not tried.
The legal ramifications of this idea can be found here.
I wonder when this will be a standard feature in email?
Friday, July 25, 2008
Planetarium
The other day, I had to go down town for some purpose and I happened to drive by the Nehru Planetarium at Worli, Mumbai.
Now, the planetarium is a special place and I love the planetarium for a variety of reasons but mostly because I am a science geek and used to be an astronomy freak too. So there was a time (till std. 9) when I never missed a single show at the planetarium. Since that I have been to the planetarium just once - not for a show - but to use their library for some project report.
Sad, how none of my plans since then to go see a show at the planetarium ever materialized.
Now, the planetarium is a special place and I love the planetarium for a variety of reasons but mostly because I am a science geek and used to be an astronomy freak too. So there was a time (till std. 9) when I never missed a single show at the planetarium. Since that I have been to the planetarium just once - not for a show - but to use their library for some project report.
Sad, how none of my plans since then to go see a show at the planetarium ever materialized.
Diary/Planner
Its been approximately an year and half since I started using a diary/planner to organize my daily schedule. Not that I am a very busy person. But my absent-mindedness and forgetfulness makes up, more than enough for my lack of work. As an effort to stay better organized I started using the planner to schedule tasks and keep track of deadlines
My diary/planner is a small notebook sized, orange hardbound book with a page for each weekday and the weekend is squeezed into a page. Half an year into 2008, the binding is already showing some wear. I can assure you that the wear is not attributed to its overuse. This is evidenced by the number of blank pages and the infrequent page filled to the hilt with odd tasks. I guess, this is also evidence for the opening statements of this post.
Anyway on the (rare) occasions that I use the planner, the number of pages to turn between now and the deadline gives me a sense of urgency of the task at hand. I never realized how short a week was till yesterday when I noted down a few of tasks for today and casually thumbed through a couple of pages till 31st July - a page that was titled departure day.
My diary/planner is a small notebook sized, orange hardbound book with a page for each weekday and the weekend is squeezed into a page. Half an year into 2008, the binding is already showing some wear. I can assure you that the wear is not attributed to its overuse. This is evidenced by the number of blank pages and the infrequent page filled to the hilt with odd tasks. I guess, this is also evidence for the opening statements of this post.
Anyway on the (rare) occasions that I use the planner, the number of pages to turn between now and the deadline gives me a sense of urgency of the task at hand. I never realized how short a week was till yesterday when I noted down a few of tasks for today and casually thumbed through a couple of pages till 31st July - a page that was titled departure day.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Almost a Month Later
Its been almost a month since my last post. And I wouldn't blame lack of ideas for it. I just had to relegate blogging to a lower priority in my scheme of things.
Anyways, I have other pressing concerns at this point in time and blogging hasn't really been promoted up the ranks in priority, but I just had to write/say this somewhere.
I just read this book - The Last Lecture by Prof. Randy Pausch, recently gifted to me by a few close friends.
For someone who just finished his undergraduate education recently, I have attended more lectures than most undergrads and of all variety too - from downright trashy to truly interactive to totally enlightening (Ok, who am I kidding. I am lying about the enlightening. But I will leave it in there for completeness of the expression.) A good lecture to me is almost synonymous with Feynman's Lectures. And since it has been quite a while since I read my last non-tech. piece of literature, I naively expected the book to be like one of Feynman's lighter books ( the adventures of a curious character kind - the not so technical ones). And man was I in for a surprise.
Ok For those who loved the book/the actual lecture and respect the man a great deal, the following post is not meant as an offense. Absolutely no disrespect. The man is truly great. If there ever were a real-life approximation for Forrest Gump for his optimism, prof. Pausch would beat everyone hollow. It just wasn't what I expected. No doubt some of his lessons are very practical and there is definitely a thing or two to learn from the book and his life for everyone. What I disliked was the emotional roller-coaster that is the book. Or may be expectation ruined it for me. Perhaps I should read the book in a little more detached manner.
Anyways, I have other pressing concerns at this point in time and blogging hasn't really been promoted up the ranks in priority, but I just had to write/say this somewhere.
I just read this book - The Last Lecture by Prof. Randy Pausch, recently gifted to me by a few close friends.
For someone who just finished his undergraduate education recently, I have attended more lectures than most undergrads and of all variety too - from downright trashy to truly interactive to totally enlightening (Ok, who am I kidding. I am lying about the enlightening. But I will leave it in there for completeness of the expression.) A good lecture to me is almost synonymous with Feynman's Lectures. And since it has been quite a while since I read my last non-tech. piece of literature, I naively expected the book to be like one of Feynman's lighter books ( the adventures of a curious character kind - the not so technical ones). And man was I in for a surprise.
Ok For those who loved the book/the actual lecture and respect the man a great deal, the following post is not meant as an offense. Absolutely no disrespect. The man is truly great. If there ever were a real-life approximation for Forrest Gump for his optimism, prof. Pausch would beat everyone hollow. It just wasn't what I expected. No doubt some of his lessons are very practical and there is definitely a thing or two to learn from the book and his life for everyone. What I disliked was the emotional roller-coaster that is the book. Or may be expectation ruined it for me. Perhaps I should read the book in a little more detached manner.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Today's Fortune
I do not believe in fortune telling/future reading/palm reading or any such thing. (However I do acknowledge that such talent is a sure chic-magnet.) Anyway, usually I wouldn't give a crap to this, but one such thing - Orkut's Today's Fortune - caught my attention.
"Today's Fortune : Generosity and perfection are your everlasting goals."Hmmm.. Honestly, I don't get the purpose of Orkut's Today's Fortune. Even less so this.
But, assuming, everlasting means continuing forever, and assuming goals are goals till you achieve them, does that statement imply something like "You would be niggardly and imperfect forever"?
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