Pidgin looking better

With just one tool to rule them all (msn/yahoo/gmail/icq/local jabber etc) I was pretty happy with Pidgin. Unfortunately, the look&feel started getting boring very soon and I started missing the other clients. So while exploring a couple of gnome/gtk sites, a pretty good looking background image turned up. Going through a bunch of docs and with some luck I got the background to stick.



To set the background image, I had to open up the ".gtkrc-2.0" file and add the following:

pixmap_path "$Image_Folder"
style "my-blist" {
bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = "pidgin-background.png"
text[NORMAL] = "#ffffff"
#this makes the text white, if you want black, take this code:
#text[NORMAL] = "#000000"
bg[NORMAL] = "#F5D8BC"
base[NORMAL] = "#F5D8BC"
GtkTreeView::odd_row_color = ""
GtkTreeView::even_row_color = ""
}
widget "*pidgin_blist_treeview" style "my-blist"

Substitute $Image_Folder with the folder location where the image resides. You can get to the ".gtkrc-2.0" location by typing %USERPROFILE% in the Windows Explorer address bar. More info can be found here.

Ubuntu workstation tweaks

After going through another hardware issue, I've decided to record the post-install tweaks needed on the way back to productivity... The list will likely grow as its only my first day.

1. Change terminal colors to white-on-black
2. Enable terminal transparency
   
3. Install emacs 22
4. Install and config synergy
5. Share folder with win pc which turns out to be buggy in Hardy
1. Enable share on folder for current user only
2. After the prompts and installs, a nautilus error shows up
3. Logout and login
   
4. Enable share on folder and it should work


6. Set sambapasswd for folder sharing
7. Install ssh server (openssh-server)
8. Fix firefox backspace action to go back one page
1. Browse to "about:config"
2. Search for "browser.backspace_action"
3. Set value to "0" (zero)
   
9. Setup Foxmarks addon for Firefox
10. Install ant
1. Add ant-contrib(v0.6) to lib (/usr/share/ant/lib)
   

Emacs - enable default syntax highlighting

Add the following line to the .emacs file in your home folder:

(global-font-lock-mode 1)

Reference:
Emacs Faq

Emacs - indenting entire document

To select the entire buffer:

C-x h

To indent the selected region

C-M-\

Reference:
http://emacseditor.tribe.net/thread/e59ec61b-8005-41e7-8c01-0c95dd90f932

Let the games begin

First Steps: Java

Prerequisite:

• Install the java development kit and add the bin folder to your path
  

Exercising java:

• Click Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt
• Type the command "javac" and hit enter
• You should see the following output
  

C:\>javac
Usage: javac <options> <source files>
where possible options include:
-g                         Generate all debugging info
-g:none                    Generate no debugging info
-g:{lines,vars,source}     Generate only some debugging info
-nowarn                    Generate no warnings
-verbose                   Output messages about what the compiler is doing
-deprecation               Output source locations where deprecated APIs are u
sed
-classpath <path>          Specify where to find user class files
-cp <path>                 Specify where to find user class files
-sourcepath <path>         Specify where to find input source files
-bootclasspath <path>      Override location of bootstrap class files
-extdirs <dirs>            Override location of installed extensions
-endorseddirs <dirs>       Override location of endorsed standards path
-d <directory>             Specify where to place generated class files
-encoding <encoding>       Specify character encoding used by source files
-source <release>          Provide source compatibility with specified release

-target <release>          Generate class files for specific VM version
-version                   Version information
-help                      Print a synopsis of standard options
-X                         Print a synopsis of nonstandard options
-J<flag>                   Pass <flag> directly to the runtime system

• At this point, you have a java compiler that can convert your programs into byte codes
• Here is a simple java program to try. It should be saved to a file called HelloWorld.java
  

class HelloWorld
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
   System.out.println("Hello World!");
}
}

• In the Command Prompt window, navigate to the folder that has this file
• Type "javac HelloWorld.java"
• If all goes well, you should see a new file in this directory named HelloWorld.class
• To execute the application, type "java HelloWorld" and the following will be displayed
  

Hello World!

Extract Unix/Linux file timestamp

Today, I had the need to archive remote files by renaming them with their last modified dates. For example, foo.txt modified on April 5th 1946 should become foo_04-05-1946.txt.

After spending an hour reading up on sed, awk, and eval, the single line command to get the month/date/year combo kept eluding me. At this point I decided to have James (our admin) take a look at this. After tinkering and searching a bit, he found the following forum thread from sun which solved the problem!

The long and short of it is that, IF you have perl available on the system, then the following command is all it takes:

perl -MPOSIX -le 'print strftime "%m-%d-%Y",localtime ((stat $ARGV[0])[9])' <name_of_the_file>

Oh happy days!

Hibernate tutorial using Maven

The next tool to get familiarized with on my list was Hibernate. The project site hosts a simple tutorial that exercises a standalone application. A couple of work related projects gave me exposure to maven and so decided to supplant Ant. Here are a few notes from this episode.

The entire zipped tutorial is available here.

Create a maven jar project (Maven intro). The next step is the setup of a whole bunch of jars that hibernate requires. Getting my maven2 project to set this environment proved more challenging than expected.

Dropped dependency: asm, asm-attrs
Added dependency: asm-all, cglib-nodep, hsqldb
Manual jar install: jta (more info)

Cutting to the chase...

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
<groupId>com.mycompany.app</groupId>
<artifactId>hibernate</artifactId>
<packaging>jar</packaging>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<name>hibernate</name>
<url>http://maven.apache.org</url>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>junit</groupId>
<artifactId>junit</artifactId>
<version>3.8.1</version>
<scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>antlr</groupId>
<artifactId>antlr</artifactId>
<version>2.7.7</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>asm</groupId>
<artifactId>asm-all</artifactId>
<version>3.1</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>cglib</groupId>
<artifactId>cglib-nodep</artifactId>
<version>2.1_3</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>commons-collections</groupId>
<artifactId>commons-collections</artifactId>
<version>2.1.1</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
<artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
<version>1.0.4</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>dom4j</groupId>
<artifactId>dom4j</artifactId>
<version>1.6.1</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>javax.transaction</groupId>
<artifactId>jta</artifactId>
<version>1.0.1B</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>log4j</groupId>
<artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
<version>1.2.11</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.hibernate</groupId>
<artifactId>hibernate</artifactId>
<version>3.2.6.ga</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>hsqldb</groupId>
<artifactId>hsqldb</artifactId>
<version>1.8.0.7</version>
</dependency>
</dependencies>

<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
  <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
  <artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
  <executions>
      <execution>
          <phase>package</phase>
          <goals>
              <goal>java</goal>
          </goals>
      </execution>
  </executions>
  <configuration>
      <mainClass>
          com.mycompany.app.EventManager
      </mainClass>
      <arguments>
          <argument>store</argument>
      </arguments>
      <includeProjectDependencies>
          true
      </includeProjectDependencies>
  </configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
</project>

Notes:

• 'mvn package' builds and executes the standalone app. Ensure that hsqldb is setup correctly
  
• place the hibernate/log4j property files under the maven resources folder
  
• hsqldb dependency could be moved into run-time rather than compile-time

Resources:

• Maven repo
• Maven build: plugins and lifecycle reference
• jta jar setup
  
• Maven: running java execution
  
• Hibernate and hsql dependency setup [pdf]
• hsql tools for viewing the db

And along came a fork...

A tricky click, whence you shall tumble after!

Sun JDK on Ubuntu

Installing the Java development kit on Ubuntu proved simple enough:
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk
Getting to the jdk home folder was a matter of following the crumbs...
export JAVA_HOME='/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun-1.6.0.03/'

Maven Intro

After twiddling with version management systems a bit, the next stop is to setup a project environment that leveraged this infrastructure. Ant is a wonderful tool to manage project build, documentation and deployment in a friendly way. It comes with quite extensive documentation and a selection of good off-line resources to introduce concepts to beginners.

Maven is a newer tool that builds on Ant's capabilities by helping with project life-cycle management, reporting, version management and more with great ease. The focus here is to walk-through a basic project and point at further documentation to build more complex setups.

Maven provides the archetype mechanism to setup initial project resources including the POM file. Here is the command to create a simple project:

mvn archetype:create -DarchetypeGroupId=org.apache.maven.archetypes -DgroupId=com.mycompany.app -DartifactId=my-app

The following POM file is generated in a project folder named my-app:

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
<groupId>com.mycompany.app</groupId>
<artifactId>my-app</artifactId>
<packaging>jar</packaging>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<name>my-app</name>
<url>http://maven.apache.org</url>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>junit</groupId>
<artifactId>junit</artifactId>
<version>3.8.1</version>
<scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
</project>

Documentation for POM files can be found here. Along with this, a source (src) tree is created that includes an example java app along with a test case.

Building and running the tests in this project is as simple as invoking

mvn clean package

And if this app needs to be shared among other projects, then the following command adds the my-app jar to the maven repository.

mvn install

The output jar(my-app-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar) will be created in the project's target folder as well as in maven's user repository under ~/.m2

Simple CVS tutorial

Here is a beginners tutorial for setting up a cvs repository on linux. The flavor of linux i'm using is ubuntu and it didn't come preloaded with cvs.

The following command gets and installs the package.
>sudo apt-get install cvs

The next thing is to setup a local cvs repository. This is the place where cvs stores project information and so shouldn't reside in a user folder.
>mkdir /usr/local/cvsroot

In the simplest form, cvs is a command that runs 'as' the user that invokes it. So the repository needs to provide write access to all users who may wish to use cvs. This is done by creating a cvs group (ex: cvsusers) in which all such users and the user that owns the cvsroot folder belongs to.

Create a user cvsuser and group cvsusers. Then add cvsuser and other users into cvsusers group. To change a user's primary group, use the following command
>newgrp cvsusers

At this point, cvs should be ready to be used.

Next, we login as one of the users that is in the cvs group, create a folder, add some files in it and import this as a project.

>mkdir /tmp/TestProject
>touch /tmp/TestProject/Simple.java
>cd /tmp/TestProject
>cvs import TestProject INITIAL start

At this point you should be able to remove this folder and check it out from cvs.

>cd /tmp/
>rm -rf TestProject
>cvs co TestProject

This concludes this intro to cvs!

Ubuntu terminal mode
When trying to add Composite Extensions with xorg.conf i managed to crash the GNOME Desktop Manager on startup. Ctrl + Alt + F2 combination gave the option to login into text mode and revert the config file bringing GDM backup. Looks like the lack of 3D capabilities on VmWare's virtual SVGA graphics driver will remain a block for now.

JSP Highlighting in Emacs
While going through files in Emacs, I was disappointed in not being able to get much highlighting out of jsp pages. Searched high and wide for some extension and finally settled on HappyEmacs. This was not entirely without issues as both the menu bar and tool bar had been taken out. Since I'm a bit of a newbie to Emacs and screen real-estate wasn't that big of an issue, the following two lines in ~/.emacs helped resurrect them.

(menu-bar-mode 1)
(tool-bar-mode 1)


and the final rendering...

Whats so special...




Nothing special??

Hint: Take a peek at about 2:07

Only to smell the lead…

Brandishing a machine gun, I've enjoyed sneaking up on quite a few of my buddies for the sake of dropping a grenade or unloading a barrage of bullets. As they jump out of their skins, it would be unfair to picture me not being at the receiving end and quite a few times I've used the opportunity to re-spawn and replenishing my supplies. But Halo 2 really gets interesting on the stats screen where all queue up to see the number of kills and the average time they were able to breathe. And who are these brethren that willingly stake burning retinas to find new ways to push the envelope?

Many a times I would encounter a buddy taking the time to examine the lush greenery around, only to find fresh lead streaming at him. And while Nags does like to prance around occasionally I've yet to find the dude in motion. The next contender is an avid sportsman, trying to improve upon the last round of stats by employing some confounded new strategy. And yes, Praveen does enjoy limited success especially against the aforementioned visual connoisseur, only to be let down by poor finger-to-button coordination.

While the two buddies described so far are avid players, they unwittingly end up being fodder for the ever-enlarging appetites of Sethu and yours truly. As the hunt begins, Sethu causes many a nervous look behind as he slips unnoticed through to position quite advantageously. Having perfected the art of shaping explosions around his opponent accurately, confronting him is always risky business. Lastly of course, there is myself, playing catch-up with friends and looking for the easiest possible kill, only to find the next bullet with my name on it!

Will the hunters become the hunted? Can the nature lover turn around and shoot? Will Praveen see beyond the controller? Will the status quo remain? All valid questions till next time!

Behind the curtains

From the silence, comes a feeling of words, not uttered, yet eliciting a response. As one traverses a world that evokes the senses, rarely do we halt to listen to the stillness of an empty mind. While some may frown upon the very notion of such a state, it is from this quiet dark room that the voices speak. And we wage battle in our worlds to carve out a larger pie in the hopes of achieving an intangible feeling of security while a war of whispers rages backstage to all the commotion.

The ethos of our social being seems immune to such a notion and all the while, dark and strong undercurrents carve out valleys and summits deep within the individual’s moral fabric. As the authors of this force tread deeper into the mind, the one constant is the consistent rise of a singular victor. While many a philosopher has painted this epic saga as the struggle between good and evil raging for the essence in men, the individual’s perspective is as unique as a lone snowflake.

And so humanity plods in this contradiction, placing bets on both sides, hoping to be the few rewarded for their loyalty.

Free at last!

Since this entry primarily deals with a developer mindset, brace yourselves in case you're not savvy with that. The premise of this elucidation is this: If one were to assume that a piece of code working on one system can be always be moved to another system with reasonable effort, one would be WRONG!

Conducting myself daily upon proprietary tools for the past few months, I’ve had the good fortune to see how the world looks like on the Dark side. And while I’m strongly in favor of opening up our work to the scrutiny of all, there is a compelling advantage in having a team of dedicated support personnel to answer your every query. I will admit albeit grudgingly, that closing the doors to ones competition tends to get more bread at their family table. So, while my co-existence with this contradiction improved over time, the gut sensed the villainy of it all: the come back from the dead for one final strike!

When presented with the problem of pushing a working design to a new environment, one hardly expects excitement to be an output. As time went by though, irrecoverable problems in the proprietary solution caused multiple support personnel to try and decipher the homegrown design, which bluntly refused to budge from its paternal womb.

As I peek over my shoulders across the shores of time, the one detail that has been the saving grace is communication. Plainly stating the exact position along a long drawn out debugging exercise helps everyone in the team get a feel for the complexity inherent in some of today’s applications, while allowing for a supportive environment to work past many a deadline. While I glide along the shore for now, the next hairpin turn hastily approaches in the form of another migration.

White Trails

For a few years now, the lack of any personal documentation on the winters in Manhattan has nibbled away at the back of my mind. As the slower than usual recovery from jet lag had me up and about at 8:30 am on this Sunday morning, I decided to make good on the old fancy.





Wishing all a safe and cozy winter in Manhattan.

Veggie Expressions

Lately, I've seen quite a few transactions performed at various local joints such as Taco Bell and Dillon’s to appease sudden hunger urges. While the quality of meat at some places is a tad shoddy, it wasn't quite a disqualifying factor. The real uproar to my senses arrived on opening the credit statement and I resolved to strive for a home cooked meal at least once a day.

So, being left with the chore of cooking, I decided to once again turn toward the culinary geniuses in the original Iron Chef series. To flavor meat with select veggies while not losing focus on the need to be healthy was the first consideration in mind. At the same time, trying something new seemed to perk my interest in cooking.

As a side serving, the idea of okra appealed at first but then I decided against it. Favoring greens in a chicken based curry, I wondered if a mushroom roast I had tried at Praveen & Sethus might suffice. As this dish would be a first for me and included no major greens, I was satisfied.

While considering ingredients for the main curry, I hoped to gain inspiration from the frozen vegetables isle at Wal-Mart. The first distinct veggie that caught my attention was brussels sprout. Unsure about the overall flavor of this green leafy ball and in continuation with my efforts at experimentation, I bagged one unit. Coupled with mixed veggies that included asparagus, my aspirations for a healthy chicken curry were coming to fruition.

Upon arrival, a grand total of two hours were spent to complete the two dishes and steamed rice. As I relaxed on my couch and opened a can of yogurt, the Iron chefs had taken their place while Chairman Kaga unveiled his secret ingredient - bamboo shoots.

The fall of the dominoes

While flipping through the innumerable channels searching for anything interesting, I had nearly lost all faith in being entertained by the pre-programmed shows running at midnight. Having been spent over the weekend, I was ready to call it a night and figured one more run through the tube before hitting the sack. On reaching Channel 25, the screen seemed peppered with “Breaking News” all over and as I leaned back to absorb the details, the only feeling I had was of being lucky.

I count being able to live most of my life in violence free parts of the world as a blessing, which God alone can afford to gift. As a kid, I took for granted the protection from my parents as they shielded me from the elements gnawing around every family, constantly. The rules at school that kept me safe from myself and the other kids and the laws of the state enforcing strict security are things I loathed. Now though, it may be harder to see the goodness in the circumstances that shall develop future generations.

As North Korea tests its nuclear capability, many a nation behind closed doors have begun to accept that there can be no going back. While staving North Korea with a few carrots could have possibly averted the current crisis facing the world, I cannot concur with those who have no other final solution to the problem of proliferation. The spread of knowledge is the cornerstone of this world we thrive in and acknowledging the inevitability of proliferation is the first step toward any glimpse of hope.

When once the introduction of a greatly sophisticated piece of weaponry had the potential to tilt the balance of power, the working knowledge of nuclear devices brings humanity many steps closer to self-annihilation. The nuclear option gives unprecedented ability to wreck chaos upon established societies with incredibly less effort. And the chain reaction brought about by the need for deterrence is a position that can hardly be bartered by any carrot in the long run. The true cause of proliferation is in the fixation toward the deterrence ideology as members of the nuclear club loathe disarming fearing a reduction of their ability to project power.

To even fathom the possibility of an order where nations voluntarily disarm and lead by example is to hope that those pockets of humanity surrender national pride and any advantage brought about by the notion of deterrence. I am reminded by the term “Great Power” that identified states that had great authority and responsibility in both the historic League of Nations and the present United Nations. To me though, a Great Power will need to project great respect and it may be at the expense of much sacrifice. While this crisis highlights the plight facing future generations, I wonder at times if humanity deserves a chance at a peaceful future.

I envision a final solution where humane beings from all societies leverage the formidable information exchange tools at our disposal today and focus their collective will for the betterment of our species. The alternative though has better odds and a somber ending.

Veritable Vanquishing in the Vacancy of the Venerable Vanguard: Victory Vociferously

And why would I title this that, you ask? For one, it is not everyday that I surge ahead of my poker peers toward chip heaven and secondly, reaching second the second time around isn’t a bad way to finish the morning either.

Some noteworthy aspects did have a say in the developments toward success, the least of which wasn’t the absence of both Raja Shekhar and Nithya. While I would disdain requirements for success to include the absence of certain strategies, it gives me comfort to know that their shoes did not go completely unfilled.

For lack of a better term, I would characterize much of Raja Shekhar’s game as verbose. And having tried many a variation without much returns, I decided to factor into my game a level of loudness. Nithya’s persistence on the other hand, through the flop to the river, can be summed up as a frenzied sabotage. This tact when interwoven with the prior strategy, proved useful in letting down the guard of many a face veiled behind the twin cards.

An analysis of what transpired would consequently be incomplete without complements to lady luck, devoid whose patronage, persistence would have stumbled on hollow speech.

Wishing good luck to one and all in.

A shift in tide…

Since the recent drop in gas prices, my spirits have been buoyed by the prospect of a long drive. A pattern that emerges from analyzing weekends past is the long drawn out hibernations interrupted by the lone thrill seeking, high-intensity weekend. Perhaps a more uniform sprinkling of excitement is a way to correct points such as now, when I miss the adventures on the road.

Scrolling through a list of possible excuses including fine dining and merry karting, I wonder if planning the trip entirely on the road is a possible option. With a policy in place restricting the creation and modification of plans till we take the right to I-70E, there need be no reason for any emotional babysitting among the adventurers.

Maybe this is an impossibility and trusting the road that beckons isn’t nirvana. But I hope it is bliss as we chart the way through the myriad of destinations that arise in spontaneity until creativity runs dry.

S for Suspense...

It is a quarter past seven and save the few lonely souls meandering aimlessly, the battlefield lies bare as premonitions of impending doom suffocates the lone swashbuckler. The singular fact that the opponent is masked behind a superfluous title elicits a slight accrual in his heart rate as KLN continues a practice session of rigor.

Whilst stealing a casual glance at the exalted timepiece, he is despaired by the residual five minutes toward the erstwhile fixed match. As his gaze lowers, he catches a glimpse of a couple striding confidently toward the series of badminton courts. Recognizing the facial features instantly, his acute focus suddenly dulls and his mind races toward engaging a serious blow to his tournament life.

The few light-hearted pleasantries come to an early demise as both duelers dig into their positions of skirmish. And then begins the service…

While the intramurals provide the opportunity to make new friends, it also provides moments such as these; the realization that only one may prevail. Faced with similar prospects, the writer observing from nearby exhales as he wipes perspiration off his tense hands.

Road Trip V

The trip to colorado was made possible by our good friend Sada. His generous accomodations kept us comfy and his knowledge of the locale helped shave many a minute from the GPS generated routes.



Apart from rafting, Sada showed us around this great falls.



And finally, one truly appreciates the intuitive reasoning Sada brings to many a puzzle...

Road Trip IV

The main attraction of this trip was white-water rafting eleven miles on the Arkansas River right through the Royal Gorge. What was a Level 4 ride got notched up one level due to the lower volume of water flow and turned out to be quite the experience.



Many a times, our guide steered the raft sideways through a slew of menacing rock formations gracefully as the paddlers tried to stay synchronized on the sides. With adrenaline running this high, every splash or bump along the way produced a cry from some corner of the craft.



And of course, moments that almost makes one hysterical are part and parcel of Level 5 rapids.



Looking back, the ride down one of the greatest attractions in the mid-west was both safe and thrilling, though one admires the courage of the many guides who ply these treacherous paths day in and out.

Road Trip III

One of the first attractions we visited was Bear Lake near Estes Park. The tranquil lake reflected the greenery around and the blue above to form a visual treat.




The fauna seemed unperturbed by our movement and one willingly stepped out for a pose!



Some in our group decided to perch up a hill and launch a sly ambush only to find their armaments out of range from the rest of us. After some excitement climbing down their positions, we decided to insert ourselves into the lush surroundings.




All in all, Bear Lake was a great place to unwind and bring out the kids in us.

Road Trip II

The drive during the colorado trip was truly breathtaking and this being my third visit did nothing to dampen the awe. A 1 Gig card came in real handy during this trip and some good photographers (myself included!) froze some of these good moments in time. Heres a few to start with ...

Road Trip

With the Labor Day weekend complete, further dilly-dallying on entering the events that transpired would be inexcusable. At the same time, spewing out information by the bucket load would wary many a reader. So, a measured approach to document the adventures part-by-part seems sensible.

Rather than being conventional, my first pick from the amalgam of happenings would be unrelated to our destination. The loudness of conversation during the initial drive from Manhattan to Longmont could probably be matched only by the return trip. Being prepared with a few lateral puzzles, the idea was to insert a few problems between the many CDs of songs and various breaks along our way. The puzzles though had a differing viewpoint and took a life of their own.


Throughout the journey, the aptitude of the players and the accuracy of the '-ish' answers seem most relevant. Many a times, it is tempting to fit assumptions together prematurely and paint a picture that agrees with the literary wording of the puzzle. During this drive though, I would have to appreciate the lateral nature of the various thought processes that advanced.

Toward the use of answers that relied heavily on tilts, many a frustration was laid. While at first glance, a 'yesish' may seem as useful as a 'don't know' or a 'yope', its use gives an opportunity to credit the puzzled for a good line of thought while not completely agreeing with the current set of assumptions. Too many such loose ends though can make the task of interlacing a perfect-fit solution non-trivial.

This then was how the first leg of our Colorado trip developed.

Numero Uno

During the last week, an incident occured that is relevant and worth mentioning. Eons ago, someone displayed wisdom by figuring out that it is failures that build character. This entry though, is about the success that is interspaced far and between.

It has been over three months since picking up no-limit poker and having played quite a few games, victory has always eluded me. That all changed as I amassed the largest pile of chips while taking down three very big guns. I’d like to describe the styles of these players (not during the game, mind you) and this can vary on a weekly basis.

The first one I’m going to take a swing at is KLN. As a player he tends to understand the game well and tries to play toward the psychological moment. What gets him usually though is an inability to back off from a downward spiraling bluff before too much resource is committed.

Next on the list is Shiva who purportedly has vast experience in the game but succumbs to the same temptations that KLN does. Having said that, he has a remarkable ability at spewing out information (while not in play) that can be surprisingly accurate or as way off the mark as one can get.

The final candidate whose poker chances turned to tragedy is Nandini. If one were to assume the playful and high-risk bets she makes, excludes her from being a good player, one would be wrong. Her style of aggressive betting while backing off when probabilities are low, has contributed to many a success in poker games past. That night though belonged to someone else and that’s just hard luck.

The best resource to comprehend my style in poker would be the players who are regular at the KSU Poker Chapter and I shall make no attempt to elucidate today. What I will do is savor the moment, for when the next opportunity shall arise is yet unclear.

Gone are the days of yore

As the many legions of players formed since the ISA badminton tournament, throng at the gateway to the intramural singles competition, the path of the victor is made ever more steep. Differing markedly from doubles competitions, the singles player needs to exude flexibility and stamina while showing remarkable temperament in grounding welling disappointment.

An avid doubles player myself, I enter this ring cautiously with hopes of improving on the few lessons learned from days gone by. There was a time once, when an indoor court and four players were a luxury; a time when one lobed outside the court hoping the ever-changing direction of the wind curved the birdie sufficiently to its destination. Thriving in the scorching heat of the desert, were a bunch of kids intent on bringing the mind before the elements.

Looking ahead, the troubled trail will bring about the refinement of many a player and build momentum in the few that surge ahead every round. So, as the teaming masses pin their hopes on gold, I wish all participants a successful, injury free tournament and hope my earlier experiences bode well for this event.

Lightsaber Drool

Recently, I've had the good opportunity to dole a few words of wisdom regarding rackets to a couple of friends. With comparable budgets and styles of play, they ended up with similar racket options and finally landed on the same selection. My fascination in this affair lay with seeing through the metrics, into the physics of racket motion and stress points on the player.


Badminton rackets are usually divided into three categories: offensive, defensive and all-around. Depending on your style, you would choose from one of these branches. For a player who concentrates on a power game aka smashes, lobs etc., offensive rackets help reduce the strain on the elbow while maximizing the power generated.






The defensive player interested in consistent drops and lightning returns would be better off getting a light defensive racket. This alleviates strain on the wrist while giving a higher degree of control for delicate touch-play. Players who vary their game both ways while able to absorb some of the strain could try the all-around variety.



An avid Yonex fan myself, I recommend visiting their website before any future purchase. Other sites of interest would be Badminton Alley for analyzing racket specifics, San Diego Badminton Supply for good deals and Badminton Central for user reviews. Happy smashing, Amigos!

Food for thought

While at a dinner courtesy of Sanjeev & Sanghamitra, a loud conversation regarding the crudeness of Indian politics twirled among the stuffed crowd. From the humble right to romanticize intimately on a beach, we traversed through the bipartisan vs. coalition forms of government and finally solved the taxing problem with the Prime Minister's inertness by suggesting genealogical re-profiling.

A clear interest was perceived in national affairs as the many points of view, tried to dominate the few souls intent at sipping their beverage. As this worked to no avail, a few shifted the focus to how vegetarian chicken really is. Toward the end, the discussions successfully dovetailed back to the hypocrisy of governance and hinted at hopes for a utopian society.

Though there were times at which the neighbors may have been piqued by our boisterous retorts, intelligent ideas coupled with good food contributed to a conducive evening. And now for a thousand words!

Aloha

The last couple of days had been filled with meetings and to-dos, though I am grateful for the myriad flat screens at my disposal! Apart from badminton and all the poker, the Independence Day celebrations come to mind as I chronicle the recent undocumented past. Both the location and weather was impeccable during the celebrations and I enjoyed the Indian snacks.

Having parked near the baseball field at City Park, I did quite a bit of walking (and evading dog poop) to arrive at the venue. Once there, I was amazed at how much the face of the Indian community had changed during the last few years. I began by counting all the people I knew and within no time was left with the impression of being an outsider.



I was rescued from gloom by the arrival of the notorious duo in Praveen and KLN. While they huddled under the shade of a tree, I found it hard to carry through a stony composure for over fifteen minutes. Strolling around the place, I remembered the many faces that have come and gone while here at K-State and wondered how they were going about on this Independence Day. It was then that I saw the figure of KLN rushing indoors to the snack line, bringing my trance to an abrupt end.





Poker anyone?



Please tune back to see more pictures from the day!

Men's final @ the rec

Today, the men's finals conclude with Praveen & Sethu taking on Sairam & Kazuhiro. Early performances seemed to indicate a one-sided result, but having played a few recent games with Kazuhiro, there does seem reason to hope. The improvements noticed are in his ability to smash as well as in greater court coverage. If Kazuhiro completes a few good finishing moves, there is possibility for an exciting game.

In his partner, one would find a strong net player who likes to drop continuously till the opponent is overwhelmed. Therefore, a front/back formation would seem to be able to inflict a bigger dent in the opposing team. To carry out on such a strategy, the player in the back should be able to shift the game to the net at a moment's notice while the one in front has to keep focus for the ever looming drops from his partner.

An important element at playing any type of formation is the amount of practice put into it. If the team is attuned to a different style of game, changes at the last moment could work against them. I wish both teams good luck and hope for another exciting evening at the rec.

And then there was one...

I've played quite a few card games over the years and when it comes to building and losing fortunes, poker stands out for its fast paced action. It is also a mind game involving second guesses and some theatrics. Playing the weak hand often leads to an early exit though holding out for good hands at any cost can only get you so far. The former style is prominent to the newbie while the later is the fortitude of the middle level player. Chance is only one part of the poker puzzle and many lessons in controlled bluffs, laying low and timely display of hands need to be mastered.

With a couple of players bidding leave from today’s games, there opens an opportunity for a few 'last mile' experiments. Many a times have I reached the final trio, to be annihilated without giving much of a fight. Those events bring to mind, the need to take into account the falling probabilities which at times is akin to riding the rough seas.

The balance between sensible styles and calculated calls separate the sheep from the wolves. As many aspire to reach the final duel and few make the cut, I hope that my path leads to unchartered waters where new insight is gained and better experience made with the rise of another weekend.

The grass is green now

Extending an olive branch, I commend the spirit of our adversaries as they braved consistency, power and accuracy in a fitting finale. You have drawn the best in us and braved the fiercest storm unfazed; and that is fitting of a victor. This then, will be your edge as you face formidable opponents.

Having completed this mixed portion of the tournament, I am happy for the chance to partner with someone who projects an impressive style of play. She presents a new dimension to the varied talents that tread the local baddy courts and offer plays to keep us on our toes for quite some time to come.

A few will look back at this match and take refuge in the imbalance of talent, but any such cakewalk notion crumbles before our efforts to attain the personal goals set beforehand. With a weak showing as of late, I came in with the singular objective of proving my doubts false. Walking away from this tournament, there is relief in the outcome and aspirations to not be limited by our trophies.

Eye of the storm

As the men's doubles tournament spirals in a plume toward certainty, the mixed doubles kindles tales of an unadulterated smash fest. Though my intent at being unbiased is honorable, I fear my mind deceives the self. Being the weak link in a mixed partnership speaks volumes of my teammate's ability, to those who have faced me; and conjures courage, should I falter. Today, as far as my adversaries are concerned, all roads lead to me.

In an earlier entry, I delved into the mind games that a doubles match has potential for. Invincibility among mortals is merely wishful thinking and yet, when the perception is unleashed, there sets the stage for an impressive flow of errors. Entering this match though, my recent performance mocks us as we lay claim to this right. To unsheathe this sensation, we will need to tread the path of effortless perfection.

Ignoring possible plans from the opponent and to subsume myself in propaganda, works only to our peril. And so I shall expect more than one strategy to turn up during the course of the match. Our game will be poked and tested in a variety of ways to cause the maximum possible impact. I expect to be surprised. This game has the potential to elicit all the resources in the adversaries' arsenal as they look to scale one heck of a steep cliff.


A severe hurricane prediction is in force

Build up

So far, most men's doubles games in the ISA Badminton tournament have been one-sided. The fact that no game has reached the third set is an indication to this effect. Today though, all is set to change and there is some real possibility of a drawn-out dramatic match. Two teams will cross rackets and both teams have reasonably comparable players.

The team of Sushant and Satya is all about getting the dirty work done by any means necessary. With an enormous stature, Sushant has a reach to make plays that sometimes seem to defy the laws of physics. Satya on the other hand, plays a smart supportive role toward setting up easy finishes for his partner. As talented as they are, this duo does need to work on a resounding strategy to vanquish the opposing team.

Praveen and Sethu are able partners that have strong coordination between them. Both are roomies and are intent on showing a formidable prowess. The slippery movements from Praveen, compounded by good net-play from Sethu can confound most opponents. Lately though, a few mails seem to reflect an interest by one of smashing with one hand and cashing in with the other. On the whole, this team does come in with the better history and so barring major goof-ups, should stay on course for the finals.

For a semi-final game, the concentration of talent in this match-up should cause concern for the ISA and weighting of teams could be factored while drawing up a schedule. All in all, I’m pretty excited about how it all pans out and hope there is strong crowd support for both teams. A toast then, for an entertaining evening at the rec.

A teary road is mine...

Having hailed from a nation that is hardly surprised by any taste sensation, I wallowed in playful mockery at many a cuisine's ability to do just that. During my study at K-State, I had gone through various Marathi and Andhra dishes with hardly a peep, and so my confidence was not really misplaced. All that was about to change though, in ways I could not predict...

The Japanese are known to be quite discerning when it comes to their culinary prowess. A case in point is the show Iron Chef, where the contestants are held in great reverence and their duels become legendary before a diverse audience that even includes many in North America. It is this land that brings the element of surprise my buds have longed for since having initially encountered the various flavors of Indian, European and Middle-Eastern origin.

Sushi, which is quite unique to Japanese cuisine, is the art of creating a soothing blend of tastes from various cooked or raw ingredients in combination with rice, presented in a roll. While delighting as it is, the real surprise was in the condiment at its side. Dabbing a healthy portion onto my sushi roll, I placed it gleefully inside my mouth. The only way to describe wasabi is as an onion bomb that explodes inside the skull, a tad below the nose, with residual effects climbing all the way into the eyes which offer an outpouring of surprise.

This blog is not intended to frighten newcomers from trying the various Japanese flavors. But it is an encouragement to underestimate the experience of the Indian taste bud and err in the side of caution when something green and mellow stares at you. From an ardent wasabi fan, Bon Appétit!

One more, please

During the last few weeks, an unusual event has taken grip over our precious existence. Wave after wave, the same subject line has attacked the mail server in what could easily fit the profile of a malicious worm. As sinister as it may seem, this confluence of messages is nothing more than a localized attempt at solving lateral puzzles.

A mind that is adept at exploration has a better probability of discovering the pertinent facts that the puzzle itself makes no reference to. There are two roles that are required for a good lateral puzzle being solved. Guiding the flow of questions toward a logical conclusion while keeping the puzzlers hooked is the tight rope act the moderator(s) take. On the other hand, the puzzled see various lines of thoughts embedded in the questions from their peers and this cross pollination leads to an entertaining climax.

You know you have a winner, when everyone clamors the title of this blog. And so, here is one to invigorate my discerning reader!

Hair Pin Cop
While taking a u-turn, a hurried Matt Striker skids and collides with Randy Orton’s vehicle in the rear. A law enforcer who had been observing the situation ahead of the turn lifts his hand toward Matt in admonishment. Matt neither stops nor is chased after. Why?

In search of a silver lining

After the debacle that was yesterday, I am glad to have learned a few good lessons. Defeat being a bitter pill to swallow, does provide an opportunity for some good character grooming. Reminiscing the moments in the court, I wish there were many things that went different. The one constant I would count again on is persistence to the very end. To live the mind that cannot be cowed, against insurmountable odds is a treasure I wouldn’t trade for all the lost glory.

... As the leaf glides ever serenely

All the hours spent in practice and for the few games played, the men's doubles has been a genteel affair. The few hours in training which may seem mundane at first glance, has brought our team to an understanding of our strengths and weaknesses. It is also fortunate to have the opportunity to play with various opponents and contrast their styles to improvements we undergo on a daily basis. With odds stacked heavily against us, hope still lingers...

To have reached thus far on a whimper though, belies the nature of the road ahead. We take a stand on this sultry day at the precipice of what many consider a grave threat to our tournament life. For all our efforts, the greatest achievement is in our ability to unite against any force, unfazed and in control. This leaf isn't in blissful ignorance nor is its hopes misplaced; this leaf is here to stay.

Poker blues

A disproportionate amount of time has whiled since the last poker meet and this has led to feverish attempts at going "All In" in the strangest of places. At the spontaneous table-tennis match, the tennis match and the friggin' outdoor mini-soccer match. Is this one of the first tell-tale signs of an addiction or is it just me hallucinating over the good times round the poker table? To compound the situation more resources are being poured by The Other Underdog to an already sizable infrastructure.

As many are aware, people exhibit the strangest behavior around the poker table. Usually, the few in play that have something to hide, are pretty vocal. A case in point would be the distractions caused by praising precious metals while slyly scanning for any residual emotions on the real aggressors. The deliberate goading of doubters to match or raise stakes is another. The right communication at the apt time does seem to provide the slight edge needed to recover from a bluff or maximize the pot.

Clearly a sound head, a steady hand and a stony face are appropriate accessories for the thinking player.

For lack of an identity...

Having won our first round match in the badminton tournament, I find my team lacking in one specific area more than others. To rise above the individual and highlight our formation, we need a name. A few flashes of inspiration including The Irregulars, The Underdogs, The Slick Flicks, Unusual Suspects, Fu Fighters and Warriors Within come to mind. A critique on some of these presumptions along with an enlargement of the name-base could be in order. May the good times begin!

Tournament willies

With the announcement of the badminton doubles tournament, the Indian Students Association at Manhattan, KS has kicked off a storm of activity at the Recreation Complex. Where once, one needed to use all available communication devices to coax the ever illusive fourth player, getting a spot to practice has become an exercise in patience. A positive aspect to the situation is the different styles of play whereas earlier, the outcomes could be pre-determined based on player configurations.

Clearly, the mens doubles will prove to be interesting as our team faces some stiff competition early on. The mixed doubles may not be a cake walk either as some pretty determined opponents are heading our way, again early on. I've a gut feeling that a brave face is going to come in quite handy during the games.

The Greatest Game

During the span of the last month, the world held its breath as the pride and skill of nations both great and small were put to the fiery test before an audience that was truly unprecedented. In a setting of this magnitude there also brews on its sides, the elixirs of chivalry and controversy. The last of the great soccer matches was no exception; it will take a life of its own to possibly judge the very custodians of the sport.

Two different styles of soccer were unleashed, the Italians with great defense and the French with surgical accuracy. During the first half, neither team was to be intimidated and the effort of the team triumphed over the sum of individual contributions. The three on one handling of Zinedine Zidane during his possession and the spirited sprints of Franck Ribéry brought clenched fists and seat ejections from many a viewer. Both goals struck during this period were executed with class.

The second half told a different story, with the game going from an even match-up to the French taking greater possession of the ball. Great plays from Thierry Henry reverberated with the audience and struck terror in the hearts of the Italians. Zinedine Zidane created more space and opportunities than before and Franck Ribéry, who is usually out of steam this far into a game, gave no hints of fatigue.

The imbalance of the second half held during overtime as the French attack came in waves. Clearly the best defence in the world, the Italians showed commendable spirit and thwarted many a cleverness from the opponent. On the 104th minute, the French maestro Zidane showed his mettle while taking a header that was barely scraped over the top bar by the keeper. And in the subsequent few minutes, he let his emotions rule to bring about the saddest display, ending arguably one of the greatest soccer careers in red.

The bewilderment of the French seemed to seal their fate as they faced off Italy in penalty shootouts. As the dust settled, a 5-3 score reflected both the persistence of the Italians and the failure of French legend.

Coming out of this game, the fondest moments seem to rest in the plays of Fabio Cannavaro, Franck Ribéry, Thierry Henry, Gennaro Gattuso, Mauro Camoranesi and Zinedine Zidane. Four years seem too long a gap to see once again the clash of the titans.

Closure

Looks like we've hit a routine. For the third week in a row, the badminton courts are unavailable on Fridays due to various other camps. Maybe we need to get smart about it and find another schedule. Today though, we may have to dribble a little on the soccer ball.

Badminton moves

Going through some earlier doubles games, the plays that most impress me were the ones that were easily executable. Taking advantage of the relative positions of opposing players along with body movements based on instinctive reactions help set up some of the best deceptions. Such a strategy eliminates the need for focused power and protracted volleys. It also builds uncertainty in the opponent and sprinkle a few power smashes and precise drops to see genuine fear.

On the flip side opponents see through ones weaknesses earlier than it becomes self evident. A good player is able to reduce that window of opportunity by either improving his lacking or changing the entire dynamics of play whereby his disadvantage is made irrelevant.

World cup Finals

We should be in for some good football as Germany takes on Portugal. Germany is coming in with the home crowd and have my support for the third place. Either ways, this matchup should have more goals scored than the finals.

For having played remarkably poor early on, Italy is a team that needs to keep improving. Less appeals and more consistency from striker Luca Toni and mid-fielder Francesco Totti could make this less of a one-sided match up.

France on the other hand has shown some of the best team play as well as individual play so far in the tournament. There has been serious improvements in Zinedine Zidane's game and couple that with potent mid-fielder Franck Ribéry and striker Thierry Henry; we have brewing a recipe for success.

Little discoveries...

After a few games of badminton, I was pretty famished and had my mind set on Chinese. For a change, I decided to sway from my routine and try the fried rice. I must congratulate the chef at Happy Valley for a remarkable dish, as there is now a new reason to frequent his shop.

Hold'em blinds

After a few rounds of breaking sub-zero's spine, the conversation tipped into an earlier argument regarding increasing blinds. Some discussion later, there was minority agreement that a big blind of 2 is too small and ramping that to 8 would be more appropriate. The consensus needs to be tested on the start of the weekend.

France vs Italy finals...

Let the rootin tootin begin. I haven't made up my mind yet.

France Vs Portugal

Since teams i've rooted for (ecuador, ghana, brazil and germany) have all fallen burning, my hopes are pinned on France winning this matchup.