Hiran Effects

പുതിയ വാസസ്ഥലം... hiran.in

2008-10-16T10:56:00.003+05:30

നന്ദിയുണ്ട് ബ്ലോഗ് സ്പോട്ട്, ഒരായിരം നന്ദി....ഞാന്‍ നിന്നെ വിട്ടു പോകുന്നു, hiran.in എന്ന പുതിയ വാസസ്ഥലത്തിലേയ്ക്ക്, നിന്നോടുള്ള ദേഷ്യം കൊണ്ടല്ല, ഇഴഞ്ഞുനടന്നിരുന്ന എന്നേ, പിച്ചവെച്ചു നടക്കാന്‍ പഠിപ്പിച്ചതു് നീയാണെന്നു മറന്നിട്ടുമല്ല, ജീവിക്കണ്ടേ!!! നന്ദിയുണ്ട് ബ്ലോഗ് സ്പോട്ട്, ഒരായിരം നന്ദി

ഹിരണ്‍.ഇന്‍

Bye to blogger, hai to hiran.in

2008-10-16T10:46:00.005+05:30

Thanks blogger!
Now i am to my new home
hiran.in

കായല്‍ യാത്ര (ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍)

2008-09-28T13:46:00.003+05:30

ഒരുപാടു് മുമ്പാണ്.. ഈ വര്‍ഷത്തിന്റെ തുടക്കത്തില്‍. പെരിസിയയ്ക്ക് തലേന്നാള്‍, ഞാനും പ്രവീണും അനിവറും എറണാങ്കുളത്തുനിന്നും തിരുവനന്തപുരത്തേയ്ക്കുള്ള യാത്രയില്‍ ആലപ്പുഴയില്‍ വച്ച് ജലമാര്‍ഗ്ഗയാത്ര സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നതു്. തികച്ചും അവിചാരിതം. സര്‍ക്കാറിന്റെ ജലനൌകയില്‍ രണ്ടു് മണിക്കൂര്‍ കൊണ്ടൊരു യാത്ര - 45 കിലോമീറ്റര്‍. അന്നു പ്രവീടെ ക്യാമറയില്‍ പടര്‍ത്തിയ ചില ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍... ഇവിടെ

Poster for SFD08 Essay contest

2008-09-26T09:52:00.005+05:30

Here comes my contributions for this years SFD. The poster for Essay writing Competition conducted by FSUG Bangalore and CIS

Poster Details :
Using : Inkscape and GIMP | Font : Perizia | Handwriting on the Back : Ashi, my college mate. | Thanks to : Ninu

The poster contains imported images background, cis logo, the gnu head and the svg of background hand writing. The size is to big and referred to all directions, I don't know how to upload the source. For the logo of FSUG, I modified the GNU head sticker available on the sticker book (the background was red) and rotated to anti clock wise.

For details over the contest look here.

സ്വാതന്ത്ര ദിനം ഞങ്ങള് അടിച്ചുപൊളിച്ചില്ലേ......

2008-09-21T00:17:00.002+05:30

തകര്‍ത്തതിന്റെ ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍....

വേദിയും കാണികളും....

ജിസണ്‍, എസ്.എം.സിയെ പറ്റി പറയുന്നൂ
അനിവറും സ്വാതന്ത്രവും.....മഹേഷ്, ഇന്‍സ്റ്റാള്‍ ഫെസ്റ്റിന്റെ തിരക്കില്‍.....

ശ്യാമില്ലാതെയെന്തു സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യദിനാഘോഷം...........
വേദി....

ഹുസൈന്‍ മാഷ്....

ഇന്‍സ്റ്റാള്‍ ഫെസ്റ്റിലെ ആള്‍ക്കൂട്ടം....

Phone Number Change

2008-09-19T23:37:00.001+05:30

Its New. Now to BSNL. 09496346709 is my new number. Please update.

Forging the font @ Chennai

2008-09-14T16:32:00.003+05:30

Thanks to have a wonderful time, the accident, the food, the class and the fonts. I am still at MIT, just after concluding my two day full-fledge hands on session on font designing with font forge. The slide was same as what I used earlier for Letter Made Better talks which is available here.

Yesterday, just before entering the campus, I had a pact with Tamilnadu Roadways by having a small accident. It was also from amachu who coordinated all the thing here, from my tickets to food. At night me and he had to watch the film "dham dhoom", which is really horrible and the lack of a Jeeva, who died in an accident while the shooting is specifically seen over the film - infact what he directed and what others did can be simple understood over watching the film. Any way having a film from Chennai, the city of film was an experience in many way :)

Back to the font designing - the team here has done something over by now which includes making up of a mailing list, a group in lauchpad :( (all those ubuntu guys are always with that stupid thing!) and planning to register at savannah. Well, All the Best and Thanks for all!

Note : This is for the first time I am writing a blog over projector!!

At MIT with font

2008-09-13T16:47:00.005+05:30

Forge the font session is now on fire at Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai. The day one is over and was a wonderful experience for me. A train trip from Palakkad to Chennai with lot of fun, a bike accident sponsored by Amachu and the session for 10+ people, (which includes Kevin!) on fontforge - it was wonderful. All loved font designing and was much eager to learn the idea...

The day1 contained with very basic things, introduction of fontforge, unicode, inkscape and designing and a hands on session to development of font. The next day contains indic font issues, substitution and developement concepts. Will blog after that.

Sujith hacks Canon A720IS on Linux Gazette

2008-09-02T16:47:00.002+05:30

Congrats to Sujith for his article on LG. Link to article.

Disney's rights to young Mickey Mouse may be wrong

2008-08-26T18:42:00.002+05:30

Check the link, Its about our own mickey mouse.

Web Banners, stickers, t shirts for the show!

2008-08-20T18:58:00.004+05:30

Yesterday I blogged on my greatest contribution to the Say No To Software Patent event to be held at Bangalore - a piece of web banner. Today there is something more. A sticker and t-shirt design!
Laptop sticker. A4 size containing eight sticker available here. without date here.
White Tshirt design Backside. All designed using Inskcape and GIMP.
Be there for the program! Make the event a success...

No to Patent - Web Banner for the show!

2008-08-19T16:47:00.008+05:30

The first protest in Indian history against Software Patents. Initiated by Free Software Users Group Bangalore and FOSS Community India. The Candle light vigil to "Say No To Software Patents" is a occasion to raise civil society voice against this back door Trojan to Indian patent system is on 23rd August 2008 in front of Town Hall near Corporation Circle, Bangalore.

I cannot be there, as I have certain other functions here and due to financial crisis. So here is a small work from my side. A button (in fact a poster!) for the promotion of this event which will look like the image below.

Background image is a photograph by puremango on flickr under CC(BY-NC-SA).Link.
Copy the code below and paste it on your web logs. pages. and even in emails! Spread it out!!

സ്വതന്ത്ര മലയാളം കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ്ങ് സംഘചിത്രം

2008-08-13T08:42:00.003+05:30

നില്‍ക്കുന്നതു് : ചന്ദ്രേട്ടന്‍, (ഗ്നു)അനൂപ്, വിമല്‍, മണിലാല്‍, മഹേഷ് മാഷ്, പ്രവീണ്‍(തലമാത്രം), അനിവര്‍, ശ്യാം (ശാരിക), അനിപീറ്റര്‍, ആഷിക്, കുരിയന്‍, ശ്രിരഞ്ജ്, രാഗ്സാഗര്‍, സുഷമ
ഇരിക്കുന്നവര്‍ : മോബിന്‍, മണ്ടൂസ്സ് രാജിവ്, ശ്യാംകൃഷ്ണന്‍, ജൈസണ്‍, കിരണ്‍, സന്തോഷ്, ഹിരണ്‍.

പ്രത്യേകിച്ചൊന്നുമില്ല, ഫോട്ടോ എടുത്തതു് ആഷിക്കാണു്. അവനേയും ഇതില്‍ തിരുകിക്കയറ്റി. ഗിമ്പ് ഉപയോഗിച്ചു്.ഒറിജിനല്‍ ലോ ലവിടെ.

Logo for Swathathra Malayalam Computing

2008-08-12T19:34:00.004+05:30

The logo for Swathathra Malayalam Computing, the free software localization and language based software development team based on Malayalam language is now ready. The logo is designed by Ravi Sangamithra along with Hiran Venugopalan and the design is based of the Malayalam letter ഋ [U+0D0B], which is supposed to be the most beautiful glyph in Malayalam language. The glyph is rarely used these days and is not present in any other South Indian language. The logo is designed in two patterns - asymmetric hand generated one and symmetric one. Also a traditional way of writing Swathanthra Malayalam Computing in Malayalam is designed as a part of logo.

The designers thank Nicu, a wonderfully talent artist for his valuable helps for designing the logo and also the SMC team who shared ideas and criticized the design. More details on logo here.

സ്വതന്ത്ര മലയാളം കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ്ങിനു് ലോഗോ

2008-08-12T19:12:00.006+05:30

മലയാളം മാത്രമറിയുന്നവര്‍ക്കു് കൂടി ഉപയോഗിക്കത്തക്ക വിധത്തില്‍ സ്വതന്ത്ര സോഫ്റ്റ്‌വെയറുകള്‍ ലഭ്യമാക്കുക എന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പറ്റം ഭാഷാസ്നേഹികളുടെ കൂട്ടായ്മയായ സ്വതന്ത്ര മലയാളം കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ്ങിനുവേണ്ടിയുള്ള ലോഗോ തയ്യാറായി. അധികമൊന്നും പ്രയോഗത്തിലില്ലെങ്കിലും മലയാളത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും ഭംഗിയുള്ള അക്ഷരമാണു് "ഋ" എന്നത്‌ ഒരല്പം കലാവാസനയുള്ള ഏതു മലയാളിയും അംഗീകരിക്കും. അതുകൂടാതെ, ദക്ഷിണേന്ത്യന്‍ ഭാഷകളില്‍ മലയാളത്തിനു മാത്രം സ്വന്തമാണു ഈ അക്ഷരം എന്നൊരു പ്രത്യേകത കൂടി എടുത്തു പറയേണ്ടതായുണ്ട്‌. അതുകൊണ്ടു് തന്നെ ഈ അക്ഷരത്തെ അടിസ്ഥാനമാക്കിയാണു് രവി സംഘമിത്ര, ഹിരണ്‍ വേണുഗോപാലന്‍ എന്നിവര്‍ ചിഹ്നചിത്രം രൂപകല്പന ചെയ്തതു്. ഒഴുക്കന്‍ മട്ടിലും തോതനുസൃതമായും എന്നിങ്ങനെ രണ്ടുവിധത്തില്‍ ഈ ലോഗോ സൃഷ്ടിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടു്. ഇവകൂടാതെ കൈയ്യക്ഷര രീതിയില്‍ മലയാളത്തില്‍ "സ്വതന്ത്ര മലയാളം കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ്ങ്" എന്നെഴുത്തും ഉണ്ടാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.

പ്രസിദ്ധ ചിത്രകാരനും ഫെഡോറ, ഓപ്പണ്‍ ഓഫീസ്സ് തുടങ്ങിയവയ്ക്കു് വേണ്ടി കലാകാരനായി പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന നിക്കുവിന്റെയും സ്വതന്ത്ര മലയാളം കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ്ങിലെ അംഗങ്ങളുടേയും വിലപ്പെട്ട ആശയങ്ങളും വിമര്‍ശനങ്ങളും ചിഹ്നരചനയ്ക്കു് പ്രോത്സാഹനമായി. അവര്‍ക്കു് നന്ദി.
കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങളിവിടെ.

Its all for a biriyaani

2008-08-04T18:11:00.004+05:30

It was raining, we walked over rain, we ran through the main street of Secunderabad, we entered a bus, took platform ticket for walking through railway station and picked auto - just to have a hyderabadi biriyaani from Paradise Hotel, Secunderabad! We contains Myself, Shyam, Praveen, Pavi and Hemand.

At the hotel Riyas along with his friend was waiting for us - for a time of 1 hour plus. It was great to have such food from a place. Riyas told that its impossible for a person to eat one plate full and its convention to share one between two. We, me and pravi broke the convention - by sharing a mutton and a chicken biriyaani.

riyas, looking at stickers printed for mukt.in

It was great to have such a food and we where there till 11!

shyam surrounded by paradise staff, as he was not stopping his eating

2008-08-02T15:21:00.001+05:30

It finally happened. The talk was schedule for 11PM and started at bit moment before noon. The slides where same as old just with some of my font screen shot. A new slide was introduced - " I am a film addict - if you have some good films, give me right NOW!" just for the fun of it. The session was a long, in fact the longest that I had done on font designing, about 100+ minutes. The number of students where less compared to old talks and was quite when compared to total participants for the mukt. Some guys came in the last odd minutes and told that the lunch was ready, making the session to have a sudden death. That was really an experience! Any way it happened!

Night, at Secunderabad

2008-08-02T10:03:00.000+05:30

After ending the day1 of mukt.in, as all other 'geeks' moved to Hussain sagar, I changed my plan to see Jayamama instead of going to my room. Shyam had already decided his travel to IIITH and all, hence I went alone. As per the command from Lt.Jayamama, I was supposed to be at the car parking centre, near Passport Office, Secunderabad. The city was full of lights, vehicles, and decorations. I could understand what was happening there. The time was past seven at night and the street was getting populated. It was some religious program of Sikhs. The mobile was showing area as Secunderabad, making me sure that I am not at Punjab. The songs, celebrations began - typical Punjabi style. I become an odd man out there and was surrounded by them. I cant see any familiar face near by. The place where I was standing become congested of vehicle parking, and it took nearly five minutes for me to get out of that vehicle-maze. A good looking (in fact great) modernly dressed girl was standing near to me there. She was giving a stunning look with her big red eyes. The intention was to make me feared, and she was success on that job. I was feared and irritated!! Is it the same this girls feel when we make a look at them?

Half hour with complete strangers. I was completely lost. The sky was ready to shower a rain, and breeze where working as catalyst for the rain. I walked to the left side a bit - and I saw some faces that I could recognize - Rajnikanth and Nayanthara! Actually, seeing the poster of film was a great relief for me. It was a talkies named Prasanth, where Kathanayakudu the remake of Kadaparayumbol was released. By the time Jayamama reached there and picked me to his house.

The rain welcomed me to his home. It was my first trip to there. In fact none from our home had went there. The home was lovely and had a great food, thoughts and jokes. The was great. The wonderful food made me to sleep as i reached the bed and the sleep continued for upto 12 hours. Just reached the mukt.in for the day2. I need to make some modification in slide! Wait for more.

Note : I had got camera from Roshiba, but till this moment it was not working - as I put the battery in inverted :)

At Mukt.in

2008-08-01T15:00:00.000+05:30

Me along with Shyam reached Hyderabad today by 2PM as to attend Mukt.in I just entered to the venue, got a seat and wifi connection. My talk is supposed to be at tomorrow morning. Wait for more. Let me hear the talk by Ajay Kumar on Sahana DMS, GSoCer 2008.

at thrissur railway station, as the train arrives.

Yet again a talk, at MES

2008-07-30T13:16:00.002+05:30

Yesterday I had a session on Inkscape, SVG, Fontforge and blah blah blahs that I could make at the Main Auditorium of M E S Engineering College, Kuttippuram. The program was fun and I was accompained by Shyam and Jineesh. Raju sir was also there. Thanks to those all supported to make the presentation especially Creative Contingencies.

Extra Bit: Unluckly, the news came to Media! :)

മിന്നാമിന്നിക്കുട്ടത്തിലെ സാരോപദേശം

2008-07-27T14:34:00.005+05:30

സംഭവം സിനിമയിലാണു്. ചിത്രം മിന്നാമിന്നിക്കൂട്ടം. നായികമാരില്‍ ഒരുവളായ റോമ വില്ലന്‍ എന്നു സിനിമ ഒരുപക്ഷെ അവകാശപ്പെടുന്ന മണിക്കുട്ടനുമൊത്തു് യാത്രചെയ്യുന്നതു് റോമയുടെ കാമുകനും സുഹൃത്തുമായ ജയസൂര്യ കാണാന്‍ ഇടയാവുന്നു. ഈ രംഗത്തിനു മുമ്പുള്ള രംഗങ്ങളില്‍ മീരാജാസ്മിനോടു് മോശമായി പെരുമാറുന്ന (അതിനാല്‍ ത്രിമൂത്തികളായ നായകന്മാര്‍ അടിച്ചുപരത്തുന്ന) മണിക്കുട്ടനോടൊപ്പം കണ്ടതിനു ജയസൂര്യ ശാസിക്കുന്നു. ജയസൂര്യയുടെ വാദത്തെ മറ്റുള്ളവര്‍ പിന്തുണയ്ക്കുകയും റോമ പിണങ്ങിപോവുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. പിന്നിടു് സത്യാവസ്ത മനസ്സിലാക്കുന്ന മീരജാസ്മിന്‍ കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ മനസ്സിലാക്കുകയും ജയസൂര്യയെ പറഞ്ഞു മനസ്സിലാക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. അതോടെ പിണക്കം മറന്നു സര്‍വ്വരും റോമചെയ്ത പ്രവര്‍ത്തിയെ ശരിയായി വിലയിരുത്തുന്നു. ത്രെഡ് അവിടെ തീരുന്നു.

ഇനിയാണ് ബ്ലൊഗ് പോയന്റ് - റോമ പറഞ്ഞ കാരണം ഡയലോഗ് രൂപത്തില്‍ (കൃത്യമായ ഡയലോഗല്ല, അതുപോലെ)

"നിങ്ങള്‍ പറഞ്ഞതു് ശരിയാ, ഞാന്‍ അവനോടൊപ്പം പോയതു് തെറ്റാ. അവന്‍ വൃത്തികെട്ടവനാ. പക്ഷെ ഞാനെന്തിനാ അവന്റൊപ്പം പോയതെന്നു നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കറിയുമോ, (പണിനടക്കുന്ന) വീടിന്റെ കറണ്ടു കണക്ഷനുവേണ്ടിയാ. ഞാന്‍ കൈകൂലി കൊടുത്തു മടിത്തു. അപ്പോഴാ ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌____ പറഞ്ഞെ ഇങ്ങേരു വിചാരിച്ചാല്‍ കാര്യം നടക്കുമെന്നു്. അതുകൊണ്ടാ ഞാന്‍ ചെയ്തേ, ...... അയാളെ ഹോംമിനിസ്റ്ററിന്റെ മകന്റെ മാത്രം ഫ്രെണ്ടല്ല, എലക്ട്രിസിറ്റി മിനിസ്റ്ററിന്റെ കൂടിയാ"

:) എന്തുനല്ല മോറല്‍! ആവശ്യങ്ങള്‍ സ്വന്താമാണെങ്കില്‍ ഏതു് മറ്റവന്റെയും ഒപ്പം പോവാം! കാര്യം നടക്കാന്‍ ഏതു് വഴിയും സ്വീകരിക്കാം! പോയകാര്യം നടന്ന സ്ഥിതിക്കു ഈ തെറ്റു സുഹൃത്തുക്കള്‍ക്കു മറക്കാം!

മഴയെത്തും മുന്‍പെ, അഴകിയ രാവണന്‍, രാപ്പകല്‍ എന്നീചിത്രങ്ങളുടെ സംവിധായകനായ കമാലാണോ ഈ തത്വം ലോകത്തിനു മുമ്പില്‍ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചതു്.

അറബികഥയിലെ ശ്രീനിവാസന്റെ രീതിയില്‍ പറയുകയാണെങ്കില്‍ "ഐ.ടി. കമ്പനിയില്‍ ചാറ്റീതു കളിക്കുന്നതും, ഗര്‍ഭിണിയായ സംവൃത നൃത്തം ചെയുന്നതിലോ അനാവശ്യമായൊരു വില്ലന്‍ വന്നതിലോ ഒന്നും പ്രശ്നമ്മിലെങ്കിലും, ഇത്തിരി കഥയും ഇത്തിരി നല്ല സംഭാഷണവും സിനിമകളിലുണ്ടായിരുന്നെങ്കില്‍ കൊറച്ചുകൂടെ നന്നായിരുന്നൂ"

മലയാള സിനിമ മലയാളലിപി മറന്നുവോ?

2008-07-27T13:14:00.001+05:30

മലയാളത്തില്‍ അവസാനമിറങ്ങിയ മൂന്നു ചിത്രങ്ങളിലെ രണ്ടുചിത്രങ്ങളാണു് ഈ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗിനു ഊര്‍ജ്ജമായതു്. പരുന്തും മിന്നാമിന്നിക്കൂട്ടവും. രണ്ടുസിനികളിലേയും ക്രെഡിറ്റുകളെഴുതി കാണിക്കുന്നതു് മലയാളത്തിലല്ല. ഇംഗ്ലീഷിലാണു്. പഴയ ചില മലയാളം സിനിമകളില്‍ സിനിമയുടെ പേരു് മലയാളം ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് എന്നീ ഭാഷകള്‍ക്കു പുറമെ ഉറുദുവില്‍ എഴുതുന്ന ശീലമുണ്ടയിരുന്നു. പിന്നീടു് മിക്ക സിനിമകളിലും സംവിധാനം രചന നിര്‍മ്മാണം എന്നിവ മാത്രം രണ്ടുഭാഷകളിലും ബാക്കിയുള്ളവ മലയാളത്തില്‍ മാത്രമെഴുതുകയുമായിരുന്നു ശീലം. ഈ ശീലം തലകീഴായ് മാറ്റുന്നതാണു് പുതിയ പ്രവണത. മലയാള ചലചിത്രരംഗം മലയാളലിപിയെ മറക്കുന്നതാണോ? അതോ പുതുതലമുറയുടെ ഭാഷ ഇംഗ്ലീഷാണെന്ന 'അറിവാണോ' ഇതിനാധാരം?

മിന്നാമിന്നിക്കൂട്ടം കണ്ടപ്പോള്‍ ഒരു സംശയം എനിക്കു് തോന്നി, അതുടന്‍ പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുക.

ഈ സിനിമകള്‍ കൈവശമുണ്ടോ?

2008-07-21T14:01:00.003+05:30

കള്ളന്‍ പവിത്രന്‍, പെരുവഴിയമ്പലം, ഒരിടത്തൊരു ഫയല്‍വാന്‍, അരപ്പട്ട കെട്ടിയ ഗ്രാമത്തില്‍ എന്നീ പി പത്മരാജന്‍ സിനിമകള്‍ കൈവശമുള്ളവര്‍ എനിക്കവ ഒന്നു തരാമോ? ഞാന്‍ വന്നു വാങ്ങികൊള്ളാം. ഒര്‍ജ്ജിനല്‍ സി ഡി കിട്ടുന്ന സ്ഥലമായാലും മതി. ഉള്ളവര്‍ മൈലുക, പ്ലീസ്. ന്റെ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗോണ്ട് വല്ല ഗുണോണ്ടോന്നു ഞാന്‍ നോക്കാട്ടേ!

The Phoenix experiment design contest

2008-07-17T15:11:00.003+05:30

The Phoenix is set! Get ready for the ultimate The Phoenix experiment design contest.

Authors of the experiments found suitable to included in the Degree/PG course will be given the setup they have developed along with a Phoenix kit. In addition to that a Rs. 10000/- cash award goes to the best experiment.Idea dead line is 31st of Aug-08.

More at link

Open Letter to his HOD, by Shyam

2008-07-15T15:43:00.001+05:30

Read loud,
http://swatantran.blogspot.com/2008/07/open-letter-to-my-hod.html

Congrats to Shyam for his efforts!

Ten best non Indian films that I have watched on my laptop, lastyear

2008-07-08T10:47:00.004+05:30

My laptop is one year old now. She is still beautiful and the most done thing over the laptop was watching movies. I have watched hundreds movies through this laptop, Most of them where Malayalam, Tamil and English, as I don't know and love Hindi films. Here is some movies that I could remember and I suggest as best movies that I have seen among the non Indian film category. Here is the set of those ten, have a look :

I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna pray his shorts whenever I bring a girlfriend home from school. What a lame-o. Someone really should just put him out of his misery.

American Beauty (1999) - The film deals with a human life. The most wonderful thing I have noticed over film is the story tag, way of narration, dialogues and the casting.[Tag : Life, Lifestyle, Relation]

God: [snorts] Heh, welcome to my world, son. If you come up with an answer to that one, let me know.

Bruce Almighty (2003) - A simple comedy film, taking you to extreme laugh for the present time and to thinking after. The story moves as a the hero receives power of God, and realise that God is not able to do anything. The positives as per my looks include screenplay, camera and casting.[Tag : Life, Human, God]

I've had some girlfriends too, but all they wanted from me was weed and shit.

Clerks (1994) - A B/W movie that simply rolls to a day of clerks life. Taken with a wonderful perspective the film is perfect one in every sense.The film is full of quotes, read it from IMDB [Tag : Life, Lifestyle]

You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.

Juno (2007) - A wonderful comedy movie which tells the story of a girl who gets pregnant. The story in solid, a perfect piece and is effectively designed into a screenplay and then to a movie. The film is always an answer to the questions like "do Americans have emotions" [Tag: Love, Sex, Relation]

If there's magic in boxing, it's the magic of fighting battles beyond endurance, beyond cracked ribs, ruptured kidneys and detached retinas. It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you.

Million Dollar Baby (2004) - Unexpected movie with a wonderful way of telling. The story deals with a 30+ year old lady who wish to be a boxer and her relation with trainer. The film is a perfect recipe with wonderful performances, no wonder it received four Oscars. [Tag:Love, Affection]

Thank God, not me. He wants us to survive. Well, that's what we have to believe.

The Pianist (2002) - The story of a Jew musician who lived around the time of Nazi rule, his tragedies and relation with a Nazi solider. With a screenplay that moves in same pace from start till end, the film becomes a wonderful thing with great music and acting. [Tag : Life, Music, War, Human]

I don't know much about God or Jesus, but I can promise you His arms are meant for you!

The Ultimate Gift (2006) - Yet another comedy film, which is really a dose of positive attitude. The film deals with a story that tells about gifts, that a man get through his living. The screenplay, direction and the actors make the film a wonderful time pass, making reliefs and some positive energy in mind. [Tag: Attitude, Life]

Un cuento de amor. Una historia de terror (A tale of love. A story of horror)

El Orfanato (2007) (Spanish ) English Title :The Orphanage - A mystery story with a solid story base and wonderful technology utilisation, the film deals with a child who could see a set of invisible children. The film has a wonderful direction, magnificent photography, and a very wonderful BGM. The film is a must watch for any musicians who love to make BGMs. [Tag: Affection, Death, Concepts]

He becomes a myth, a spook story that criminals tell their kids at night. "Rat on your pop, and Keyser Soze will get you." And no-one ever really believes.

The Usual Suspect (1995) - Crime film that contains less crime and lot of dialogues. The story deals with an interrogation and flash backs and description of a criminal between the accused and a cop. The film is a wonderful piece of art, containing a ton of great dialogues and wonderful acts. [Tags: Crime, Criminology, Definition]

You don't have to do this

No Country for Old Man (2007) - With a tag line, There Are No Clean Getaways, the film is a wonderful drama taken in the best way. The film won Oscar for best adaptation, and it is as I have read the novel.[Tags: Life, Crime]

To the last odd semester!

2008-07-04T18:00:00.002+05:30

The day hence came!

We become the seniors of the institution. The college formally gave sent off to the 2008 batch seniors from college, branch wise and from hostel and we made our registration for the last two semesters.The seniors.

While looking back, I can see some smiles, some laughs, some one digit internals, a dozen of mark list I have obtained and some sad moments. Nothing more!

Some more photos uploaded

2008-06-30T18:43:00.005+05:30

Some more images, nearly ten, which I took in the last few months, mostly using my mobile is uploaded to my classic shot collection in picasa, have a look and do comment opinion!

images under CC by-nc-sa

സഹായം തേടുന്ന ഒരു വിദ്യാര്‍ത്ഥി - വാര്‍ത്ത

2008-06-30T10:55:00.003+05:30

തൃശ്ശൂര്‍ വിദ്യാ അകാദമിയിലെ ആദ്യ വര്‍ഷ ഇലക്ട്രോണിക്സ്സ് എഞ്ചിനിയറിങ്ങ് വിദ്യാര്‍ത്ഥിനിയായ ബീബിജ അര്‍ബുദരോഗത്തെ തുടര്‍ന്നു സി.എം.സി വേലൂരില്‍ പ്രവേശിച്ചിരിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. Bone marrow transplantation ആണ് വിദഗ്ദ്ധര്‍ നിര്‍ദേശിച്ചിട്ടുള്ള ചികിത്സ. മേല്‍പറഞ്ഞ ചികിത്സയ്ക്ക് പത്തു് ലക്ഷത്തോളം രൂപയുടെ ചിലവു് പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുന്നു. നിര്‍ധനരായ മാതാപിതാകള്‍ക്കു ആ ചിലവു് വഹിക്കാന്‍ സാമ്പത്തികമായി ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുന്നതിനാല്‍ സഹായം അഭ്യര്‍ത്ഥിക്കുന്നു. വിവരങ്ങള്‍ക്കു് വിദ്യാ അകാദമിയിലെ അദ്ധ്യാപകനായ സുദേവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെടുക.

Change in blog layout

2008-06-28T17:12:00.004+05:30

I was feeling bored to day, actually had nothing to do. No one on line, no mood to compute and no cash in mobile. Hence for the time pass, I made a new look logo for Hiran Effect, the blog title using my own Perizia font. The design is modification to one from FinalSence. Logo designed using Inkscape. Check the design and do comment. Old logo was designed using GIMP and Inkscape.

As good as DELL!

2008-06-26T18:53:00.004+05:30

I had some issues with my laptop speakers, touch pad and keyboard and i mailed them to dell support. The remaining was magical and unbelievable!

Time line :
Tuesday 9.00AM : Mailing to dell support
Tuesday 11.AM : A call from dell asking issues
Wednesday 9.00AM : Call asking location and address and appointment
Thursday 11AM: Call from Dell engineer
Thursday 4PM : All things replaced with new one!!

Learn the meaning of service from DELL!Old and new touchpad
They replaced touchpad with entire inner case and speakers with screens outerportion!

മിഷ്യന്‍സ്കൂളും നൊസ്റ്റാള്‍ജിയയും

2008-06-25T17:20:00.003+05:30

അമേരിക്കയില്‍ നിന്നും പ്രവീണ്‍ വന്നപ്പോള്‍ അതു് നേരിട്ടു് പാലക്കാടേയ്ക്കായിരിക്കും എന്നു കരുതിയില്ല, എത്തിയതിനു് മൂന്നാം പക്കം ഞങ്ങള്‍ തമ്മില്‍ കണ്ടു, പാലക്കാട്ടിലെ കോട്ടയില്‍ വച്ചു് N S S കോളേജ്ജിലെ സ്വതന്ത്ര സോഫ്റ്റ് വെയര്‍ വമ്പന്മാരെ കാണം എന്നു് തീരുമാനിച്ചതാണു്. മഴകാരണം കോട്ടയിലെ ഇരിപ്പു് മോശമാവും എന്നുറപ്പിച്ചു, പിന്നെയെവിടെയിരിക്കാം എന്നായി ചിന്ത...

ആ കാണുന്നതു് മിഷന്‍ സ്കൂളല്ലേ... എന്നെ ഈ കോലത്തിലാക്കിയ സ്കൂള്‍... ന്നാ കേറീട്ടന്നേ കാര്യം... ഞങ്ങളുറപ്പിച്ചു.. നൊസ്റ്റാള്‍ജിയ എന്ന വാക്കിന്റെ അര്‍ത്ഥം എന്നിക്കു് മനസ്സില്ലായതന്നാണു്.. പാവം പ്രവീണ്‍... എന്തെല്ലാം കേട്ടൂ... എന്റെ 3 കൊല്ലത്തെ ജീവിതം മുഴുവന്‍....

അന്നെടുത്തചിത്രമാണിതു്. സ്കൂളിന്റെ പുറം ഭാഗം.

മുന്‍വശം. ഒരു പഴയചിത്രം.

ഞാന്‍ ഏട്ടാം ക്ലാസ്സ് മുതല്‍ പത്താം ക്ലാസ്സ് വരെ പഠിക്കാനായി ശ്രമിച്ച സ്കൂള്‍.

Big Buck Bunny : Movie Review

2008-06-17T20:11:00.003+05:30

Film : Big Buck Bunny (English, 2008)
Theatre : My own laptop
Time : 16th June 2008, 11PM

I was slightly disappointed after watching Dasavatharam, and was siting in front of my laptop doing nothing. Being bored that time I decided to see the Big Buck Bunny, the latest Blender Open movie project. Anivar had given me a good print and hence my job was simply to watch the film.

As like the Elephent Dream, the film was only about 10 minutes, designed only with 5 characters. The story base lies with a simple revenge formula, and its neatly presented. The design, especially the angle of photography is done with amazing perfection resembling the angles of Hollywood classics and is done with much professionalism. The story is straight and simple represented without any dialogues.

The character design, title card, background music and all seems to be a wonderful patterned thing and the artificiality and exaggeration over screen play makes the whole a wonderful treat, especially for children.

For the last 24 hours of my initial view, I had hosted more than 5 shows and have shared it with more than 20 friends and the reaction was high, thought that statistics is silly when compared to original download rate. So if you are having an Internet connection, just download from its home page and watch, else see it from you tube! Its never a waste of time. Do share it with others, its under creative commons!

The complete music score is also available.

Rating:
Overall 9/10
Story : 8/10 (Simple, straight and funny with a lovely message of love!)
Screenplay : 8/10 ( Wonderfully designed with all what a kid love to see!)
Music : 8/10 ( Simple, moves along the story)
Effects : 10/10 (Hats off to whole team, specially the one who designed grass!)
License : 10/10!

Dasavatharam Movie Review

2008-06-15T23:19:00.007+05:30

Film : Dasavatharam (Tamil, 2008)
Theatre : Aroma, Palakkad.
Time : 14th June 2008, 5PM
Ticket rate : Rs.20 (First Class)

A man in ten roles, none another than Dr. Kamalhaasan. I was thrilled to see the cinema, not just to watch the make up or actors talent, but to know the story and the message what its going to transfer to the viewers. The story simply lies inside the standard Tamil film equation. While rebirth, god, life, humanity, big brother, corporates vision and so so becomes the tags of story it just gives out message bad things are better than worst and silently showers an anti war, anti American and humanity concepts.

The film starts with 12th Century India, amazing performance by Kamal and classically designed set. But suddenly, the story jumps to 2004 with a less attractive camera and designing, where I personally wished to see the starting again. The screen play goes like an narration by the Hero character in front of Tamil nadu CM, Indian PM and US Prez,*George Kamal Bush*, which is not just artificial but creatively bad!

The film is full of Kamal, from the hero to villain. While Kamal does ten most important roles,it requires only other ten persons to drive the story. Asin, who plays the double role of heroine in both eras, who took rebirth along with her hero - a usual concept seen is rebirth based films, did her part neatly, though she is not having much thing to do, than certain dialogue. Malika Sherawat, who acts as a hot assistant to the villain is merely a hot constant value used for making the film to be in the standard equation.

Kamal Hassan, the man who did maximum experiments in the history of Indian films, and itself is the major part of Indian film history did his part as an actor wonderfully. Make up and other technologies used in back-end are latest and contributes to the film in a very high scale, than the story and screenplay. When the film shows instants such as asking Kamal is he the Universal hero( the name he is called and known), creates a hero Kamalhassan and not the character that he plays.

But, thinking as a film critic or a film lover - if the film was one without ten
Kamalhaasans, for instance just two basic heroes by Kamal, Bush, terminator and Japanese by foreign artists, 95years old lady by Sukumari, activist by Pashupathi, RAW Officer by PrakashRaj, Tall guy by Napoleon and Pujabi by Nazar or some other - the question remains whether *that Deshavathram* will be good film or a bad one for a common viewer.

Being most awaited film yet India had and a sure discussion topic for film lover around the globe, Kamal could design a story with a better message in a better way. For me film is an average and not a money loser. But it is not the best film that Kamalhaasan had made and disqualifies for even being a comparison to other films like Mahanadi, Nayakan, Indian, Avvaishanmughi the film that made me panic about films - ApporvaSahodarangal.

And a doubt, what was the need of a low resolution video strip of Jayalalitha, can't that be a eleventh role?

Rating:
Overall : 6/10 (It was 5/10, +1 for Kamal's strain)
Film formula : 5/10 (Same old formula, thanks for not making a romance between the climax)
Artist Performance : 8/10 (No one is bad, but why 10 in number and why not 11?)
Editing and Special effects : 7/10 (Wonderful make up, the butterfly looks artificial, as a disturbence)
Songs : Hariharan did a wonder with Kallai Mattum other are average.

As romance happens with

2008-04-29T17:18:00.006+05:30

This Monday and Tuesday I had my University labs. I was expecting something big and cool, as the lab papers are my luckiest things. I was able to get wonderful marks above 90% in C programming lab and Data Structure lab, the labs so far and thought of happening the same over this time too.

This time for the fifth semester, we labs are two - hardware and programming paradigms. Hardware contains simple MASM works and some interfacing and PP had C++, Java and LISP. It was PP on Monday and MASM on Tuesday.

It was on Sunday evening I started to work along with Java, and after a couple of hours hardwork to make do the basic programs (helloworld, factorial, inheritance, quicksort) I came to understand a fact, its not my cup of tea. One among us Java or myself is stupid. I was conviced on that theory and came to conclude by making myself stupid. For the first time I saluted three persons Praveen the Javaman, Rakesh my neighbour who works with Sun and my own sister who tells Java as something cool, funny and great. They are genius!

Being a computer specialist in others veiw, I had some calls by night asking doubts over clisp. As to answer the question installed clisp . The first program I took was quicksort and I tried to play with it for an hour and more, keeping both my speakers and mouth shut. It was awesome and result was negative. On 11PM I again started with lisp, I was able to get the concept after moving through the notes provided by pramode sir. Within 10 minutes I was able to see the output of helloworld, quicksort,gcd and lcm. It was great. I become so mad over the thing - keeping myself engaged over the lisp for next 3 hours!

I wake up at early morning by 9.30AM and had exam at 11. The question was to find least common ancestor using JAVA. Making an algorithm that does not work is a simple task for me. I did it and acquired the externals signature for further proceedings. Within 10 minutes, I was able to make my hello world work. Its the fastest ever time I took to write and run helloworld.java and as the time moved, I was able to make a workable algorithm, with could do the work it is supposed to. I got the output and for the first time I started to feel that java is good for me.

The evening I spent completely with java and lisp. I started loving lisp than any other things in the world. The hardware lab is something always bad for me. It runs on windows, creepy MASM and I always bunk the lab. As I am not having windows over the lappy I was not able to do a trial and what I could was understanding the code. The lab started at 11AM and by the time I did some things over lisp and java and some in fontforge. The MASM question was luckily simple, to find factorial and I did in the same way what I had learned. The commands where not by heart to me, but the procedure was more or less by heart. With in a quarter hour I obtained the output, and showed to external. A small error was found and he requested me to correct that - to make 0 factorial 1. Its simple I started with a smile in face and an algorithm in mind.

for answer equal to zero print one

It was not simple as I expected and within a minute I confirmed my failure. I can't do the thing. The experiments the computing and the energy what I got from the free software community made me to work again, to think again. I was not ready to repeat the lab - I need to work over the windows machine again. After some simple thoughts and applying the concepts exactly what I had in my mind, I was able to obtain the output, making an excitement. My romance with the programming is now at its height, what I had never so far.

It's not syntax that rules the computing, its merely the logic and algorithm!

Mammootty, to play the role of Microsoft supporter?

2008-04-19T11:33:00.003+05:30

I am much disappointed over the news telling that my favorite actor Shri. Bharath Mammootty is going to be the new brand ambassador of Microsoft. Let's hope that Mammootty will understand the real facts and will withdraw his support. Here is an Open Letter to Mammooty from Free Software Users in Kerala.

Mammooty,
don't join the hands
with Microsoft.

Layout of The 'New' New Indian Express

2008-04-17T13:10:00.010+05:30

After a long time I had fever. As the fever was accompanied by cold, body and eye pain, I celebrated it completely, though it came along with Vishu. I was able to get out of bed on the day of Vishu by noon and came to read the newspaper. I am not used to reading newspapers these days. Some of the feeds that I subscribed over the Internet are my resources for news. Some crazy things went over my eyes - the layout of news paper has been changed - It's NEW New Indian Express. The title logo made me feel bad - its not looking good, it is good, but never for a newspaper. Moving through the paper I found something interesting, something not, some differences and some wonderful experiments.

By evening I saw the ad on Television about New Indian Express 100% steel, 0% gas. Bored of Ads over television I switched off the television, took the Sunday's papers as I haven't read. The layout looks cool. The blogs are supported - but they use blogger logo for blog, its unfair. Let me mail to them, Better do a layout review?

It may be because of my exams, I was not using my brain these days for any purpose and hence I was thrilled and excited to do the work. In search of content and newspapers, I started to search the old paper stock at home - well I got my first point Date is not seen clearly, in fact it is more or less missing. Moving further I got another page with a half page advt of Indian Express with wordings - don't give me bullshit..., brand new from April 11th and a wonderful quote - AS WE READ YOU. It rocks! This is to be blogged, I confirmed. By the time a bad two letter word came to my vision - IE (Internet Explorer?). Short for Indian Express? Don't use that Indian Express, you are never so bad as Internet Explorer to be called as IE!

After hours of 'long' research over the paper comparing the old layout and all, I got a MIXED reaction, its good but can be better.

Analyzing the layout from the first page the major change for the eye is in decrease of font size and change in column size. The new size is not apt for the reading while travelling. The improved column sizes helps over readability but a bit more sized fonts without breaking the layout, can be more invited. The major drawback on page 1 is the visibility of date. The date is kept as some secret code over the newspaper title and in Saturday's paper its in a side, which is always unnoticed. The best place for date is never above the title, its in the top corners, in a bigger size, as it helps over finding a paper from the stack. The new format of paper title, with capital 'I' and small 'e' and the blue black Indian express is not acceptable for a newspaper. The title is never ugly, but it neither suits with the media nor with the legacy. The highlight column used over the left side of paper is wonderful, and the colors used are cool. The way of formatting the content looks clear and simple.

Usage of an even width sans font is one among the major highlight. Two new title fonts where introduced over the paper and they are quite impressive. But the fonts are never matching to each other. The sans font when used as heading font looks wonderful and beautiful but the thickness of the font in some cases attains much attention and the white-black balance is lost over. Also usage of a Serif title font and sans for its sub heading is quite unattractive. The tag the news is a quite impressive attempt over the layout change.
While moving inside the paper, page 2 : the listing is wonderfully designed, arranging all in ordered format and picking up the picks. The layout is done in a amazing way, with alternate dark-light strips. The small size of crossword box make a question in mind, on whether it could contain a letter, completely. Introduction of a new font is seen over the page 2 for the starscope session. The font used for starscope is amazingly designed and is readable with ease in a normal condition, but not when it is in bold letters. The problem of readability becomes more complex for the same font when it reaches to almanac today.

On the other pages the layout is not having much change, a new strip is added in the paper like a title bar. The design of the title really needs an appreciation. And the new good looking sans font is used all over the headings, which is quite relaxing for the eyes. For some news, the proportion of heading to sub heading is not in a good ratio, as a major share of area is covered by them, and not by the news content.

Introduction to blog posts, and the link for further reading shows the express acceptance of blog as a medium and is a change that I welcome with whole happiness. But usage of the Blogger logo for representing blog is some thing not to be entertained, as Google Blogger is not the only blog service.

The new simple humble pattern of edit page is inviting. The usage of quotes for quotation, one column edit bar and the very simple elegant representation of Indian Express with new and old logo is awesome. The title for the letters to editor is not acquiring importance as it actually needs. Also the way of showing 'the most sensitive mail of the day' is not seeking attention. The old way, best mail in a box is the one I suggests. The space between the title and subtitle in the Edit page can be reduced.

Sports page is similar to other pages. Good. Introduction of sport channel listing over the sports page is quite interesting idea. For photos published, some which are having a title in top center, the letter spacing dims the clarity of readability.

On the supplements, the designs of each days looks different, elegant and wonderful. The Saturday supplement maga-zine named zeitgeist looks calm and simple with simple shaded designs and sketches of writers. The Sunday supplements came with more cheerful look in orange and green shades, and with striking names - i.witness and maxsport. The design is cool, attracting, cheerful and apt for a Sunday read. The cuts, shades, fonts, size, design, lines and layout is done in an amazing simplicity, perfectly suitable for a relaxed reading. The only issue that I found in the i.witness and maxsport are representation of first word's first letter in a huge size. This makes a problem over the clarity and quality, and make chances for misunderstanding and misreading, never can become ever in some cases.

Change is a requirement. The change is a success only when the users/readers accepts them. It is a process involving huge amount of risk and responsibility and needs courage, spirit over the job, trust over the users and confidence to do so. The change has to be made without the loss of culture and tradition, only those human accepts.

No media can be a alternative for another. But media should grow up along with the technology and other media. The printed paper may not the core media for the next generation, but the printing paper won't get killed unless it commits a suicide with silly yellow journalism. Future printed papers may be as a starting point for the news hunt, the one which points the human to the direction news. A change is hence a requirement for printed papers, as something what The New Indian Express did.

Suggestions :

A bit more size for letters, without breaking the new layout.
Change the Ie and Indian express logos.
Date to be in more noticeable format.
Fonts : Sans and Serif needs some relation.
Sans font : More thickness for normal case, and less the thickness while its bold.
Stop making subtitle in Sans for heading in Serif.
Almanac font : Bold is a bug, and needs a solution.
Heading to subheading ratio in inner pages needs to be corrected.
Bigger crossword cells.
Remove Bloggers logo.
More size for 'letters to editor' heading.
Make best letter inside a box, classic style.
No huge sized first letter (in i.witness and maxsport).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Reference : The New Indian Express 12th and 14th of April 2008, Kochi Edition. Sunday Express, 13th of April 2008, Kochi Edition. Photographs of newspaper used for reference requirement only.

ലിനക്സ് ഫോര്‍ യൂവില്‍ സന്തോഷുമായ് അഭിമുഖം

2008-04-11T11:11:00.004+05:30

ഈ മാസമിറങ്ങിയ 'ലിനക്സ് ഫോര്‍ യൂ' മാസികയില്‍ സന്തോഷ് തോട്ടിങ്ങലുമായി അഭിമുഖം. ഈ വര്‍ഷത്തെ ഫോസ്സ് ഇന്ത്യാ അവര്‍ഡ് നേടിയ ധ്വനിയുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടാണ് വാര്‍ത്ത. പേജുകളുടെ സ്കാന്‍ അടങ്ങിയ സിപ്പ് ഇവിടെ ലഭിക്കും. സന്തോഷിനു് അഭിനന്ദനങ്ങള്‍.

പേജിനെ സ്കാന്‍ ചെയ്തു് അയച്ചു തന്നെ ദേവശില്‍പിക്കു് നന്ദി.

Sunny fossevent, funny exam

2008-04-07T18:00:00.007+05:30

It was great to be a NITC for the third time attending FOSSEvent@NITC. I was confused and mad completely on Friday and I along with Syam reached there at NITC before Kiruba started his talk.

My talk was on Friday at 9AM and my strategical approach made me it parallel with Praveen's talk on Open ID. Still some number of audience where there, though not a house full one and was one good, even the fontforge broke while I worked over it. I was not able to take a picture of audience as my mobile cameras got 'polluted'. You can adjust with Kiruba's! The examination at Calicut University had badly affected the event in number of audience. Being a candidate for the semester 5 examinations, I came back "immediately" after my talk (Promise, I didn't attend the Day2). Tuxmaniac's magical touch over the cheese made it to work!

Trip on a packed bus to kozhikode, travel to NITC with syam, Mid night making the slide for talk at Men's Hostel with Kishore, the dinner, and times with Praveen, Anivar, Santhosh, Pramode sir, Baiju, tuxmaniac, Sharath, Mobin, Anipeter, Sreerenj, Seena, Renjith (room mate of Kishore, who told me that he 'reads' my blog!), Niyam, Rahul, Kiruba and was so great, that I even forgot need to write examination now after 1 hour (at 9am, monday morning).

Other blogs on event : Manu, Kishore, Sarath, Kiruba, Tuxmaniac

The slides are made available at my slide page

Note: Draft was made earlier, the title was changed after writing exam

Me to fossmeet

2008-04-04T11:53:00.004+05:30

I was waiting for being at FOSSMeet this year, since I saw its webpage. As we planned to have a SMC meet along with it, and a school students workshop by Pramode sir, I confirmed my place there. It was unexpected thing that the exam came in between, and what to do, should I miss the thrill? I planned NOT to go, but when I saw the poster in my college bills - I can't wait more. I am comming there, and this time too I am a speaker. So see you all at the font dev talk, Sharp 9AM*!

*conditions apply.

DFD '08 : Request considered for ODF as institution standard

2008-03-26T20:53:00.003+05:30

As a part of Document Freedom Day 2008, Fossers of Vidya, the Free Software Users Group, Vidya Academy submitted a request to Principal of the institution requesting ODF as the institute standard. The request suggested for making ODF the default standard for all academic requirements such as project submission and seminar presentation making and for all institutional document archiving. The FoV suggested a team of students to work for the initial installation of OpenOffice and for providing a solutions for issues. As there was an university examination today the other programs where postponed. Principal accepted the request and suggested a meeting for that on a convenient date after examinations and coming vacations.

My GnuPG Key

2008-03-19T18:04:00.005+05:30

I made it, as I forgot the passphrase of the old one! (which I have used twice or thrice). The public key is here. Thanks to seahorse and documentations at GnuPG. I am using FireGPG for sigining Gmail using firefox and its working well.

At Sreekrishanapuram, again

2008-03-17T23:11:00.002+05:30

I had a session at GEC Sreekrishnapuram last Thursday. It was for the first time I am getting second innings, as a free software promoter in a college. The talk started by 1 PM, after a wonderful experience of well packed travel for 2+ hours. (I was standing the whole time, and due to rush inside the bus, it was even impossible for me to take my mobile when Sujith called me!) The talk was simple, some where interested. After that there was some more talk - by someone from Irfan technologies on VoIP and at evening Mobin did a small talk on introduction to SMC and GSoC. He statements where - "what would u do with 2 lac rupees", the most striking among them was : even hiran had it, why can't u? :) [Google, Don't make slogan for GSoC]

Its a fact, even I had it! So start applying to Google Summer of Code 2008 now! Don't be indolent.

Wonderful time at RV College, Bangalore

2008-03-07T17:35:00.003+05:30

It was an unexpected call that I received in monday morning from Praveen, telling me to do a session on font designing at some college in banglore on thursday. I was ready, without any more thinking I confirmed the one. Than my expectation, the session was at R V College of Enginnering and for the students of MCA. Seeing a hyper active person, Mr. Renuka Prasad, who was a lecturer their (I thought he was a student when he called) I was tensed to do the session with a minute-made-slide.

The session was much greater than I expected. I ran through the basic ethics of free software, my works in fontforge and a small how to on fontforge. The students where active, reactive and non-sleeping. I loved the work, but does not know what they felt. Thanks to Prasad sir for giving such a wonderful chance. Hoping their comments.

പെരിസിയ - ഒരു അക്ഷരരൂപം

2008-03-02T11:00:00.001+05:30

പെരിസിയ ഞങ്ങള്‍ വിചാരിച്ചതിനെക്കാളും ഗംഭീരമായി നടന്നു. ഈ സന്ദര്‍ഭത്തില്‍ ഞാന്‍ എല്ലാവരോടുമുള്ള നന്ദി പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

പെരിസിയയുടെ തലക്കെട്ടിനായി ഞാന്‍ ഇങ്ക് സ്കേപ്പില്‍ തീര്‍ത്ത "സംഭവം" പലര്‍ക്കും ഇഷ്ടപെട്ടതായി ഞാനറിഞ്ഞു, എന്ന പിന്നെ അതിനെ ഒരു ഫോണ്ടാക്കികളയാം എന്നു വിചാരിച്ചു. ഗ്നൂ ജി.പി.എല്‍ (GNU GPL) വേര്‍ഷന്‍ മൂന്നാണ് ഈ അക്ഷരരൂപത്തിന്റെ ലൈസന്‍സ്സ്. അക്ഷരരൂപം ഇവിടെ ലഭിക്കും. വിമര്‍ഷനങ്ങള്‍ തൊട്ടുമുന്‍പത്തെ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗ് ലേഖനത്തില്‍ അറിയിക്കുക.(ഇതിന്റെ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പതിപ്പാണ്)

അതില്‍ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന ക്രൈ സംഭാവന ഇവിടെയും ബാധകമാണേ...

Thanks! Perizia is now a font.

2008-03-02T10:01:00.004+05:30

The Perizia, was huge and hit than all our expectations. Thanks to all, who supported us, who rejected us - both where our energy boosters. All our thanks goes to the delegates of Perizia, who where completely with us, each and every moment. Thank you all.

While I made the logo, it was just a trail to make an asymmetric font over a standard typographic design. The tool I picked for making it was none other the very right tool - inkscape. And the simplification of the font, with reducing the space between the alphabets, it was just a work of 3 minutes. Later I worked over those glyph pattern to make it more asymmetric and it worked well and others accepted that. Hence - Its now a true type font! Named 'Perizia', in the memory of that fantastic moment. Its a title font, use it wisely! Licensed under GNU GPL V3. You can download from here.

If you liked the font, and it you wish to express thanks to me, I humbly request you to donate to CRY, let it bring light to children. Suggestions and criticisms are always welcome..

Thanks to all students and staffs of computer science department.

സിയയുടെ നാമം അഥവ perizia.in

2008-02-28T14:40:00.002+05:30

സിയയും ശശിയും കാമുകി കാമുകന്മാരായിരുന്നു. ഒപ്പം ജനിച്ചു ഒപ്പം വളര്‍ന്നു ഒപ്പം ജീവിക്കാന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചവര്‍. എന്നാല്‍ വിധി അവരെ ഒന്നിക്കാന്‍ സമ്മതിച്ചില്ല. അവരുടെ വീട്ടുക്കാര്‍ എതിര്‍ത്തു. അവരെ എതിര്‍ത്ത വീട്ടുകാരെ അവരും എതിര്‍ത്തു. അവര്‍ സ്വന്താമായി ഒരു ജീവിതം തുടങ്ങാന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചു. അവര്‍ ഒള്ളിച്ചൊടി.

അറിയാത്ത വഴികളിലൂടെയുള്ള അവരുടെ പ്രയാണം അതീവ ദുര്‍ഘടങ്ങള്‍ നിറഞ്ഞതായിരുന്നു. അവര്‍ അറിയാതെ തന്നെ അവര്‍ അവരുടെ ലോകത്തില്‍ നിന്നകന്നു, മറ്റെവിടയോ എത്തിചേര്‍ന്നു. അവസാനം അവര്‍ കുന്നങ്കുളത്തെത്തി. അവര്‍ക്കറിയാത്ത ഭാഷ, അവര്‍ക്കറിയാത്ത നാടു്, നാട്ടുകാര്‍. അവിടെവച്ച് അപ്രതീക്ഷിതമായി സിയയെ കാണാതായി, ശശി അവളെ തേടിയലഞ്ഞു. (ശശി, വഴി, വഴി, ശശി എന്നിവ മാറി മാറി). അവന്റെ തേടല്‍ ദിവസങ്ങളോളം നീണ്ടു. സിയെയേ തേടി നടന്ന അവന്‍ ഭക്ഷണവും വിശ്രമവുമെല്ലാം മറന്നു. അവന്‍ എല്ലവരോടും സിയയെ പറ്റി ചോദിച്ചു, അവരുടെ ഭാഷ ശശിക്കു മനസ്സിലായില്ല, ശശിയുടേത് അവര്‍ക്കും. ആകെ അവനു കുന്നങ്കുളത്തെ ഭാഷയില്‍ മനസ്സിലായതു് "പേരു്" എന്ന പദം മാത്രമാണ്. അവന്‍ പറഞ്ഞു നടന്നു "പേരു് സിയ, പേരു സിയ ". അവളെ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടതിന്റെ ആഘാതം അവനില്‍ സാരമായ വ്യാകുലതകള്‍ സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു. അവന്‍ കാണുന്ന മതിലുകളില്‍ പേരു് സിയ എന്നു എഴുതിവയ്ക്കാന്‍ തുടങ്ങി, കാണുന്ന തെങ്ങിലെല്ലാം അവന്‍ പേരു സിയ എന്നെഴുതിയ പത്രങ്ങള്‍ ഒട്ടിക്കുവാന്‍ തുടങ്ങി. അവസാനം ആരുമറിയാതെ അവളെതേടികിട്ടാതെ അവന്‍ മരണമടഞ്ഞു. ആ മോക്ഷം കിട്ടാത്ത ആത്മാവിന്റെ ശാന്തിക്കായി ആ നാടിലെ ജനങ്ങല്‍ എല്ലാ അതിവര്‍ഷത്തിലെയും ഫെബ്രുവരി 29തിനു ആ കാമുകികാമുകന്മാരെ ഓര്‍ക്കുന്നു - തെങ്ങിലും മതിലുകളിലും ഒട്ടിക്കുന്നു. പെരുസിയ, പെരിസിയ, perizia.

ഈ സൃഷ്ടിക്കു സഹായിച്ചവര്‍ : പ്രവീണ്‍, അനിവര്‍, വിമല്‍, ദിലീപ്.

Thus it worked!

2008-02-20T15:48:00.003+05:30

Finally after a three week trial, I got my gnuttaappi's (laptop) camera in working condition! It was done using luvcview, thanks to Tuxmaniac for telling me about it. Thus my Dell XPS M1210 can do Wi Fi, Blue tooth, Sing, Record with Mic, Take Pic with Ubuntu and Debian!

I am still confused - how this small thing can capture such a huge face? :)

Yahooo...

2008-02-06T11:55:00.000+05:30

Microsoft is taking over Yahoo! by Gnal.
Licensed as Creative Commons Attribution.

Taare Zameen Par : A Review

2008-01-16T22:51:00.000+05:30

Taare Zameen Par, unable to describe the film. "Excellent" will not be enough.

Its never a film which tells about a child having dyslexia. Instead, it deals with the child nature, the hidden qualities in each child and about pressures that parents put on their kids into becoming a so called professional.

The film directed and produced by Aamir Khan, story by Amole Gupte and the main character, 8 year old boy Ishaan Awasthi wonderfully described by the writer and perfectly done by Darsheel Safary the film is a whole pack of entertainment along with very real heart touching scenes making audience to "think", which seldom bollywood films do. Each and every moment and substance which the film provide, from head to tail, is so perfectly blended in such a manner that the viewer will never feel anything odd.

From the basic, the story which deals with simple topic, in connection to real world, describing each and every thing with a point of view of an eight year old boy, writer Amole Gupte becomes cent percent successful over his job. Being a low mark holder even from KG level and having an always-topper sibling, I was able to recall much of my good old days, those days which I had scolds from parents, fight with neighbours and my school days where I was forced to draw image of flower vase and colour the butterflies with the very specified shades.

The direction done by one of the most creative film artist India had, Aamir shows his vision over the story and his experience of being in the film industry. He had done much hard work and is completely successful as a director capturing the frames containing the innocent activities by small kids, specially in assembly.

Cinematography by Setu also receives an applause as it is done in a very classic way. The music by Shankar - Ehsaan - Loy is also great as like the other things making the film more beautiful.

The three main things which I loved the best, over the film are Darsheel Safary, the music lyrics and the animation and design. The animation in the starting as well as the font used for title makes it a perfect one. The music lyrics which is heavy, emotional, and touching in every sense making a perfect treat for listeners and a chance for eyes to get wet.

Bhej Na Itna Door Mujkko Tu
Yaad Bhi Tujhko Aa Naa Paoon Maa
Kya Itna Bura Hoon Main Maa
Kya Itna Bura, Meri Maa

And Darsheel, is really a gem. The words are not enough for him. Expressions are so wonderful.

Its being hardly a week before I saw the film, and still now I can see the scenes - multiplication concept, the title card, the flip book, the school bunking, and the final drawings. Thanks to Aamir, Darsheel, Amole, Deepa Bhatia and the Crew for making such a wonderful film, the best film for me in the year 2007 and one of the best in my whole life.

Link to Aamir Khan's blog

Taking at MES

2007-12-17T19:53:00.000+05:30

It was a sudden unexpected one - a call for conducting a talk at M E S, Kuttipuram, yesterday early morning. As usually I was bit excited,and a byte tensed. It was the inauguration function of MATRICS [MES Association for Technology Research In Computer Science!], Dept. of Computer Science and I was representing Focuz Infotech. The talk was the usual one - celebrating freedom, modified slightly for making it some who technical too. And the experience was as usual. :)

Evening we had a small celebration of christmas! just a cake, 25 guys, 49 hands and one steel rule!

--
If they have no bread, then let them eat cake! - Marie Antoinette

ViBGYOR International Film Festival 2008

2007-12-14T22:59:00.000+05:30

ViBGYOR 2007 was one of the best thing in my life, still in my memories as a rainbow. As waited, its 3rd edition is now on real - from February 13th to 17th 2008. This year the focus topic is energy, as it was earth on the last year.

Link to the site.

The four-day Film festival is not only a treat of brilliant films but an interface with filmmakers, activists, people’s movement leaders, academicians, youth and common people from as divergent streams of life and activities. It includes talks, discussions, cultural programmes and informal exchanges.
(Source : The ViBGYOR webpage)

Truth ! I have experienced it last year!

Foss.in Day 3

2007-12-07T16:56:00.000+05:30

The climate was chilling one ( I really wished to have an ice cream!). Kishore arrived the morning, the team is now more than of 15 !
I was late when reached the place due to traffic issue and my deep sleep. Holger Hans Peter Freyther on Open Embedded Systems, Baiju M on Zope and Duffy on FOSS Art where the three talks which I attended and had a very good time with those.

The two major attraction of the day where Niyam and Máirín's Duffy. Niyam is simply a man of many things : writing, techie, consulting, designing and all, and it was amazing to see a person who shares his knowledge in such a way simply on the topic which the listener is interested! I loved his style and his visiting card idea too. Have a look at his web page. Máirín Duffy, she who is with GNOME art and Fedora, it was amazing to attend her talk, the slides and concepts which she shared was simple and in a very good way. I am amazed.

(Gnome. KDE) = (KDE, Gnome)

Niyam and his visiting cards!

With Máirín Duffy

The most worst thing that had on day 3 was my journey to my sister's house. A travel inside a bus for near to two hours with rush, rain and all! It was pathetic and boring.

Bus Rush!

സന്തോഷ് തകര്‍ക്കുമ്പോള്‍

2007-12-05T14:59:00.001+05:30

കാണികള്‍

തകര്‍ക്കുന്ന സന്തോഷ്

Audience for Santhosh's talk on Dhvani :)
More details. to be blogged later

Foss.in : Day 1

2007-12-04T22:14:00.000+05:30

The workshop day, we where late when we arrived IISc. The queue was quite long and we still had to have our breakfast. The session by Christian Perrier on Debian Workshop was the first one I attend. It was on basic things of l10n and was much interesting one. I missed the show of Mairin Duffy, from GNOME artist Team of Redhat as I was late which was one I never want to miss. (Anyway I am now with the schedule, making my personal schedule for not missing the most required.) The next session was on Open GL at GNOME Wokshop by Shreyas Srinivasan. It was one good. After the talk, there was a very unexpected food - i haven't had such a nice food in any other foss events so far (Thanks to the team and the cook)

After the lunch I got hanged with the GNU guys - Anoop, Baiju, Shyam, Santhosh, Anivar, Suresh, Mobin and had a great time of conversation with them. Andrew Cowie's talk on GTK and multi thread was one another which I had planned to attend, and I did so. It was also a worthy one, and his style of presentation with quick fast speech and all was a great experience to attend. (He made an attempt of attraction by providing cookies for those who sleep while he talks - let me do something same in future : cookies for those who are not sleeping.)

The night was to a great one - we don't have arranged any place for the stay and we had to "run" in the city for more than one hour with whole tension to find a room. Atlast we three - me Suresh(Suruma) and Anoop got a stay at Youth Hostel Bangalore making the day complete. Thinking over the day 2 @ foss.in!

Photos will be uploaded sooner.

Foss.in : Rail over the way.

2007-12-04T15:24:00.000+05:30

The travel to Bangalore was on train. The train reached the station by 6.20pm as expected and we where on the quite comfortable place. Some guys from GECT where also there in the very same train, but in different compartment. As usual we where completely covered over with talking about various issues, fooling each other and all, we "forgot" to have the dinner.

'Whats the problem on having a day without dinner?' The question came from Anoop and Shyam and well I have to compromise with them. We again waited looking outside weather to find any place for the food. As the mission failed by 10pm, we decided to sleep by having water as the dinner. Though I tried to sleep, I failed and had a breaking sleep. The train was 3 hour late and we woke up with very hungry stomach by 5 and still it required more two more hour to reach the destination. In the serach for ticket from the bag, I got a Island chocolate, by the time I recovered the fact that it was the one Lithu gave me, the chocolate was almost over, thanks to Anoop and Shyam. Any ways that was the only food for three of us while the journey. Thanks Lithu!

Anoop, busy with mobile phone!Shyam @ Monkey Cap
The Dinner!

To foss.in

2007-12-03T18:58:00.000+05:30

Here starts my first foss.in experience. On the way to Banglore form Thrissur along with Shyam, Anoop and Suresh.

Persons who miss the show : Praveen, Pramode, Sarath Lakshman and my classmates! :(

FSF releases GNU AGPL

2007-11-20T17:10:00.000+05:30

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today published the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (GNU AGPLv3). This is a new license; it is based on version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GNU GPLv3), but has an additional term to allow users who interact with the licensed software over a network to receive the source for that program. By publishing this license, the FSF aims to foster user and development communities around network-oriented free software.

Release Details. Complete GNU AGPL

Ragging three-dozen students

2007-11-15T17:39:00.000+05:30

After a long break, I did one more talk - the celebrating freedom. The victims where new batch of Computer Science and Engineering students who just are two month old to our college. It was equivalent to a ragging for them as it is been done by one like me for more than 2 hours in a stretch. The students are any how better, when compared to our batch and my just juniors as the number of internet user, who have heard of GNU, Linux, Wikipedia, etc get increased when compared to other batches.

The new generation are having more experience over the internet as well as computer, which I was familiar by my experience on handling the students at Malappuram. Anyway this time to it was a wonderful experience for me, handling and ragging a three dozen students with FOSS and GNU!

ഒരു സാഹസം : ഇതിനെ കഥയെന്നു ഞാന്‍ വിളിക്കുന്നു

2007-11-08T15:40:00.000+05:30

ശുഭയാത്ര

"ഒരു ജൂസ്സ് കുടിച്ചാലോ?" ഞാന്‍ സമ്മതമെന്ന മട്ടില്‍ മൂളി. പൊള്ളുന്ന ചൂടില്‍ ഒരാശ്വാസം. ഇനി യാത്രയാണ്. രണ്ടുപേരും വീടുകളിലേയ്ക്കു്. രണ്ടുമണിക്കൂര്‍ യാത്ര. അതും ഒറ്റയ്ക്കു്. ഞാന്‍ ഓര്‍ത്തുകൊണ്ട് ശക്തന്‍ സ്റ്റാന്റിലുള്ള കൂള്‍ബാറില്‍ കയറി. അവളപ്പോഴേയ്ക്കും ഒരു മുക്കില്‍ ഇരുപ്പുറപ്പിച്ചിരുന്നു. ഒരു പയ്യന്‍ നല്ല തൃശ്ശൂര്‍ ഭാഷയില്‍ ചോദിച്ചു "കുടിക്കാനെന്താ". തൂവാനത്തുമ്പികളിലെ സീനുകള്‍ മനസ്സില്‍ നിറഞ്ഞു. ഒരു ഷാര്‍ജ, നിനക്കോ ? "എനിക്കും" ഞാന്‍ തീരെ ഘനമില്ലാത്ത ശബ്ദത്തില്‍ പറഞ്ഞു. എന്തുപറ്റി എന്നമട്ടില്‍ അവള്‍ എന്നെ നോക്കി.
"തൂവാനത്തുമ്പികളിലെ സീനുകള്‍ ഞാന്‍ ഓര്‍ത്തതാ, എന്തു സൂപ്പറാലേ പത്മരാജന്‍? ഇന്നലേയും ഞാനതുകണ്ടു"
"പറഞ്ഞതു നന്നായി" അവള്‍ ഉരവിട്ടു "എന്റെ 'ഇന്നലെ'യുടെ സി.ഡി എവിടെയാ?"
വെറുതെ ഒരു പൊട്ടത്തരം പറഞ്ഞു. അവളെ ഓര്‍മ്മിപ്പിക്കേണ്ടതില്ല. അതെവിടെയാണെന്നാര്‍ക്കുമറിയില്ല. ഞാന്‍ ഒരു ചിരി പാസ്സാക്കി. ജുസ്സ് കുടിച്ചുകൊണ്ടും ഞങ്ങള്‍ ഏറെ നേരം സംസാരിച്ചു - സാധാരണയിലും വിപരീതമായി, മൈക്ക് അവളുടെ കൈയിലായിരുന്നു, ഉപദേശവുമല്ലായിരുന്നു. സംസാരത്തിനിടയില്‍ ഒരു കട്ടുറുമ്പ് - ഒരു ഫോണ്‍, വീട്ടില്‍ നിന്നാണ്. വരുന്നുണ്ടോ എന്നാണ് ചോദ്യം. ഉടന്‍ ഉത്തരം മൂളി ജൂസ്സുകുടി തുടര്‍ന്നു.
"ഞാന്‍ ബില്ലു കൊടുക്കാം" അവള്‍ പറഞ്ഞു. "നിര്‍ബന്ധമാണെങ്കില്‍" ഞാന്‍ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു തുടങ്ങി.
"ആണെങ്കില്‍?" അവള്‍ സംശയത്തോടെ എന്നെ നോക്കി.
"എന്റെ ബസ്സ് ചാര്‍ജ്ജും നീ കൊടുത്തോ ഒരു വിഷമവുമില്ല."
നീ നന്നാവില്ല എന്നു പറയും വിധത്തില്‍ ഒരു ചിരിയവളുടെ മുഖത്തു് വിരിഞ്ഞു.
പത്തു രൂപയുടെ ഒരു കുട്ടിറീച്ചാര്‍ജ്ജ് വാങ്ങിക്കൊണ്ടു് ഞാന്‍ അവളെ നോക്കിച്ചിരിച്ചു.
"എന്റെ ബസ്സിതാപോണൂ, അതില്‍ കയറട്ടെ, അടുത്ത ബസ്സ് കാല്‍മണിക്കൂറിനു ശേഷമാ"
"ബൈ" അവള്‍ ബസ്സിന്റെ അടുത്തേയ്ക്കു പോയി. ഞാന്‍ പാലക്കാടേയ്ക്കുള്ള ബസ്സില്‍ കയറി.

ചൂടുകൊണ്ടാവാം, അറിയില്ല. ബസ്സില്‍ കയറിയതും എന്നിക്കുറക്കം വരാന്‍ തുടങ്ങി. ഞാന്‍ മുന്നിലേയ്ക്കു നോക്കി. ഒരു പെണ്‍ക്കുട്ടിപോലുമില്ല. കഷ്ടം. ഞാന്‍ ഉറങ്ങാന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചു. ഒരു മയക്കം തുടങ്ങിയെങ്കിലും ചുറ്റുമുള്ള ശബ്ദങ്ങള്‍ ആ പ്രവൃത്തിയ്ക്കു വിഘ്നമായി. വണ്ടിയില്‍ തിരക്കു കൂടിയിരിക്കുന്നു. മിക്കവാറും സീറ്റില്‍ ആളുകളായി. തന്റെ അടുത്താരും ഇല്ല.

ഒരു വൃദ്ധനും മകളും ബസ്സിന്റെ പിന്നിലെ വാതിലിലൂടെ കയറി. ഞാന്‍ ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചു. ആ കുട്ടി കൊള്ളാം. അവര്‍ മുന്നിലേയ്കു നോക്കി. ഒരു സീറ്റ് മാത്രമേ കാലിയുള്ളു. ആ സീറ്റിലാണെങ്കില്‍ ഒരു യുവാവും. എന്റെ മനസ്സിന്റെ കോണ്ണില്‍ ഒളിച്ചിരുന്ന 'മാന്യന്‍' അറിയാതെ പുറത്തു വന്നു. ആ സീറ്റില്‍ നിന്നെഴുന്നേറ്റ് ഞാന്‍ ആ വൃദ്ധനെ നോക്കി ചിരിച്ചു് മുന്നിലേയ്ക്കു നടന്നു. ഒരടിനടക്കുമ്പോഴേയ്ക്കും ആ വൃദ്ധന്‍ എന്നെ നോക്കി. "ഒരാളെ പോകുന്നുള്ളു, ഇവള്‍". എങ്കിലും താന്‍ അവിടെ ആ യുവതിയോടൊപ്പമിരിക്കാമോ? എന്റെ മനസ്സിനെ മാന്യന്‍ പൂര്‍ണ്ണമായും ഏറ്റെടുത്തു കഴിഞ്ഞിരുന്നു. അപ്പൊഴേയ്ക്കും ആ മുന്നിലെ സിറ്റില്‍ മറ്റൊരാള്‍ കയറിയിരുന്നിരുന്നു. ഞാന്‍ പുറകൊട്ടു നോക്കി, അവള്‍ എന്നെ നോക്കി ചിരിച്ചു, ഞാന്‍ ഒരു സാദാ ചിരികൊടുത്തു് സിറ്റിലിരുന്നു. അവള്‍ എന്റെ അപ്പുറത്തും. അവളുടെ അച്ഛനിറങ്ങിനടന്നു. എല്ലാ യാത്രയിലും 'വല്ലവരും' ഇതുപോലെ അടുത്തുണ്ടാവും എന്നു ചിന്തിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് എങ്കിലും അതൊരു സുഖമുള്ള സ്വപനം മാത്രമായിരുന്നു. ഇന്നിതാ ഒട്ടും പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കാതിരുന്നപ്പോള്‍ അതു് സംഭവിച്ചു. ഞാന്‍ സ്വയം ആനന്ദിച്ചു. വണ്ടിയിലെ യാത്രക്കാര്‍ അധികമായി, ആണുങ്ങളുടെ ഇടയില്‍ പെട്ടതുകൊണ്ടാവാം അവളിലൊരു പരിഭ്രമം കാണാമായിരുന്നു. ഞാന്‍ അവളെ ഒന്നു നോക്കി, പേരു ചോദിക്കണം പരിചയപ്പെടണം, ഞാന്‍ ഉറപ്പിച്ചു. അവളുടെ മുഖത്തു് നിറഞ്ഞു നില്‍ക്കുന്ന അസ്വസ്തത എന്റെ മനസ്സിലെ മാന്യനെ വീണ്ടുമുണര്‍ത്തി. "ഉള്ളിലേക്കിരിക്കാം" ഞാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞു. അവള്‍ സസന്തോഷത്തോടെ സമ്മതിച്ചു. പെട്ടന്നാകൈകള്‍ എന്റെ ദേഹത്തു മുട്ടി, അശരീരിപോലെ ഒരു ശബ്ദം എന്റെ ചെവിയില്‍ പതിച്ചു "ഇവിടെയിറങ്ങുന്നില്ലേ?". ഞാന്‍ ഞെട്ടലോടെ എല്ലാ വശത്തേയ്ക്കും നോക്കി. രമ്യ. എവളൊടൊപ്പമല്ലേ ഞാന്‍ ജൂസ്സ് കുടിച്ചതു്? പിന്നെ എവളെങ്ങനെ എവിടെ? ഞാന്‍ കോളേജ്ജു ബസ്സിന്റെ ഉള്ളിലാണ്. ശക്തന്‍ സ്റ്റാന്റ് എത്താറായി. ഇതെല്ലാം ഒരു സ്വപ്നമായിരുന്നു. ഞാന്‍ പരിസരബോധം വീണ്ടെടുത്തു് കോളേജ്ജു ബസ്സില്‍ നിന്നും ഇറങ്ങി. ഒപ്പം രമ്യയും.

"നീയും ഞാനും കൂടിയൊരു ഷേക്ക് കുടിക്കുന്നതു് ഞാന്‍ സ്വപ്നം കണ്ടു!" പറഞ്ഞുത്തീര്‍ക്കും മുന്‍പേ അവളതു കേള്‍ക്കാതവിധം എന്നോടിങ്ങോട്ടു ചോദിച്ചു - "ഒരു ജൂസ്സ് കുടിച്ചാലോ?".
ശക്തന്‍ സ്റ്റാന്റ്, ജൂസ്സ്, രമ്യ. എല്ലാം അതുപോലെ. ഞാന്‍ ഒരു നിമിഷം പത്മരാജന്റെ 'ഓര്‍മ്മയും' മമ്മൂട്ടി ചിത്രമായ 'അയ്യര്‍ ദ ഗ്രേറ്റും' ഓര്‍ത്തു. "ഒരു ഷാര്‍ജ, നിനക്കോ?". അതേ ചോദ്യം. ഞാന്‍ ഞെട്ടലോടെ മൂള്ളി, എന്നിട്ടു പറഞ്ഞു "എനിക്കും". അതേ പരിസരം, അതെ രീതി, ആ പയ്യന്‍ തൃശ്ശൂര്‍ സ്ലാങ്ങില്‍ ഡയലോഗ്ഗിട്ടോ? ഞാന്‍ അറിഞ്ഞില്ല. "ഉം?" രമ്യയില്‍ നിന്നാചോദ്യമുയര്‍ന്നു. സ്വപ്നതെ പൂര്‍ണ്ണമായോര്‍ത്തു ഞാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞു - "ഇന്നലേയും ഞാന്‍ തൂവാനത്തുമ്പികള്‍ കണ്ടു, അതോര്‍ത്തതാ, എന്തു സൂപ്പറാലേ പത്മരാജന്‍?" അവളുടെ മറുചോദ്യത്തിനായി ഞാന്‍ കാത്തിരുന്നു, സ്വപ്നം ഫലിക്കുമോ? "എന്റെ സി.ഡി എവിടെയാ?'ഇന്നലെ'?". അതെ. അതെല്ലാം സംഭവിക്കുന്നു. ഇടയില്‍ അമ്മയുടെ ഫോണ്‍കോള്‍ വന്നപ്പോഴും, അവള്‍ കാശുകൊടുത്തപോഴും ഞാന്‍ ആ പെണ്‍ക്കുട്ടിയുടെ മുഖമൊര്‍ക്കന്‍ ശ്രമിച്ചു. ഇല്ല. ഞാന്‍ അവളെയിതുവരെ കണ്ടിട്ടില്ല. ഒരു കുട്ടി റീച്ചാര്‍ജ്ജ് വാങ്ങി കൈയില്‍ പിടിച്ചു നില്‍ക്കുമ്പോള്‍ രമ്യ എന്തോ പറഞ്ഞു ഓടി ബസ്സില്‍ കയറുന്നതു് അവ്യക്തമായി കണ്ടു. ആ അവ്യക്തത നേരത്തെ കണ്ട സ്വപ്നവുമായി സാമ്യമായി പോവുന്നതായെന്നിക്കു തോന്നി. പാലക്കടേയ്ക്കുള്ള ബസ്സില്‍ കയറിയിരുന്നു. സ്വപ്നത്തില്‍ കണ്ട അതേ സീറ്റ്. യാത്രക്കാര്‍ തീരെകുറവ്. സ്വപ്നം പ്രകാരം താന്‍ ഉറങ്ങേണ്ടിയിരിക്കുന്നു, കണടയ്ക്കണോ? ആവാം. എങ്കിലും ആ മുഖം തനിക്കോര്‍ക്കാന്‍ പറ്റുന്നില്ലല്ലോ? സ്വപ്നത്തെ വീണ്ടും തട്ടിയുണര്‍ത്തി, ചിന്തയിലാണ്ടു. ആ ചിന്ത അറിയാതെ എന്നെ നിദ്രയിലേയ്ക്കു കൊണ്ടുപോയി.

"സാര്‍", ഒരു ലോട്ടറി ടിക്കറ്റു വില്‍പ്പനക്കാരന്റെ വിളികേട്ട് ഞാന്‍ ഉണര്‍ന്നു. കഷ്ടിച്ച് അഞ്ചു മിനുട്ട്, അത്രെമാത്രം. "സാറിന്റെ ഭാഗ്യം ഈ നിമിഷമാണ്, ഒരു ടിക്കറ്റ് തരട്ടേ?". ഞാന്‍ ചുറ്റും നോക്കി. യാത്രക്കാര്‍ കൂടിവരുന്നു. അതെ അതു സംഭവിക്കുന്നു. ഒരു വൃദ്ധനും മകളും, "അതെ, എന്റെ ഭാഗ്യം.......ഈ നിമിഷം തന്നെയാണ്" ഞാന്‍ സ്വയം പറഞ്ഞു മുന്നിലേയ്ക്കു നോക്കി, അവിടെ ഒരു സീറ്റ് ബാക്കിയുണ്ട്. ഞാന്‍ ആ മകളെ നോക്കി. ഇവളക്കു വേണ്ടിത്തന്നെയാണ് ഞാന്‍ കാത്തിരുന്നത്. ആ മുഖത്തോടു ഒരു ജന്മാന്തര പരിചയമുള്ളതു പോലെയെന്നിക്കു തോന്നി. ഞാന്‍ എത്രയോ തവണ കണ്ടതു പോലെ. അവര്‍ അവിടെ സീറ്റു തപ്പി നിന്നു. മുന്നിലും എന്റെയടുത്തും മാത്രം സീറ്റുകള്‍. ആ വൃദ്ധന്‍ എന്നെ നോക്കി, ഞാന്‍ ചിരിച്ചു കൊണ്ടെഴുനേറ്റ് മുന്നിലേയ്ക്കു് നടന്നു. പിന്‍വിളികാതോര്‍ത്തിരിക്കവെ അതു സംഭവിച്ചു. മന്ദഹാസത്തോടെ ഞാന്‍ തിരിഞ്ഞു നോക്കി. ഞെട്ടി. ആ അച്ഛനും മകളും അവിടെയിരിയ്ക്കുന്നു. ആ വിളി എന്റെ തോന്നല്‍ മാത്രമായിരുന്നു. ഞാന്‍ മുന്നിലേയ്ക്കു നോക്കിയതും തകര്‍ന്നുപോയി. ആകെയുണ്ടായിരുന്ന മുന്നിലെ സീറ്റില്‍ മറ്റൊരുത്തന്‍.

അവളുടെ മുഖതേയ്ക്കു ഞാന്‍ നോക്കി ചിരിച്ചു. ആ നോട്ടം എന്തോ അപരാധമെന്നവിധം എന്നെ നോക്കി കണ്ണുരുട്ടി പേടിപ്പിച്ചു അവള്‍ തല വെട്ടിച്ചു, അപ്പുറത്തെയ്ക്കു നോക്കിയിരുന്നു. "മൂദേവി, അഹങ്കാരി" ഇവള്‍ക്കത്രയും സൌന്ദര്യമൊന്നുമില്ല. ആവറെജ്ജ്, അത്ര മാത്രം. പല്ലു പോങ്ങീട്ടലേ? ഇത്രയ്ക്കു വെളുക്കണ്ടാവശ്യമുണ്ടോ? ഈ നിറമിത്തിരി ഓവറല്ലേ? വെള്ളപ്പാണ്ടു പോലെയില്ലേ? ചിന്തകള്‍ക്കിടെ ബസ്സ് നീങ്ങി തുടങ്ങി.

എന്റെ ആദ്യ മലയാളം ബ്ലോഗ്ഗ് സാഹസമാണിതു്. അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ അറിയിക്കുമെന്നു വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നു. അക്ഷരതെറ്റുകള്‍ പൊറുക്കാനപേക്ഷ.

Training to be a slave

2007-11-02T13:08:00.000+05:30

It was on the last night (Tuesday), I got an SMS from my friend about the program at Sahrdaya Engineering College, Thrissur where a guy from Microsoft is conducting a session on web technologies. I just looked on it and went to do something else, with in an hour the same message flood over the mobile, from different destinations."Whats too great of with the event, lets mash it up" - I decided and start calling my friends. As it was a working day, I could not make much GNUers such as Shyam and Mobin attend the program, but I got a great company for the travel - a dozen of juniors.
I was there by 10 am and the show was not yet begun. The day was so hot, and no ices where there to follow me. It was my second visit to SCET, and nothing there was unexpected for me, while Lalu was looking with a doubted eye when he saw a gate-guard asking the address and ID card to get inside the Great-Wall-of-Sahridaya. Luckily, I had taken the card along with me, as I am already aware of better bitter experiences here.

The first talk was by Ajay Thomas of Microsoft, Highly qualified, known to talk speaker. The talk was on Web Technologies, the guy talked of it - all about W3C, XML, CSS, AJAX and Web 2.0. He never told any thing about the Microsoft other than the .NET. I talked with him in public and in private about MS and Freedom, he was willing to hear and offered me a time to talk and "rectify" my doubts of being non-free, though I never got that dream fulfilled. After the talk I had my lunch, which was as expected from a private-college : good looking, bad to eat strategy worked well there. [The lemon juice which I had from the mini canteen is something best] While having my food at canteen it came to my vision - four or five small charts with sentence "don't talk in Malayalam" pasted all over the canteen. Well, I found proud about my college that moment.The second section was on Cyber Forensic, by a guy of CDAC-TVM. The section was some how a boring one, and he attempted in such a way that there is every chance of cyber crimes and the best way is by not using the e things. As usual as a cyber expert he too, confused delegates with the term hacker and announced in session that hacker is worst and crackers are one with no special ideas in mind and simply innocent. (Man, better read this). Being the class so irritated, others began to ask weather to get out from there, and we decided so to get out of the hall. One among the teachers (a fair deal : teachers are also having uniforms there!, I have stopped dreaming to be a teacher in self-financing college) came and told us that you are here for the program and you should attend the entire program. He started an attempt to make fear , by telling that he won't give the certificate and as the last word he even said us that he will call our Principal and will complaint that we have not attended (luckily, he never told that he will call police). The students of Sahrdaya were there, seeing and hearing all this. They might be experienced of such situations, the no-expression-faces (or fear to express?) made me to think so. We at last planned to go out and got a strange unbelievable news : the gates are locked!

It was irritating, and most of the students of Sahrdaya had an innocent look on us, which I felt as "if you think irritated of this seconds, think of us - who is here for four years". At that time, some students came of our college suggested a solution to get out of the campus : a gate to the playground and a way out there. Hearing our ideas and plans one good looking girl was smiling, and such an innocent smile made me to think that she is been trying to get out of the campus - twice everyday through the gate. [Actually it made me to think Prabhu's role on Kaalapani]

(Let me finish the experience, only then I can start the rest) We at last went inside the hall and attended the last thirty minutes or more again. After sometimes as soon as the session was stopped we went out, and I asked to the same good looking girl ( in fact I wasted out a ten minutes or more to find her) for any transportation facility to the near by stand, as it was something impossible one - i got one more chance to see her innocent smile. (Am I writing more about her, I fear). And last we came out - really celebrating the freedom and the taste of air.

Was it the way to educate the next generation? Camera, Teachers, English? To one how does not know the story - all the class rooms,(i don't know the case of bathrooms) are having four zoom-able cameras each. Don't the society who bothers about the camera in mobiles consider the camera's of institution as something for the increase blood pressure? And whats wrong with a person having conversation in Malayalam. Its fair to learn English and I even now feels to improve my bad English, but why there should be a restriction over the native language. And all, why the gates should be locked. All these students where there in my mind (along with something, which you can find all over the blog) while I am on my bed in the night. May due to these reasons, I don't know why snaps of Kaalapani and other film which deals with Indian Independence and heavy dose of patriotism came into my mind along with some legends such as Bagath Singh and all (most where extremists). Are they making qualified professionals or better slaves through the education? Is that fair to make a sense that restriction is the way of acquiring discipline?

Note: Its not a call for freedom struggle inside the SCET. :)

Pradip and reality shows

2007-10-26T15:42:00.000+05:30

The last Friday, as for having a small research for the Santhosh's new Project of Song Lyrics Archiving (he will describe it soon), I went to see Pradip Somasundaram. The meet was rather wonderful than I expected from a known singer cum college principal. He was simple, humble and much informal that I expected and made me to feel that I am talking over with some of my friends. While I was describing some free software issues and even talking stupidities over the technology and music, he was calm and sit in a wonderful manner with a little smile and excitement in his face, as normal for every one. And being not a participant of the new era reality shows, his reactions where not artificial, as he was not trained for acting. After seeing him and talking him for an hour or more, I went to my home.

The next three days I was at my sisters home, at Banglore as it was her house-warming on Monday. Being a hosteler and having only a old 31 good-for-nothing channels in the hostel the television had become a memory of my childhood. It was after a long time I saw the Malayalam channels Asianet and Surya (Kairali is the only one available in the hostel and in my rare visits to home the TV always stuck (read it properly, it's stuck) at IndiaVision ) and on the whole 2 days at Bangalore I saw nearly a dozen of so-called reality shows. I have heard of reality shows becoming bore these days, by having many stupid tricks like showing the cry of losers and a post dated sms contests and all. This time I really shocked, seeing a trailer of a program - a guy dressed like a doctor singing an old Malayalam song, which Mohanlal had acted so. I just told my sister what these stupidities are, and she replied with a reality-program-like-smile which meant as if these as very usual things which I have to expect on my life. I thought of a girl who is planning to sing OruMuraai of Manichitrathaazhu, and imagined such a participant dressed like Shobana in the film and singing that wonderful song, with in a minute or two - it really happened. I slapped my face as to know weather I was dreaming. It was real, I understood from the slap pain. A girl who sings and dances together the very same song. It was not a contest and was just a celebration event performed by the participants. She was wearing a traditional dance dress along with a microphone is her mouth and pretended to be singing and dancing along.

Excuse me channels, what you thought of your viewers? Fools?. Some like me are so, but how you thought all of them are like me? Again Pradip came to my mind, he never got as much chance in carrier as expected and what newcomers are having. Whats the solution : One) the world should understand his talent and give him chance or Two) Pradip should start to learn dancing. Than the second one being unknown is the best. Again a question came to my mind : why these new generation participants are accepting to do such waste-of-personality show-offs and such over acting for loss and success. Will crying make more fame? My Semester 4 result will came soon - let me cry alternatively for the wins and losses there, who knows that it is going to make me more famous. Many more questions remaining in my mind and a huge amount of sincere respect to singer such as Yesudas, Chitra and all who sang lovely - without dancing.

Link to Pradip's OruMurai here. Think of dancing and singing the song along.
Note : This blogging is done in a rush.

എനിക്കുമുണ്ടായിരുന്നു ഒരു വിദ്യാരംഭം

2007-10-17T17:00:00.000+05:30

നവരാത്രിയാഘോഷങ്ങളും എഴുത്തിനിരുത്തല്‍ ചടങ്ങുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെടുത്തിയുള്ള പല പ്രമുഖരുടെയും ഓര്‍മ്മകള്‍ മാധ്യമങ്ങളില്‍ നിറഞ്ഞു തുടങ്ങവെ, എന്റെ എഴുതിനിരുത്തലുമായി ബന്ധപെട്ടുള്ള ഒരു 'ഐതിഹ്യം' ഞാന്‍ ഓര്‍ക്കുന്നു, അതു ബ്ലോഗ്ഗുന്നു...

എന്റെ എഴുതിനിരുത്തല്‍ ഒരു സംഭവം തന്നെയായിരുന്നു. കൊല്ലവര്‍ഷം 1166-ല്‍ (1990) പാലക്കാട്ടെ പറളിയിലുള്ള 'ആര്‍ദ്ര'യില്‍ (എന്റെ അമ്മയുടെ വീട്‌) വച്ചാണ്‌ ഈ സംഭവം നടക്കുന്നത്. അമ്മയുടെ അച്ഛന്റെ (പാലക്കാട് വിക്ടോറിയ, തലശ്ശേരി ബ്രണ്ണന്‍, ഗവ. ചിറ്റൂര്‍ കോളേജ് എന്നിവിടങ്ങളില്‍ മലയാളം അധ്യാപകനായിരുന്ന പ്രൊഫ. വി. വിജയന്‍) മടിയിലിരുന്നാണ് ഞാന്‍ ആദ്യാക്ഷരങ്ങള്‍ കുറിക്കുന്നത്. വിജയദശമി ദിവസം ഗണപതിഹോമവും സരസ്വതി പൂജയും കഴിഞ്ഞാണ് ചടങ്ങ്.

അമ്പത്തൊന്നക്ഷരങ്ങളില്‍ ഒരു പത്തു പത്തര അക്ഷരം ഞാന്‍ എന്റെ എല്ലാ ശുഷ്കാന്തിയും ഉപയോഗിച്ചു തന്നെ എഴുതിത്തീര്‍ത്തു. പക്ഷെ, പെട്ടെന്നു ഞാന്‍ ഉറക്കം തൂങ്ങാന്‍ തുടങ്ങി. എന്നെ പേരു വിളിച്ചും തട്ടിയും ഒക്കെ ഉണര്‍ത്തിയിരുത്താനൂള്ള ശ്രമങ്ങളുമായി ആ കര്‍മ്മം മുന്നോട്ടു പോയി. അധികം നീണ്ടില്ല, ആ വിദ്യയും ഏല്‍ക്കാതെയായി. ഉറക്കം അതിന്റെ എല്ലാ ശക്തിയും ഉപയോഗിച്ച്‌ എന്നെ പൂര്‍ണ്ണമായും കീഴ്പ്പെടുത്തി, ഞാന്‍ ഇനി ഒരക്ഷരം പോലും എഴുതില്ല എന്ന അവസ്ഥയായി.

പിന്നെ, അവിടെ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്ന എല്ലാവരും ചേര്‍ന്നു പൂജയ്ക്കു നിവേദ്യമായി വച്ചിരുന്ന ഉണ്ണിയപ്പം, പായസം മുതലായവ കാണിച്ച്, അതെല്ലാം അധികം താമസിയാതെ തന്നെ എനിക്ക്‌ അകത്താക്കാന്‍ സാധിക്കും എന്നു ഉറപ്പു തന്നതോടെയാണു എന്റെ ഉറക്കം ഒരു വിധം അവസാനിച്ചതും ചടങ്ങു തുടര്‍ന്നതും.

അങ്ങനെ, ഉറക്കഭ്രാന്തില്‍ ഹരിശ്രീ കുറിച്ചു കഴിഞ്ഞു മുത്തശ്ശന്റെ മടിയില്‍ നിന്നും മാറ്റിയിരുത്തിയ ഉടനെ തന്നെ ഞാന്‍ അടുത്തു കട്ടിലിന്റെ താഴെയോ മറ്റോ കിടന്ന ഒരു മനോരമ 'ബോബനും മോളിയും' കൈക്കലാക്കിയെന്നും അതു 'ഒരിരുപ്പില്‍' തന്നെ വായിച്ചു തീര്‍ത്തു എന്നുമാണ്‌ ഐതിഹ്യം.

ആ സാഹസത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ഫോട്ടോ ഇതാ:തൊട്ടുമുന്‍പത്തെ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗിനു കമന്റായി അനിവര്‍ ഇട്ട ഫോട്ടോ പോലെ ഇതും ഞാന്‍ ആ കാലത്തു 'പോസ്സ്' ചെയ്തതാണോ എന്നു എനിക്കറിയില്ല, ഇതു വാസ്തവം തന്നെയാണ് എന്നാണ് അമ്മയുടെയും അന്നാട്ടിലെ പല പ്രമുഖരുടെയും വാദം.

Google and Jobs, Girls and ....

2007-10-12T16:53:00.000+05:30

It was on the last Wednesday night, I was on chat with Anitha, and Praveen was on phone. Me and ani where in huge discussion on romance and technology (nice topic ?), she said that all those social network and all on Internet really just make a virtual world and will never replace the old classic romance. I argued how each things work on computer and Internet and what all benefit it makes. Between the conversation, I don't remember how it came to topic I just replied to her that i am planning to post a girlfriend vacancy over the blog, she suggested a better way : hiran.movingrepublic.org/jobs as some companies are having. I was reading mails from python tutor along with the chat, the Gmail web clip showed the link for job vacancy at Google for Python Guru's. Just on my first look to that particular page, an idea stroked, told Praveen about the idea.

Thus a creative page which tells girlfriends vacancy in my life is formed with a little bit of editing (a work of exactly 8 minutes) using bluefish and gimp! The screen shot follows. Before that have a look at the original page. Why I made such: Its never an attempt on playing fun with Google and my trial is never to insult them. It was just for a fun. The page seemed to be more romantic, innovative and made me to think so. It was never a page which said much, and was so inspiring. If Google Job appeals you, Google is there for you and if my screenshot data appeals you : I am here for you.

പ്രവീ, സത്യായിട്ടും നീ അവിടെ പോയോ?

2007-10-09T17:40:00.000+05:30

എന്നു ചോദിക്കുന്നവര്‍ക്കായി.....

(വട്ടത്തിനുള്ളില്‍)
പ്രവിയുടെ യാത്രാവിശേഷങ്ങളടങ്ങിയ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗിനായി കണ്ണുംനട്ട്..

കേരളാഫാര്‍മര്‍ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗ് (വട്ടമില്ലെന്നു മാത്രം)

Who was born on Oct 2nd !

2007-10-05T11:51:00.000+05:30

As usual I was late. I am just reading the online feeds, mostly of Mathrubhumi and now a days I have lost my touch with the news papers. For the first time, today I went inside the new reference and periodicals session library in our college (which was started before a month or two!) just to check any friends is there. To my anxiety I ran through all the pages available there, On the scanning I saw a quite stunning title "Who was born on Oct 2nd". A very simple survey, in The New Indian Express, Sunday supplement, Sunday Express Magazine. The aim of the survey was simple, to check what the Indians know about Gandhi other than his name! The survey was by the Express Team of four, Dakshayani Kumaramangalam, Kamini Mathai, Priya M Menon and Ali Bin Abdulla. The survey doesn't had any special notes or conclusion and is not telling any suggestions or criticism as general, instead it just quotes out some statements which they got from the people. While reading I thought that its something to be blogged! and I confirmed to be one to blog after reading the statements like :

So what’s the hype about? And those women who were always with him. He was a sex maniac, wasn’t he? Someone told me that, though I don’t know the details.

I have also seen him in Munnabhai.

But yeah, he must have done something right or his birthday wouldn’t be a holiday for us every year.”(Loves the one who stated so!)

Read Whole story on Sunday Express

Hats off to The New Indian Express Team and to Rajkumar Hirani for taking the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai. After reading the whole in the article I feel that more such wonderful stories may be the article if Lage Raho was not released!

Free Burma

2007-10-04T23:32:00.000+05:30

Call someone, and hear others call for free!

2007-10-01T17:51:00.000+05:30

I am now celebrating my study leave. Two exams and over (again a victory to the University). I woke up early in morning at 9 am. I was confused on what I have to do. After my initial works, I went to have food and thought to call some one from Ladies Hostel to have combined study along with me and Lalu, my room mate. The first option was Chinnu, I called her well the call went to some others, two where talking a man about 50 year old and a young man with a good sound. I came confused on whats happening. I canceled the call and checked. She has not taken the phone. No lose on the balance. It was to some others call. After in noon, I tried to call another classmate Lithu, the same followed. But that time the talk was unclear.And in evening I called Praveen, that time I was lucky more - the conversation was with two women on the others topic (simply gossip) and enjoyed the talk for more than 30 minutes without any cost. Well, its a new sort of entertainment!!Thanks Vodafone! (My own hutch, I haven't trown that SIM yet). To malayalees on the issue I just want to tell 3 words on the Vodafone, the renaming :പട്ടി, വാല്‍, പന്ത്രണ്ട് .

(The same on my character, which made me to hear others conversation!)

I fear, does some one hear my calls?

Scandal In The Palace

2007-09-30T14:50:00.000+05:30

As elected governments find it more and more tough to be SEEN to be making unpopular decisions, it's fallen on the courts to do so.

Its from Arundathi Roy's new article in Outlook, October 2007 issue which starts with the sentence

Scandals can be fun. Especially those that knock preachers
from their pulpits and flick halos off saintly heads.

Read complete at : Link. Thanks to Anivar who posted it on Green Youth Mailing list.

Click here to sign the 'Investigate Justice Sabharwal Petition' to the President of India.Link to CJAR.

മീര അക്ഷരരൂപം

2007-09-21T15:35:00.000+05:30

ഹുസൈന് സാറും സുരേഷും വികസിപ്പിച്ചെടുത്തതും സോഫ്റ്റുവെയര് സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യ ദിനത്തില് കെവിനു നല്കി പ്രകാശിപ്പിച്ചതുമായി മീര യൂണികോഡനുസൃത അക്ഷരരൂപത്തിന്റെ വിന്ഡോസില് പ്രവര്ത്തിയ്ക്കുന്ന പതിപ്പു് കൂടി ഇപ്പോള് ഇന്റര്നെറ്റില് ലഭ്യമാണ്.

ഗ്നു/ലിനക്സിന് (സുറുമയിട്ട പാംഗോയില് പ്രവര്ത്തിയ്ക്കന്നത്) ഇവിടെ വിന്ഡോസിന് ഇവിടെ

നിങ്ങളുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങളും നിര്ദ്ദേശങ്ങളും സ്വതന്ത്ര മലയാളം കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ്ങ് ലിസ്റ്റില്‍ അറിയിയ്ക്കുക.

രചന,മീര എന്നി ഫോണ്ടുകളെ താരതമ്യപ്പെടുത്തിയുള്ള സുറുമ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗ് ഇവിടെ.

The blog is in malayalam. For help : link

When a Language dies

2007-09-20T10:00:00.000+05:30

An article published in National Geographic News is posted here. Its about the dying languages. After reading the whole I can now thing what the need of localisation is. As PramodeSir told on his blog:

A society and a culture is identified by its language - once the language is dead, the society starts losing its identity. A good way to keep a language alive is to take it to the digital world - the world of the PC/Communication devices and the Internet. This is one context in which developing regional language computing environments and popularising them has great significance.

Some interesting quotes from the news article:

Of the 50 native languages remaining in California, none is taught to schoolchildren today.
If they [children] live in an environment where two languages are spoken, one of them is less valued than the other, and they will speak the more valued language.

When a language is lost, centuries of human thinking about animals, plants, mathematics, and time may be lost with it.

The same article is there on the last page of today's Hindu. While searching on the net for some images that suits the topic, I saw wikipedia pages on Language death/Moribund language.All ended in the same thinking: will my language die? ഇല്ല. ഞാനതിനു സമ്മതിക്കില്ല. (No, I won't let it happen)

Update: The link to NG News is getting timed out some times. Hence link with the same news.Reuters Link

SFD !

2007-09-19T17:25:00.000+05:30

Foto @ Picasa of SFD

Other blogs on SFD : Anivar , Pramode sir, Sarath

More than that, It was Shyam along with me who scribed the signature on the balloon, I followed the pattern and requested every one who where there in the last moment to put a signature in the SFD balloon and that look like

We missed a great number of signature, anyway it can be followed in the future. There was more than a dozen active new faces there in the SFD, which made a feel that the future of Free Software is good. I hope.

The SFD completed with a dinner of volunteers, those team from GEC Thrissur who worked well to make this possible in a very small period along with me, pravi and anivar.

Software Freedom Day 2007

2007-09-10T15:52:00.000+05:30

Its our turn now! The SFD 07, is going to be celebrated on 14th and 15th of this month at Chamber of Commerce Hall, Thrissur by the Swathanthra Malayalam Computing . The relase of Meera, the new unicode font by Hussain Sir (My GSoC Mentor, who designed Rachana), Dhvani, Indian Language speech synthesizer, Swanalekha the SCIM, GNU aspell Malayalam (all the three by Santhosh Thottingal) TuxType the typing tutor in Malayalam by Mobin, Sharika the Malayalam Speech to Text Manipulation Project by Shyam, Lalitha the XKB by Jinesh will be relased on the event.

Every one is invited. The details here.

Ore Kadal : Review

2007-09-04T13:49:00.000+05:30

Film : Ore Kadal (Malayalam, 2007)
Theatre : Baiju, Kunnamkulam,Thrissur.
Time : 3nd Sept. 2007, 3.00pm
Ticket rate : Rs.27 (Balcony)

Ore Kadal, ("The sea within") is one latest movie on theaters directed by Shyamaprasad, based on 'Heerak Deepti' by the Bengali writer Sunil Gangopodhyay . Casted with Mammootty, Meera Jasmine, Remya Krishnan and Narian, the film shows the life and living of Nathan (Mammootty), a known Social Scientist who is workaholic, alcoholic, womanizer who gives zero value for the emotions and relationship and consider women just as objects to meet his physical pleasure. The film is never describing any characters in one shoot, the description goes along with the time, without any confusion and in a stable pace. Performance of Mammootty and Meera Jasmine (as Deepthi) is amazing and all other characters from Remya Krishnan, Narian, two children, doctor, student and the neighbors ( and even the beggar boy) makes the screen perfect for the audience.
The screenplay is the one which makes the film so special along with the classic camera work by Alagappan. Some of the frames and compositions which he had used speaks more, defining the story in a way of silence. The other main attraction that I found for the film was the background music by Ousepachan in the film, having a style makes the visual sequence to flow in a uniform pace. The scenes such as the wound in Nathan's chest visualized with blood on cloth and the scene of Bella with the beggar boy and the Nanthan's attitude on seeing a pregnant Deepthi and so on needs a special complement. The art director Muthuraj also did a wonderful job specially on making a wonderful Bella's Bar. The poster designers, 'Papaya' who did a variety poster considering the style which Alagappan had used also need a mention.

The film has 5 songs, 6 tracks which all are made on the same style carefully created in a way never to disturbs the movie flow. The songs feels as just a part of BGM. The song "PranayaSandhya" by Bombay Jayashree is the best among them, followed by "Yamuna" by Swetha and "Naragam" by Vineeth Srinivas. Special mention to the wonderful sound of Swetha. The song "Manasinte" is also one good sang by Venugopalan and Sujatha. Than all these the album of Ore Kadal contains the track of "Yamuna"s male version by Ousepachan which is too classic and fantastic one with a high quantity of perfection.

The emotional flashback of Nanthan and Bella which is described just in a some sentence makes the film to have more emotional touch, but the one of Deepthi, works as a side story which was later felt unnecessary some times on film. Being a film which is not at all meant as a box office flavored one, and working on a matured topic in a matured format without any side dishes and pickles, it will never become a grand onam fest for the one who came to celebrate at cine halls, though it will surely be a classic item for all those who come expecting a film with sense and some substance.

Film rating : 7/10
Music rating : 19/30 (6 song tracks, sum of each out of 5 )

Orkut Blocked and after

2007-08-22T18:20:00.000+05:30

Orkut, is now away from my hands. The site is been blocked by the college authorities along with the chat (Gtalk, Yahoo, MSN, Meebo) due to the over usage of them! Well, I first become sad - what the hell the college is doing. I thought of freedom, censorship, need of usage and all. I sat near to the systems lab (some one called that as Orkut Lab!, think of how the orkut is popular here) with my laptop. While talking with the administrator, he told me that more than fifty percentage of internet usage are for such purposes and he said to check who the lab will look if the orkut is blocked. I came out and started checking mails feeds and all. By that time I could see many persons coming out of the lab, due to the missing of Orkut!

I did some change in proxies, tunneled and all and last reached the orkut. Well it was just for the fun of doing something like that. Later by an hour, at 5.30PM I just went inside the lab and it was near to empty! None in front of the computer! I went and now upgraded my whole debian etch to the testing lenny without any waiting. The net now works better, as the number of users is slow.I think blocking of orkut in my college was good (no sentiments of freedom here, no meaning on mixing freedom with time wastage mechanisms). Is it becoming addictive? I fear so.Well is it a time to consider the Orkut as a BSOD? (Thanks Orkut, for being in "blue" colour).

The lab is now empty at 6.30PM which is impossible for the admins to believe :

If Priya Madam or Martin sir had already informed about the blocking, I could make a before and after diff snap.

Good bye Seniors

2007-08-19T08:31:00.000+05:30

Along with a dozen of other stuffs which include the south block inauguration, trustee meet, starting of RDEC Cell at College and magic of Mudukad , the college made a small send-off to the first batch.

They, the team of first batch where the best here, as per my thoughts. Most where simple humble and they really made this college a college. Now I personally miss them much!!

Some introductions and conclusions:

Its Peeyush, the Electronics Man (One in the right side) with Bijoy - his all time team mate for the electro-programs.

Me with Arun Thampi alias Thampiyallian. The creature with a good computing spirit and high talent in web designing...

Its Max along with me. He is another creature born just to play games and to make BUGS in hardwares! While being at hostel he used the Ubuntu CDs at least twice a week - to format the system.

Its (L to R) Manu a.k.a Manuuni, Jithin and Helwin along with CP (he is of my batch) The three where much friendly. I am not able to tell anything more now. As writing about manu may take much time and space (He is that level "genius")

Though I had all these photos with me and I planned to blog them all, yet I am not satisfied with these pics - I have heard that students will cry and show some thing like that while sending (throwing) them out. None did so. So I requested some one to act like that and a well classic expression is obtained from one of the best senior - Hashim unlucky who is selected as the Best Out-Going Student! Here it is for all you :)

And there exist one more person - Paul who was not just my senior but my room mate too. It took me more a week to throw him out and I forgot to take his pic while going out! I am having some snaps taken before. Surely will upload.

These are only a simple set with random selected seniors. All the best my dear seniors!

Celebrating India's Freedom (From British)

2007-08-14T18:23:00.000+05:30

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Rabindranath Tagore
( It will be the most stupid thing if I give a link for Rabindranath Tagore)

Pradip had made a super gift for this celebration via his blog. The link

Reading Aparan

2007-08-12T20:51:00.000+05:30

Aparan - malayalam film by P Padmarajan was something which I wished to watch. It was one among the best movies that malayalam had seen and being a film from Padmarajan, I had a thirst to watch it. It was more than for a month I started a search to have the CD of Aparan. Due to the raid and all, no Video library had the CD. ( Actually a set of old films are went invisible by the video CD raids - The raid is a part of Malayalam film history, also it made many blur on the history; where we should go to have that all old films?) I tried by asking my friend. The best response was through the orkut telling about a torrent. Unluckly I dont had net connection and the one at college had a restriction on torrent site. I started asking many through net and even searched for the script in internet. At last I got the result : the script is published by Mathrubhumi.

The next travel to town was with my sister (the same old "confusing" sister) and her hus, and I went to Mathrubhumi Books to have the copy. She was flattered seeing me buying a book!

I started reading it on Saturday night itself. I haven't seen the film and no scenes where there on my memory. What I know was that it was stared by Jayaraam, Shobhana and Sukumari. Later looking on the cover I saw snaps of Parvathy and Madhu and got a wage idea of actors but not on the characters. The book doesn't had any preface and no details on who acted which role. Though I find it unease to read I started reading, a script of film which I have not seen. The experience was great one. It took me more than an hour at the stretch to complete the reading and was thrilled reading the whole. The way of story telling and the dialouge delivery format and ideas used to tell was something brilliant and stylish. By now, I had read the script thrice - and my new hobby is to visualise those what I have read!

Note : I still wish to have the Video of the film, if you are having - please tell me via mail.

Google reader - shines!

2007-08-08T19:54:00.000+05:30

I was been searching for a better feed reader these days. I was user of both Google reader and blog lines and consumption of those was much low. Mostly I did blog reading by moving through my blog rolls. After having the laptop, GNUttaappi I started using sage. It was from Ani's blog I saw the sharing idea of Google Labs Google Reader. The working was simply good. Sharing of feeds made a attraction towards it. On further navigation on the Reader the new offline reader idea made me to stick on the G Reader. The only problem was I had to check each time for the updates. Well today on the first search itself I got to FireFox adds on which notifies the Reader. The one which I liked most was Google Reader Watcher. A simple one under GNU GPL! I am now feeling comfort with the blogs feeds than the sage.

Freedom and Juniors

2007-08-01T16:52:00.000+05:30

After waiting for a long time, I did one more talk on free software ethics. It was to my own ( none to misunderstand) juniors the semester 3 team of CS&E VAST. It was on time just after noon, the fourth period and the students where all there. Its the first time I am talking using my new laptop and it worked fine though made some troubles in the starting.

The talk and response was as usual and I have never expected anything more than that! The talk ended on 40 minute and was the shortest ever one which I did. I thought to talk more, but I also felt hungry and hence stopped talking there. Well some told me that they need more session on my voice, unlucky all where guys.

I am hoping that there will be a response for this is future.

The Dollars!

2007-07-30T20:52:00.000+05:30

Received the initial and second stage payment from Google for the Summer of Code 2007! 2500$. Blogging Nothing more, nothing less!!

Thanks SMC, Thanks Google!

A better Satire

2007-07-30T16:32:00.000+05:30

After a long time, a perfect visual satire comes into the mini screen. Its Varanthyam : a revision and comments to the news that came on last week newspapers of the last week by Adv. Jayashankar on India Vision. The satire has a classic touch and the knowledge of Jayashankar on the Kerala political history really make the program to be a highlight. I enjoyed the program well. The unbiased condition, especially in the case of the yellow war makes the program really enjoyable.

I forgot to blog about my new notebook : DELL XPS

2007-07-25T16:54:00.000+05:30

What happened to me? Anivar is always telling me these days that I become more lazy. And it was some who fact. But I forgot to blog on my first notebook! I cant still imagine!

I got the laptop, Dell xps M1210 on 7th of this month. It was shipped by the dell to my sisters house at Banglore. They came with the laptop with out unpacking it. The way of packing attracted me much. It was great, simple and superb. Tuxmaniac has given the step by step unpacking of his DELL XPS M1210 so I am not repeating that.

The bag of Targus which they give along was also something nice.

On the details of XPS:
1gb RAM, 120 HDD, Intel Duo2Core, Wifi, Bluetooth, 1.3Mpx Cam, 12" screen. 9 cell battery, DVD/CD R/WR.

Every thing is working well except bluetooth on Debian etch. There is some problem for the bluetooth in the Ubuntu too.. The host name was set to localghost and works fine in all manners making me to say :

DELL XPS is the one best for GNU/Linux. Tuxmaniac blog and some HOWTOs also helped me to achieve the best result.

Thanks to anivar for suggesting the DELL XPS, and to Pooja Jain of DELL who helped me on money transaction by calling many times to my non responding mobile and to my confusing sister.

Shame on you, my dear Hutch

2007-07-12T21:17:00.000+05:30

The shit started happening in all new ways - even through my mobile service providers. Its was Hutch, who made the new bomb to blast on my life this Thursday morning. I am having a Closed User Group SIM and offers free message of 4000Rs every month, and 2000Rs free Hutch to Hutch on the 7th recharge of 350Rs. Its was great to live with an asset of 8k in mobile and had a wonderful life with that. I even offered all whom I know, even to whom I don't know to give me miss call from Hutch to talk with me. Even I have made a half-dozen more gals irritated with these offer! May due to the prayer from those gals or not, it happened on morning of Thursday. I had a normal call balance of 0.49Rs and I hence made a message to Pramode sir asking him to call me. The message failed. I then called my class mate Sheen aka SK to his Hutch asking him to recharge my mobile with a kutti recharge. I don't feel much tensed, as I am having free sms as to communicate on emergency. After disconnecting the conversation with SK, the notifier came with a charge of 0.20ps, I just verified my balance it made me to shock - both the free sms and Hutch to Hutch went cleared to ZERO!

I immediately called the helpline, and the guy who took (thinks his name was Vimal) told that they cleared all the offers of CUG. I become mad. I started questioning him, the guy who was having a wonderful patience heard all those what I told and as to make me calm he requested me to wait for more a month for more interesting offers.

Was they selling software? Am I just licenced to use the communication systems? Don't I own the balance that I am having? The questions filled my mind. The business trick that the Hutch did here was something the cheapest that I have ever noticed - making an offer, giving that offer and taking back that immediately! If its the system then I am ready to be a business person! Is it something like taking back the meals which we payed while eating and telling to come next days for a better food?

The marketing, publicity and the promotion offers that Hutch did after taking the BPL was something which the whole world noticed and this move of 'give and reset' really made them to achieve black mark on there works. Though the Hutch is planning to give us [the CUGians] an offer of free 1000 rupees for 10 rupees recharge, I think we still blame you since you took away some thing that was supposed to be owned by us. I don't believe that my sound through blog will make the Hutch to open their eyes, or will make some loss to them, I am writing just to express my emotions - since i cant do anything else. My life has a new motto inspired by Hutch "where ever you go, the shit follows." Hutch, you can make it you caption if you wish.

The second part : UNIX and teaching

2007-06-20T13:00:00.000+05:30

Just before an hour I completed the UNIX teaching. The assigned time was for the first two hours and I hardly managed with the class. The work was interesting, but does not had that thrill for me as I had on last day. The slide worked well, without any troubles and for the first time in my life all the commands I gave to the gnu worked correctly. My luck!

Thanks to all who attended the class.

Being a teacher

2007-06-19T16:45:00.001+05:30

It was after an year I am facing my on classmates as a teacher. The last time was for the freedom software, while this time the topic was more stylish - electronics and UNIX. The first attempt was on electronics- taking a 30minutes class on Memories. Thanks to Praveen Sir for giving me the opportunity. It was short and I survived it in a simple manner. Well at 11am the condition changed - the topic was UNIX the module 4 of Systems Programming, that too for two continuous hours! I have already prepared for it, and had a discussion with Pramode sir on what I should and I should not. Though I was tensed, since it is the first time the listeners have to attend an exam. I asked some suggestion to Praveen sir and the confidence and the result that the electronics class gave me was with me.

I started with history of UNIX, Unix Philosophy, KISS Principle, File structure etc and ended at the i/o re-directions, have to take the kernel basics after saying something on pipe mechanism. Thanks to Aswathy Madam for giving me a chance.

I feel great on being a teacher, loved to be there on the platform, and to speak as if I know all these. Well, I am now thinking to continue that as my carrier? What you feel?

Shivaji The tamil movie

2007-06-16T09:51:00.001+05:30

It was fun, and unexpected one for me to go for a Ranjinikanths movie in the first day [15th of June]itself. It was unplanned. We planned it at 5 and sured the show by 6pm. Vimal, Sheen, Kiran, Nelson and Midhun was with me for the second show. We where there by 7 and the show started at 8pm. It was really a fun on having such an experience. The crowd was there, but was much small compared to what I usually see for the tamil movie in Palakkad.

I am not writing a review here. But as it is a chance, I really want to congrats the art director of the film who made such a huge sets for the songs specially for the sahaana..

While seeing the centre fresh on Rajini's hand and all the reactions, I thought of a scene in his film saying something good on free software, which will be the best way for the GNU to strike in Tamil Nadu, and other places. Lets dreams of that. :)

On the Special Exploitation Zone (SEZ)

2007-06-08T17:22:00.000+05:30

Moving republic is now active on the campaign against the Special Econimic Zone, at SmartSEZ. Read and express your comments.

The new look and the better half

2007-05-25T14:11:00.000+05:30

The blog is now black. Just for a fun. A 3 hour work for the whole two blogs and the page. And new logo - I have stopped calling the blog celebrating freedom, its now just my presentations name. The blog is now just Hiran effects - where experience and thoughts are posted. I made some thing more on the internet - a home page and a new blog : hiran.movingrepublic.org and the new blog hirandefects a technical blog. I am planning to blog more, and to do something more in techincal part. The hirandefect will now contains the data on my ornamental malayalam font designing, for the smc as the GSoC project.

Have a look on the page and my new blog, and react!

The gift of hutch

2007-05-24T16:55:00.000+05:30

It was a sudden one, a free hutch to hutch talk for 2000 rupees.Just to local htuch numbers. I am having a tariff of 20ps per minute. Which means I have to talk ten thousand minutes to complete this! Well my friends in hutch (kerala), start giving me miss call from now when you feel to talk : i will call you back if I am free.

ViBGYOR 07 : We celebrated the freedom too..

2007-05-15T19:38:00.000+05:30

I was there at the ViBGYOR international film festival from 10th to 13th. The time was great, with lot of personalities, as the quote says it was really celebrating identities and diversity.

Between the time as a sudden work we, me and Anivar celebrated the freedom too! The art of GNU/Linux based Video editing. We thought of it on 11th night, started downloading elephant dreams, and finalised the talk on 12th morning for 2pm!Crowd @ ViB07

It was under the moving republic banner and within no time we did collected a set of screenshots of various tools for video editing. The slide was made in a very small time. Anivar made a hand written poster for the show and affixed it on the front of stage 2 where the program has to conducted. On the start, the time we started the talk the number of audience was good one as we wished, and contained some whom I know like my own GSoC mentor Hussain sir. On the starting of the talk I planned to be a "king" of all these software, but anivar made a note on the starting itself that we haven't used these software and this is just to make all know about the availability of the free software replacements...!

Audience

We showed the elephant dreams video and the reaction from the audience was something unexpected. The question was something showering in a fast manner, made me to sure that none among the audience are engineering students. More where attracted and participation was much than the usual places. The time was much inspiring one and the happiness on anivar made me to remember pramode sir and the anagdipuram incident. (sorry mahesh, i did remember all those happened there!)

A pic by me, a trail to be a photographer....

The PLUS meet

2007-05-08T14:05:00.000+05:30

Meeting Pics

The meeting was a thrilling on with a huge team of 18! Will blog details by one or two days.. little busy , now adjust with the pics and the comments in it.

The final smile. . .

2007-05-02T16:12:00.000+05:30

I was with Pramode sir and Sreejith for the workshop at Tharakans school Angadippuram on sunday and tuesday. The workshop was on GNU/Linux Phoenix and Python and it was conducted by the SSUG Malappuram on 29th April '07 to 1st May '07. Sreejith and his sister who was a teacher of the school did a great job on coordinating the program. It was for the first time that I attended a program on the scheduled time; probably because this is not the first time Sreejith and his sister are coordinating an event.

On the first day I reached to Angadippuram by Palakkad-Nilambur Road Express by 8am. Pramode sir and Kishore was in the same train. The railway station was one which made me to think that I had been there some time, later I got that it was the place where the malayalam film 'krishnagudiyille prenayakaluthu' was taken.
Tharakan's school is an aided school having a history of 100 years and the lab was having a 20+ system with Debian GNU/Linux installed. It was Jinesh and Sreejith who did that jobs, and from taking with the IT teacher, I went to know that the students are having already knowledge on GIMP and on GNU.

The first talk was by me, which was aimed to have small ethical apporch on free softwares and introduction to GUI and GIMP and Open Office.org. By that time Mahesh and Aslam reached the place. The talk was just simple one for me since they had no questions or comments (as usual as in a professional college) but the response was much more heavy (ten times more than the Btech students). After giving an introduction we told them to ask some questions and the first question came - Whats Kernel?

After that the 'GNU crew' Pramode sir, Sreejith, Mahesh, Aslam and me started introducing system. Pramode sir told me that the girls may be low and to "be on that side". But on my look to the screen I found a girl making use of a Script-fu :)

"They know more GIMP than me !"

I was shocked on seeing that. All my preserved recipes for the day was in their every day supper! Sreejith turned up with the commandline interface. The students did the job on commandline in much simple manner. It started with date, went to setleds and last they did some shell scripts too..They could simply do those stuff, Sreejith started planning even to have a RT based class there!
By noon Pramode sir along with Kishore turned to electronics and students where much interested.

When I reached there with Anivar on the third day, none had forgotten me.Well that was surprising! They where calling me GNUchettan (The term is GNU!). By that the smile on each face was quite surprising, than students the one in Pramode sir's face and on Sreejith's sister's kid! The satisfaction of teaching was there on his face, which was for the first time I am seeing such a BIG smile his face!

Its Anivar making the child to work on The TUX Paint! I first feared that Anivar would add her to the tuxpaint mailing list and would give link to the TUX 4 Kids documentation when kid asked him some doubts on it. It was for the first time I am seeing Anivar teaching something to someone :)

Link to Pramode Sir's blog

The best snap from mysore palace

2007-04-19T18:02:00.000+05:30

Think. React. Stand up for what is right.
Taken from the front of Mysore Palace.

The easter time snaps

2007-04-19T12:53:00.000+05:30

I was been at CDAC's umpstart to localistaion camp at CDAC Banglore on 6th 7th and 8th of April. They took me and others who where there to Mysore for a days site seeing on 9th and on 10th I went to Uravu, at Waynad. Here is my links to the three picasa photo packs of those days, enjoy!

CDAC

Mysore

Waynad

Summer is now hot

2007-04-12T17:21:00.000+05:30

Dear Applicant,

Congratulations! This email is being sent to inform you that your application was accepted to take part in the Summer of Code. Please check your student home page in the SoC web application to determine which of your applications was accepted.

The summer is now really hot for me, with a surprising gift from the Swathandra Malayalam Computing and Google as in the form of Google summer of codes. There are 7 students who got the SoC from Kerala. It includes Vivek ,Mobin , Nikhil of G E C Thrissur and Shyam, Jinesh and Antony of M E S Kuttippuram and myself. And all of them are known to me :)

Thanks Google and SMC team.

Google did it again.....

2007-04-01T18:43:00.000+05:30

Like the old MentalPlex Google is this time ready with there new Paper archive on gmail.
Visit the fool_home_page.Here is the archive of all Gfoolings

Happy fools day Google.

A day with dreams and talks

2007-03-31T22:20:00.000+05:30

It was for the first time in free software carrier I went to talk without any preparation. The victims were the students of GEC Sreekrishnapuram and Sujith. I had a long more than one hour bus journey to reach Sreekrishnapuram and the whole time I was in a dream (promise you, Its topic where not what u think). I reached Sujith's home by 10 am and the GEC campus by 11 am.There was a traffic block while we where going from Sujith home to the campus, and the driving of Sujith was something unforgettable. The first chance for talk was for me and it longed for hours. The number of audience where quite simple to handle. I was not able to collect the reactions on my talk, but my return without any damage makes sure me that it was not so bad. After the lunch a group of guys there came to the see us, and really I felt tensed weather they are comming to kill me. For my luck, they where students of Pramode sir. Sujith started talking on techie topics, and he was good to handle that topic. The last two hour informal talk with students made us to feel that they are interested to contribute to free software in a very right sense, and I am happy if they do so.

The talk for freedom

Main building

Sujith TARing the minds.

Update :I also got one from GECS to be a victim on the fools day, a special thanks to my luck for that. :)

To talk at Sreekrishnapuram GEC

2007-03-29T13:00:00.000+05:30

I am going to do a talk along with Sujith at GEC,Sreekrishnapuram on free software on march 31st. Sujith seems to be highly prepared to make the work grand (he was x student of GECS). The program is named as Free software day.

It was exactly one year before, the fossers of vidya was started :) [Flash back blog]

ViBGYOR : Celebrating Identities and Diversity

2007-03-26T17:21:00.000+05:30

ViBGYOR Film Festival, held every year in Thrissur, celebrates the vagaries of identity and the richness of its embodied diversity in the festival of short and documentary films .

The Second Edition of ViBGYOR will be held from 10th to 13th of May 2007. The four-day Film festival invests not just in the banquet of films of value and sense but strive to make the event a rich visual and intellectual experience in interfacing with filmmakers, activists, leaders of peoples movements and academicians from as divergent streams of life and activities. The marked difference from the last year is the introducing the 'Festival to the People', creating an additional venue in a rural village next to Thrissur town, where screenings and interaction with the filmmakers will be interspersed.

ViBGYOR Package will have seven themes like `Indigenous People', `Dalit Reality', `Gender & Sexuality', `Fundamentalism v/s Diversity', `Nation State', `Globalization' and Country/Region focus. Seven films each will be selected for each catagory. `Earth will be the theme for the Focus of the Year 2007. The festival will start with a national conference on the same theme. Apart from the above two packages, there will be Short Fiction, Music Videos, Animations and Spots, a `Kerala Spectrum and as usual the Retrospectives. The other features include Open Forum every day, a film market etc.

Join the orkut community.