Random things that interest me and stuff that didn't fit elsewhere else. Very incomplete.

This page is the constantly evolving play page. In its previous avatar, it was the interests page. (What's with the current name anyway? It's my tribute to the second law, and the closest I could get to calling it "random stuff" without actually calling it "random stuff".) Anyway, whatever I decide to call this place, it's where I get to rant away at what kind of stuff I love to do (and things I absolutely detest), and put up articles on issues that are of interest to me or about issues in my life. The site being extremely rigid and cold (in a very me way), needs a space like this to, well, give me a chance to let loose (in a not very me way). It contains everything from orderly classified bits of information indicating my preferences and ways of going about different things, to totally out of whack articles about random stuff, to links to "elevated blogs", and everything in between. As a result, I tend to think of it as more of an "about me" page than the other pseudo "about me" page can ever be. Since it is the catch-everything-that-didn't-fit-anywhere-else container page, you should expect it to be large, unruly, and for the most part, incomplete. Here are some links to get you started.

Interests and related articles
Random articles
Elevated blogs
Pet Projects

Interests and related articles

Though I know this isn't a very traditional "interests" style page, following their usual style, I guess I'll classify things a bit to retain some of the sanity of the (hopefully) patient reader. Since they haven't really been classified in any real order, you could just click the links below to jump ahead to something that catches your fancy, or just scroll down in (no real) order. I've tried to keep it to about a (relatively, of course) small paragraph per category so that this can be done, knowing that you're a busy person. Think of this as the executive summary and contact me for further details if you'd like.

These different categories have been populated at different times. There will thus be no continuous train of thought between categories, or even in a given category. There will be gross (and small) errors, complete with a bunch of (probably known and still unfixed) typos. None of them should be assumed to be "complete", and you should be checking back often to keep up with progress. To ease your pain (and mine), I've introduced some category classifiers.

[ Not Started ] - That's not to hard to comprehend is it? I'm a busy man. It probably contains arbitrary filler text.
[ Started mm.dd.yy ] - When I started populating that category. It will be even more horribly broken (and incomplete) than usual, and in a state of flux with constant changes at this time. It's just a very crude draft where I will be trying out different ways of expressing what I really want to say. Comments at this stage, and any other stage for that matter are most welcome. Whether I do change anything as a result however, is a totally different matter.
[ Last updated mm.dd.yy ] - This is when the category is "pseudo-complete" (in my not so humble opinion) and the date signifies the last major or minor update. This way you should know if something's changed since you've last visited.
[ To be removed? ] - When I am considering removing that category because (a) I currently don't have (and don't forsee having) anything to say or (b) It is being moved to another more apt subsection of the site.

I honestly have no idea why anybody (including me) takes the time to put up such a page. More importantly, I have no idea why anybody (including you) reads such pages. Well anyway, whatever the reason(s), the page is up, and you're seemingly intent on knowing more.

So now, with all those formalities out of the way, here they are, my interests in all their glory and detail (or at least to the level the "lazy me" decided to expose). The lucky categories that get to be exposed, for no apparent reason, to the rest of the world include:

Books and Literature [ Not Started ]
Music [ Started 08.16.03 ]
Academic, Intellectual and Work Related [ Not Started ]
Photography [ Not Started ]
Gaming [ Not Started ]
Travel [ Not Started ]
Movies, Actors and Actresses [ Not Started ]
Geek Toys and Technology [ Not Started ]
Graphics and Programming [ Not Started ]
Free Software Advocacy [ Started 09.16.03 ]
Art, Craft and Origami [ Not Started ]
Idols, Motivators and De-motivators [ Not Started ]

Books and Literature

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Music

As is the case with everything else in my life, my music tastes are very specific (read narrow). Like most hard-wired introvert brains (as elaborated on in this book), mine can handle depth but not breadth. I would say I primarily enjoy listening to (and definitely singing along) stuff that falls under a subset of "Alternative Rock". As is customary, and is easier from my point of view, I'd rather indicate my favourite bands and songs rather than "describe" in words what I like. I would classify myself, primarily, as an Oasis freak. I tend to stay away from everything else, read [this this this this .. and this and lots of other things].

[Picture of me with all my albums, or just the albums or whatever here]

Actually, my the list of bands on my playlists here will (or should anyway) mirror the Musique links subsection of the links page. The top ten will include blah, blah, blah... I do also tend to listen to some new-agey stuff, but this has more to do with TV and marketing numbing my brain rather than actually loving (or even liking) the kind of sound.

I am, for the most part, very into my music, and get all zealous/take to arms when someone says something anti-what I like. I do spend a lot of my time immersed in music, of different sorts, as long as it's the same sort I care about.

But listening is not all I do. I have been trained in south Indian classical music (called Carnatic, if you're interested) vocals for more than half my time on this planet. This, in "real time units" would be somewhere close to 11 years or more. I've learnt under different teachers including [something][someone]. Of course, I tend to gravitate towards things that come easiest to me, and more importantly away from things that are hard. So, when my voice cracked around the end of high school (and I couldn't hit notes I wanted with as little effort as I planned to put in), and other time consuming and seemingly "faar more important" academics related things got in the way, I slowed down and eventually discontinued my training. My claims to fame include winning a ton of vocal music contests and singing on the radio. I've since then moved on to be the "informed critic". [The guy whose abilities you don't know (and hence fear) you know could do it, but would rather mock you instead]

[Note: I never said couldn't hit, I said, couldn't hit with as little effort as I wanted to hit. Such is the case with EVERYTHING in my life. If I (feel I) am good at something, I know it. I stick with it, and let it get into my head offseting the natural unconfidence.]

And on the performance side of things, vocals isn't all I've been involved in. Though it was the most [serious portion of it], I have attempted quite a few instruments and finally stuck with a few. These include a couple of percussion instruments called the tabla and the mridangam, and the piano. I never got terribly good at any of those or the others, but I hadn't really put in more than a few years into each of them. A few perfomances with larger groups on stage was as close to glory I got on these.

Academic, Intellectual and Work Related

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Photography

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Gaming

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Travel

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Movies, Actors and Actresses

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Geek Toys and Technology

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Graphics and Programming

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Free Software Advocacy

Hmm... calling me a free software advocate would be the grossest underrated statement ever. I mean, come on, look at me. [understatement?]]

[insert fs madness picture]]

This is what an average person. A dude with shaggy hair and stubble in a Free Software shirt with a Blender hat and a laptop with tons of penguin and gnu pictures running, you guessed it, GNU/Linux in all its glory. Of course the linux kernel is only a standby while the brilliant chaps of the world code up the hurd. Then i'll be fully gnu a person.


[ stallman, talks etc ]]
[ music in all ogg]]
So, advocate? I think not. Even zealot is barely comes close to how I feel about using free software.

Here is an interesting (read long) conversation I had with someone else about using free software. Yes, ladies and gentleman, that is the way I talk. I try to spread the light. I try to do everything just short of forcing my beliefs on you. Ok, sometimes I try that too, but that's a different story.

Why do I feel so strongly about it? Because child, fs is the first step to an fs. Software, ideas etc were always meant to be shared and improved as a community. Not one company or a group trying to control everything under their evil empire. Sharing is a load bearing portion of society. I won't let it be made to look like a crime with words like IP theft and piracy, no sir.
[povray, blender, gnome, gaim, evo, etc.. depending on use.]]
[picture/art page being just an ad for the gimp]]
[Insert sermon about inherent "goodness" and things]] [oswd, emacs, apache, php, b2, mysql, linux, gimp]]
[ mit ai lab ]]
There are a few organizations on our side [ insert them with descriptions here ]].

[latex, octave, ginac, gcc gdb, OOo, galeon, ximian, screenies in general..]]
What do I do about it you say? I can't really code stuff useful for normal people. But I release everything I do within my power. I use fs on all machines I admin or are under my influence somehow. [ and people ]] .I educate people on the benifits and try to give them a reason to realize it is important. I support these organizations. I buy stuff who's profits go towards these causes. I dress like [ ]]. I am a walking, talking, unpaid ad, Remember this

[ same picture ]]

And I feel great doing it.

Of course as usual, I'd like to point you to some links in the [fs fs subsection of the links page]] for further information. Or you could just get in touch at harish at member d0t fsf dot 0rg.

Art, Craft and Origami

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Idols, Motivators and De-motivators

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