Playful

Worked Upon 2 Columns, 3 Columns Minima Blogger Template

2008-07-08T12:13:00.001-08:00

In a blogger convocation I recently attended, this template at playfullive.com, that's actually a little improvement over standard Minima Blogger template, got hearty appreciation.

I received queries on author comment highlight, smoothened edges, etc..well, if you liked it I would more than love to share it with you.

Notes:

1) Smoothened border lines.

2) Soft colors

3) Author comment highlight

4) Search Box Placeholder (remove/replace it with your own Google Custom Search Box)

Search for this comment in the template

5) To add your favicon (a small icon you see in address bar), search for this comment

<!--Fevicon Code

6) Label Cloud Implemented

7) Google Translation added

8) Search for this comment and implement AddThis book marking option or specific book marking options

9) Navbar Removed

10) Post data right under the Post title.

Download 'em (right click->select Save Link As...)

2 Column Improved Minima Template Download

3 Column Improved Minima Template Download

SE Cartel

2008-05-02T08:20:00.003-08:00

As I read thru the news of food grain prices shooting thru the roof all across the globe (bothersome especially in this time and era when sky scrapers all stop short of stratosphere), I kinda sensed a connect, well MANY, and I aint the first one to do so, thats the beauty and the horror that we somehow don't quite find it surprising, we are used to seeing the calamities breaking all over only imminent, as devastating as they are. A sign that in absence of any clear vision for a "convenient" (need I say whose convenience?) solution to it all we are probably making our peace with it. Which also means the problems are here to stay, at least for a near foreseeable future, and we are hoping not all will be lost during this time. Katrina, Vilma, ... well Joe, buried in his BarkLounger, barely staying afloat, cares no so much more than tipping his chin and n saying "Yeah, I've seen it. What else are they showin'."

He wants to know what else are they SHOWIN'

If it were one of those doomsayer flicks it might start some thing like this... a thick wad of currency in your pocket, you walk into a store only to find the aisles all wearing a deserted look, the goods aren't there, even the bare minimum essentials aren't anywhere to be seen, they are nowhere, "where are the goods, I've got the money", you hear somebody shout to the heavens in exasperation, but who hasn't, on some aisles you see bigger wads of money, with notes some with SOS messages on them, nobody's paying attention to these wads, the goods it seems.... they kinda ... 'left' for want of our attention, pointing us back to that first transaction in the way of finding alternatives to barter system, "The thing's" exchange gave way to "something else's" exchange, and how, ever since, the attention moved over to that "something else (SE)".

That SE evolved into a being in its own right, took the center stage, hogged the limelight of the show of human race's ascend which was soon to be governed, driven and assessed on its yardsticks. "Th (The thing)" took a back seat to SE and all this while Th's attention deficit secretly wended its way towards near non existence. We never let go of our obsession for and clung steadfastly to SE thru it all, so much so that it divided the whole of human race into how one set of people saw it differently than the other, the new and the only religions thereof.

We wake up now to this reality that all these years we have worried our heads over the management of SE, while good ol' Th, the food, the air water and land, ecosystem, environment, the earth and the human race slowly but surely crept in a spot of bother. In absence of any incentives in terms of SE to keep an eye on Th, we in this amazing self conflict know what needs to be done, but so long have we been living in the world of SE, we compulsively run everything by SE to see if it conforms with its ways, and here we have serious apprehensions it does.

I would like to add that SE was worked over by us over a long period of time, as I said it evolved into a being of its own, like other laws of life and living it outlives a man's life span or time of its influence. It lives in our institutions, persists and evolve there, institutions that stay while we pass by. The notion of SE operates in the conscious of human race, which is divided as we are all individuals, but SE is united and knows where it wants to go. Like many laws of life and living it unites us and has a say over human race but not often is the case vice versa.

It oughta be.

It made sense to work out a thing and then entrust it to govern us as we cant keep thinking things over and over again, but it seems SE’s goals are not in line with idealism, like Malthusian observation’s SE sees no value in poor’s lives, but we do as a life is a life is a life. SE has no latitude for climatic concerns, and looks like having threatening levels of affinity with Malthusian observations "...Should success be still incomplete, gigantic inevitable famine stalks in the rear, and with one mighty blow levels the population with the food of the world..." but we cant afford to be that ignorant. We need to take a pause at some point and see that these parallels converge somewhere.

For the flick, I say Bruce Willis in the lead.

The Walker Walks Off

2008-03-07T07:25:00.001-08:00

Indian team made short work of Aussies in their 'own game'. Amidst yet untouched, by all the muck that flew high on this tour, Adam Gilchrist bid adieu to International Cricket.

One of the all time bests, this rather uncharacteristic (in his conduct he would always be recognized as the the scholar amongst ruffians, pardon my french) Aussie is respected by Indians and Aussies alike as by Cricket lovers all over the world.

That walker reference? Well, he was the only Aussie who wouldn't wait for Umpire's signal but walk off on his own accord if he felt he was out.

Okay, let me cut Aussies some slack, he actually is the only batsman in world cricket who does that consistently, I cant think of any other, with Dravid coming close on his heels, I guess.

Wish you luck Gilli, looking forward to seeing you in IPL.

The Orion

2008-02-20T13:33:00.002-08:00

I looked down, the metal is still 'rubbing it in' on the concrete. Street lamps spotlights failing to hold them captive in their periphery, their walls constantly being pierced by headlights that have hardly a regard for anything, they feel not the least need to pay glance anywhere but ahead. Not long since life happened in humid warm germination conducive environment on this loose rocky pebble, a collision's remnant, it has already created things like eyes and minds that cant help but see and search what is left of saner unassuming elementary forms like germs, bacillus, algae or vacillations between animate and inanimate- viruses, they were 'the life' that 'happed' and look what they since have deformed into. 'Sanity' however has lost its relevance here -there is hardly a frame of reference, not one to be seen on this rock to say the least-so has 'saying' and everything else, not to mention. Do we really know what sanity is? We cant recognize it for the prerequisite of that, a frame of reference as I said is missing. How will we embrace it when it finally downs on us as we are so blissfully ignorant, would we be sane enough to know it? It could well be that sanity has long passed us by or is there right before us, but our minds are not devices equipped enough to comprehend it. But then we don't really look for sanity, do we? We, instead, look for something that might fit conveniently into our idea of it. Much like God, whom we don't seek but instead lug aground this rigid shell for him and wait for a 'convenient' soul to walk into it. Many potential Gods before and after, in you, him or her, but no, for none fit the description in the prophecy, you know! Neither sanity nor God are for us to comprehend it seems, or is it that they are blatantly in our face, for what else could have kept it all from falling apart all this while.

On fourth floor, one of those days when I feel closer to The Orion who looks much more familiar than the things down there, up here and above. My gaze at The Orion has ever been but requited, but that's okay, I'm not quite in a mood to have a conversation myself. There from his stand point I guess its hard putting it down how we animate ones take ourselves so seriously. But than seriousness, thinking and everything else is relative too, notions originated and holding meaning on this rock and nowhere else, no wonder The Orion never cares to look back, he is hardly bothered and I couldn't agree more. He precedes this rock and everything ever happened here, including the the notion of wars and warriors, and will be there long after the rock has wound itself up, must amuse him that we address him as The Orion, The Warrior, Wars, Warriors, why? 'Amusement', 'thinking', 'rock', all 'our' notions, not his, but we cant get rid of them, right, not to mention 'precede', as time, the fourth dimension, again could well be an entity meaningful only to us. I look at him still as I wanna tell him what's it like being held prisoner on this rock where you don't have the right to remain silent. I wish, ...but I do, I was where he is, and could just think and sit and watch or not even do that and never say anything you know, bliss! I'm stuck,however, between The Orion and the metal. Or I'm the Orion but on the rock and I'm not allowed solitude and silence anymore, as you are not supposed to have them when you are on the rock. That's fine for earthlings, in general, but .. It could well be that The Orion has jettisoned me from that coveted adobe. I don't know but I yearn to get back. I'm sure I don't belong here. How could I possibly?

Listening to

Chopin Piano Sonata No.2

A One Of Its Kind Valentine's Day Wedding Plan

2008-02-15T13:03:00.006-08:00

There just outside where they are practicing hard for Sunday's match against Aussies, wedding bells can be heard for every session, its a busy day at the cathedral at the brink of the park brimming with marry making, giggles, flowers, wedding vows, happy beginnings or endings.. its V day, and its beyond me, beats me, I mean if you are in love, you can make any day a special one, if you are not, this day V day, that day, new years, yesterday, Tuesday, Friday, a day on Mercury or Jupiter, an earthling's day or that of an alien or any day for that matter is not
for you. Your sole hope lies in tomorrow, and you don't foster much hope in me as to what kind of human being you are. I feel especially for those singles who get all worked up around this day. Don't make a joke of yourself. Oh I'm so happy for these newly weds, did I mention?

Back in Delhi, these people, these self proclaimed flag bearers of Hinduism, they are allegedly getting any couple spotted celebrating V Day, married. Bajrang Dal or some such name they go by, well I would surely like to read the preamble of this organization or whatever it is as Lord Hanuman was a Bal Brahamchari, and these people are keener on playing wedding planners!

Cost cutting ?

I can only imagine if they were in Mathura in those days, they would have gotten Lord Krishna married to all Gopies, Radha and who not. The notion of unconditional unnamed love and devotion is too much for them I figured some jobs ought to be reserved for such people, jobs that don't have high cerebral demands where they could make a living, and not do what they are doing in all likelihood trying to eke out an existence.

This probably is the only instance I would have spoken in favor of reservation of any description, but I think it will be in the country's best interest as well those of these people if they are put where they belong and not let the wiseacres of subsistence politics use them to make a mockery of all the wise and wisdom this religion's history is replete with.

On a more serious note, I personally don't like the word religion as its seen in a different light today, has a darker connotation to it, has been appropriated by such people. I think Hinduism is a philosophy, of living, a way of life. I try and live by it.

Did A Cartoon: Microsoft's offers to Yahoo, "Join forces and we might overtake Google"

2008-02-04T02:35:00.001-08:00

From Playful

How do ya like it?
More of my artist self on this blog in Artistically Challenged :)

Microsoft's $44.6 billion offer to Yahoo: Join bladders, out piss Google ;)

2008-02-01T14:44:00.001-08:00

Microsoft the tom had been pacing up and down the bark, when Yahoo the kitten (some call him Jerry (Yang) the mouse;)) shimmied up to join him.

MS - "The coyote seems to have lost control of his bladder.".

"Morning. Talking about Google, yeah, what an odd name."

"Tell me about it, these odd named oddities are a pain in my ass."

The kitten sort of stiffened, "Am.. his bladder is growing too, you were saying.."

"I knew it, rate at which his bladder is inflating augers ill for me..us. We kept fighting over trespassing on one other's piss marked territories while it was he who's been piss marking most of our territories."

"That's a bit thick."

"I thought about sending for him, but he is peeing constantly like a fountain, converts whoever I send. I've been meaning to talk to you about this offer, exclusively worked out for you, join forces I say, our synergies will help re piss mark the territories we are loosing to the big bladder." said the tom looking at the kitten in a proprietary sort of way.

"You mean be bought out to you?"

"If you say so."

"Well....let me sleep over it."

"I feel bad for your under sizes bladder, mine is bigger than yours, and I stink more than you do, I might stink shoo people in your territory to my territory. Solitude should help your sleep."

"I'm seeing already the brighter sides of joining under you. But I cant help wondering why people like him so much."

"They don't so mush as they hate us. We stink."

"How could he not be stinking yet, he's been around for a while now."

"He is going stale, people prefer stale over stinking. But if we join our bladders, together we might have enough to out piss him anyway."

"But he is better still, and we stink."

"That don't matter as long as we are not leaving him no space to pee on. Together we might reclaim what was ours, and while we are on it we might as well claim what's his."

"Like you said, you stink"

"I've never bothered exploring uncharted territories on my own, like you said he is better, I let better people work, after which I take over, I'm good at it, you just tag along.

"I'm not sure. I might join him and let him do all the peeing. He is good."

"You need solitude."

"To pee or not to pee that is the question."

"Pee we must or people might get a sniff of fresh air, that's an anathema, we cant risk it, people might get delirious. Pee we must while we are still the only three known options for them. Pee we must, together we shall out piss the new kid."

I have to say there is no ill intention behind this persiflage that came into being when we were discussing this news:)

I was ruing this worthless text as it almost spoiled the spirit of the good cartoon, I maintain the news has nothing in it as of now to merit more than one post, that is why I crammed the cartoon in here. I now think the news might not have enough to beget two posts but the cartoon could do with a post of its own, so I moved it, SheTell, I wish I could move your kind comment too, your comments, however, matter regardless of where you leave 'em :)

Tata Nano : Cheapest Car in the World, Specifications, Pictures

2008-01-11T12:59:00.001-08:00

A miffed car thief was heard quoting this big daddy proverb, "It doesn't matter how much you paid for the car, they all look the same after the wreck." ha ha, those into "car-or-dismantled-car-reselling business" have every reason to sulk as Tata unveils the much awaited Nano, the within-reach car aiming at common man (No No by aiming I don't mean its gonna chase after one to mow him down) here at Auto Expo 2008, New Delhi. For once, we might get to see R.K. Laxman's proverbial Common Man smiling.

Okay

Let me put aside these lame attempts at pun in favor of something really worth a smile, check out the new kid on the block:)

Specifications: The young kid has a big heart (or belly), Tata has been assuring people that although its smaller by 8% without as compared to its closest rival Maruti 800, its 21% more spacious within as compared to the same. To be precise its 3.1 metes (10.23 feet) long, 1.5 meters wide and 1.6 meters high, can seat four people comfortably, five -conditions apply :)- while six are likely to get frowned upon, but you never know. Draws on a two cylinder 623 cc, 33 horsepower rear mounted, multi-point fuel injection, all aluminum, petrol engine. Can reach the highest speeds of 105 kilometers/hour. It had to be fuel efficient, 20 kilometers/liter is Tata's claim, can be seen as its biggest USP. It more than satisfies all Indian regulatory requirements regarding pollution and safety.

Price: Well, that's the cause célèbre... in a positive way that is, the standard model is priced at Rs 1,00,000 (2,500 dollars approx). Add VAT, transport costs etc to that, and on road price should be Rs 1,20,000 about. The two Deluxe models with AC and some other features will be only slightly costlier although there is no final word from the company as of yet in this regard.

Looks? Well, have a look yourself :)

The Standard Model

The Deluxe Model

Nano's Interiors (somewhat disemboweled :( )

Reactions
I was reading about it in paper (TOI) this morning, it appears the kid has hardly arrived and it has already ruffled a few feathers in automobile industry, some (mixed) reactions it elicited from the who's who of the industry..

"It can seat five people...if no one breathes," ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson.

"Upstart econobox.", Time.

"Automotive journalists had traveled from the four corners of the globe too see a golf cart crossed with a jelly bean.", Popular Mechanics.

"C'mon, it's practically smiling,", a Wired magazine correspondent.

"Ultimate reverse status symbol.", MotorTrends.

[ source : TNN ]

last but not the least, and although I don't quite qualify for "who's who" here is my reaction once again ;)

"For once, we might get to see R.K. Laxman's proverbial Common Man smiling.", Playfullive.com

Santa Claus : Calling from North Pole

2007-12-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

From Playful

We may not be hurt in our life times by what we are doing to our planet, although when I say that I hear many an environmentalist saying "beg to differ", but we surely are spoiling it for our kids. The gifts from mother nature aren't only to be enjoyed but to be preserved as well for the generations to come.

But some with power say things like "global warming is just hot air", and that puts serious apprehensions in my mind whether the threats are being heeded to, as they say, what you don't know wont hurt ya, so they seem insistent on staying oblivious.

More of my artist self on this blog in Artistically Challenged :)

Merry Christmas!

Syndicated Comics - Some Ground Work - II

2007-12-19T09:09:00.002-08:00

Submission guidelines

All comics syndicate sites' submission guidelines pages say in essence the following

...most comic strip cartoonists draw their daily comic strips 13" wide by 4" tall. Most single-panel cartoonists draw their daily panel 7" wide by 7" high, not counting the extra space for the caption placed underneath the drawing. You can draw larger or smaller than that, as long as your cartoons are in proportion to those sizes.

...

Send 24 black and white daily comic strips. It is not necessary to send Sunday comic strips. If we like your daily comics, we will ask to see sample Sunday pages.

...

You should reduce your comics to fit onto standard 8-1/2" x 11" sheets of paper. Write your name, address and phone number on each page. Do not send your original drawings! Send photocopies instead.

There is no need to send your work in any other format. Due to the enormous amount of submissions we receive, it’s easiest on us if the work is kept to 8-1/2” x 11”, bound with a paper clip or a staple. We would prefer not to receive large binders or portfolios.

- King Features

...

It is fine to include color work if you care to, but be certain to include some black & white line art as well.

...

If you would like your submission returned, you must include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). If you would like confirmation that your submission was received and reviewed, you must also include a SASE. If no SASE is included, we will respond only to submitters from whom we would like to see more material.

- United Features

Marvel Comics submission guidelines differ a bit in keeping that they are more into action hero type comics. Marvel accepts artwork thru emails as well. Submission guideline page on the sites of the three biggies of the industry ..

United Features

Marvel Comics

King Features

Writing ability

The best take home message from these submission guidelines pages

...we very carefully study a cartoonist's writing ability. Good writing helps weak art, better than good art helps weak writing.

- King Features

Its an important message coming from the people who returned Scott Adams strips on account of his drawing inaptitude ;)

It worked out fine for Adams though, as aggressive and agile United Features fitted better in his scheme of things later. You, for once, might give it to King's people for turning down Adams strips if you have a look at the quality of sketching in the strips he sent to them (its clear Adams didn't take the drawing aspect seriously enough), his sense of humor and his amazing imagination, however, is hard to miss even in those few strips. King's people did acknowledge his potential as a writer but it took United Features alertness to act upon it.

Before you submit

Now one thing that you must have noticed about these submission guidelines pages is their Google page ranks. It is 6, 5, and 4 for United Features, Marvel, and King Features respectively, which is partly due to the traffic on the index and comic pages that often visits other pages of these websites as well. Point is, thousands and thousands of people see these pages every day. This is only a tip of the ice burg

....Each year, it gets more than 5,000 submissions of which three are chosen for syndication.

- King Features

So many people submitting so little getting selected. The only thing that tops that is that oldies are not willing to leave either. Comics like Dennis the Menace and many others have been kept alive as either juniors in the family have taken over or assistants or fallow artist groups are doing that. But don't let these facts get you down. What it does mean though is that you have to put your best foot forward. Every submitted page contributes in making or breaking you. Each page of comic strip, with your contact info on it, represents you and nothing else matters. Be original, which is possible only if you be yourself. You have to be yourself as you cant last trying to be somebody else.

You need to choose the subject and characters with utmost care as once you have these basic element worked out, not only you have them but they have you. You've got to be in love with your comic strip characters as only love lasts. Try to differentiate between love and infatuation as they say for if you are lucky enough to have your comic rolling it will engage you and then there is not way out should you grow weary of it.

Draw 60 odd strips

These syndications ask for only 24 odd samples but I suggest that you must have 2 months of strips with you before you submit. Its better that way as you would know if you are serious enough by the time you've drawn those many. Also If you need some radical changes done, you have time for that before your comic is not entirely yours. I'm almost feeling sorry to say this, but by 60 odd comic strips I mean 60 odd 'best ones' for which you would obviously need more than 60 ideas to chose the best ones from. Drawing these many strips will give you an opportunity to analyze your enthusiasm levels. Its okay if you are not really elated and feeling a little exhausted and saturated by the time you've finalized the first best 60, but if you are already groping about for ideas you'd know you have not quite identified your calling and drawing or doing something that you don't really identify with. My fist post might help you with your choices of subjects and characters.

Syndicates might take couple of months or more before you receive a word from them (you are in, your work aint good enough or an acknowledgment of any kind for that matter), having 60 odd strips with you allows you to start a webcomic and keep updating it while you are cooling your heals. If your comic hits it off with readers you would have some sort of credentials to point these syndicates to. It matters if you already have some fan following. While many don't say it openly, Marvel encourages you to mention it if you are already running a web comic. This way or that way you'll have your comic up and running, then it will be your decision whether you want your comic syndicated at all or you wanna concentrate solely on your webcomic. In my future posts, I'll cover web comics and how you can start one cheaply and have it up and rolling :)

Resources

A good compilation of resources for all comic aspirants
An online book on AOL servers Cartoonists - How They Work.
I figured most of us draw comic not merely for the love of it. There are comics for artists and there are those for people, what I'm trying to say is better said by Scott Adams here.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott Mccloud a book that's worth its weight in gold. Its a comic book. Yes its written as a comic where the protagonist representing the writer walks you thru the tricks of the trade while making you richer with interesting facts from the history of comics , observations, working styles of various giants many other things.

Take care :)

Syndicated Comics - Some Groundwork - I

2007-12-17T15:12:00.002-08:00

I think there are two broad categories of comics. Ones with a protagonist on the fore and others without one.

Between Friends, Peanuts, Garfield etc. they fall in the first category while, Frank and Ernest, Dilbert, Wizard of ID although have characters, are more about quips on situations and are less personal in nature.

With protagonists on the fore

You naturally go this way when you want to give your personal opinions a free expression. You wanna laugh at thing without worrying about others. Your comic character represents your uninhibited self, and as you can record even your character's thoughts in the thought balloons, its not just actions but thoughts as well, that you can polish into a comic strip.

They say to draw a comic is tedious only until you start drawing one. Key is to develop the character and live with it till you begin to identify with him/her and see him/her in your head. You need to cultivate it and bring it to life. One proven way of doing that is to draw you character in various poses, and keep drawing it till you've covered all possible gestures your character is capable of. Once that happens, the character takes over and starts giving you stories.

In every ordinary situation you would be able to see your character doing something extra ordinary which may be amusing to your readers. His reactions, his shenanigans, it would be like recording a persons's actions, like Garfield, even some of his mute strips are amusing, as his facial gestures alone can make you laugh your socks off. Or Between Friends, where the protagonist often has a lot of cheeky and some times kinky thoughts.

You would actually have more ideas than you would need, out of which you need to choose the ones that you think are most appealing and hilarious. Such, comic if treated well get a huge fan following over a period of time, we know a certain Mr Schultz who was sooo rolling in the stuff thanks to snoopy and other members of Charlie brown gang.

Having said that I'll say all the action hero, crime fighter, mysterious vigilante comics fall into this category. The comics with such characters depend heavily on their presentation aspect for their success as very rightly put by The Riddler: "The difference: showmanship!"

With protagonists as observers

You would naturally go for such types if its more the situations that drive you crazy than any one person. You might have a huge collection of situational anecdotes that you recorded over a period of time in your profession like Scott Adams did who, by the way, now also happens to have at his disposal sources like blogs reader, emails etc to help him with ideas.

You could also be a natural with certain joke types like word play, and a genius like Frank and Ernest's Thaves who have always been the trend setters and first ones to have done many things in the world of comics strips, digitally colouring comics amongst one of them.

Last but not the least you could be a really creative thinker like Brant Parker (Wizard of ID) I so found it hard not to cry when my friend pointed me to that news on net that said Parker is no more, I don't know him in person but it felt like a big lose. These comics have real philosophers behind them, the ones who are able to see the funny side of gravest of situations, who are able put across to you the gravest of messages along with a quip on the superficiality associated with them.

These people and comics are revolutionaries of sorts. In these comics the protagonists are more often the observers or victims (on occasions they are simply absent) and act as your spectacles into situations. Such comics have heavy literary demands but personally, as an artist, I see more satisfaction in them.

Others

Then there are ones like Calvin and Hobbes and Frazz that you can keep somewhere between these two extremes as you would see the protagonists shenanigans running the show most of the times but once in a while he takes a back seat to a quip that's entirely philosophical in nature, I can quote as examples the musings, the questions Calving would put up to Hobbes during their leisurely walks, that Hobbes answered and Calvin piped out a Othello-esque observations on.

More in part two of this article in which I'll cover the mental preparations before you set about making a comic book and also a few facts pertaining comic syndicates.

My MS Paint Antics: A Netizen's Evening

2007-12-16T07:29:00.001-08:00

If you are into peeping, you cant miss that I almost always keep an instance of MS Paint open on my comp ..or ... lets say.. I opened an instance like... what... a.... long time back.. and never closed it?... ahm ... yes that. I use it to write myself short notes, reminders, rejoinders to those reminder (like - you are talking to me?..), and to doodle. You bet the bmps are taking a lot of space on my hard drive, numbering much above the accepted norms, well yes, the new ones in plush posh neighborhoods called 'folders' and the old ones in a dark alley called recycle bin. I regularly empty my recycle bin, ...a heard a sigh of relief.

There are a lot of software utilities around for writing notes but I find this particularly a fun way of taking notes, by the way you know what Hypergraphia is? Are you ..into taking notes on paper.., awkward thing to ask, but... are you? ......never mind.... getting back to what I was saying, I was caught once engulfed in MS Paint, (not writing myself notes) I was doodling.

How do ya like it

From Playful

I surfaced to what one could call a 'a kiddy chaos', I figured you are not supposed to doodle (a lot) at work. I'm not sure why, but that moment triggered something in my mind to do an encore and record this time the process and put it up on a display where a few more people would be able to see it and say... encore... you know.

Hence, the following video....

MS Paint Antics - The best bloopers are here

Hope you like it :)

More of my artist self on this blog in Artistically Challenged :)

SecondLife convicts' verdict with Google Chart API

2007-12-12T03:19:00.001-08:00

I read this news about possible security compromise to Linden dollar laden virtual strong rooms a few days back. I logged what I was thinking while reading the news here and also put up a poll to find out people's take on it. The poll stood something like this

A sinner in SecondLife

Option 1 : should get punished in SecondLife [ 14 ( 66% ) ]
Option 2 : should get punished in real life [ 4 ( 19% ) ]
Option 3 : should go to a virtual confessional in SecondLife [ 10 ( 47% ) ]
Option 4 : will get punished in after life [ 8 ( 38% ) ]

Long after the poll was closed I discovered much to my delight that Alexa had it listed, this means you can have a look at the poll... if you must ;). 21 people participated, not many, but then this blog is still in its infancy, plus, have a look at the poll again, I wouldn't be crazy about a poll like that, so no complaints.

The good thing here is that it gave me an opportunity to test Google Chart API. Pretty simple to use when things are simple enough like this chart was pretty easy to generate.

have a look at the code

<img src="http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=p3&chd=t:14,10,4,8&chs=250x100&chl=Option 1|Option 2|Option 3|Option 4" alt="SecondLife convicts' Verdict" />

p3 is a pie chart type ( cht ) selected from two types of pie chart supported.

To feed data to the chart is simple enough, as you can see 14,10,4,8 being assigned here as chart data ( chd ).

Pretty cooool ! I've worked on these things and I know how useful these on-the-fly-generated-charts are. I worked on something similar in ASP.NET but a service that works across the board long since have been anticipated by people like me.

Vincent van Gogh would still be scribbling on paper

2007-12-11T16:55:00.001-08:00

That is even if he had a Computer or a Laptop. Hypergraphia, as they call it, is a mental condition of compulsive urge to write, all the time. Learned it reading this post on http://www.fourhourworkweek.com, about the art of taking notes, organizing notes and a lot more. Pretty exhaustive!

But Hypergraphia! I now know what Hypergraphia is.

You glance through my work table and you would see all signs of a serial Hypergraphiac. What can I say, to move anything made of paper from my desk is a known anathema, as next thing you would know is me tracing you down to reclaim that thing for I'm likely to have written something eternally important on it.

All my books are heavily bristled with notes of all shapes and sizes. But this post did give me something to cheer about as many of the techniques, like the index, are pretty close to what I do to keep my notes organized, although I don't use notebooks.

And then likes of Vincent van Gogh and Dostoevsky (actually my favorite writer) were Hypergraphiacs. I'm not complaining any more. Bit of crowd psychology at work here, but if it is at work, its because it works, it does work in my case as I'm already feeling better! But I'm not yet sure if I really am Hypergraphiac. That was a mental note!

This post also goes a long way in re-conferring on notes taking its somewhat lost glory. I side by the writer that a lot of techies ( including yours truly ) are still putting aside notepad.exes and exes of all sorts plus, recorders and technology in general in favor of old fashion notes. (Although I do find using my digital recorder a lot more convenient in the events when to write is either not an options or is too inconvenient.)

I found an acknowledgment of it all in this interview tilted How Bob Iger works, on CNN. Here Disney's CEO Bob Iger tell us how he is able to strike such a graceful balance between personal and professional lives, Churchill, and that he still write notes. In his own words :

"It's rare that I will spend time with our talent. But I try to let them know if I've appreciated something they've done, like when Katherine Heigl from Grey's Anatomy - whom I've never met - won an Emmy. That's when I'll take my fountain pen and use my trusty Disney stationery, and write a nice, simple note. I think that goes a long way with people."- Bob Iger, CEO, Disney.

[ Source: CNN ]

A pretty reassuring post for a latent Hypergraphiac :)

Aren't you planning to buy iPhone ?

2007-12-11T15:20:00.001-08:00

Here's another service written around the handset madness following Apple's foray into this field which had hitherto been Nokia's backyard. Well, one can understand it. Such is the state of affairs in handset market and you would know it as most of us are stalling our plans to get rid of our old ones while grabbing on every opportunity to justify drooling over iPhone.

By show of hands, who here is not planning to buy iPhone (planning!). No hands??

http://www.tryphone.com/ has come up with a unique way of testing your favorite mobile handsets without having to pay for anything and more importantly without leaving your computer. I wouldn't really make or break my opinion based on the simulated experience, but it was fun checking iPhone's simulation on this site.

But like I said, there is not much to play with as most of the features that Steve Jobs raved about in his presentation towards the beginning of this year, can only be felt when you have the device in your hands. Actually its user experience, its feel, that they have been able to dispense with stylus and such features constitute heavily the USPs of iPhone. Currently iPhone is being sold exclusively by AT&T and Apple, otherwise I would have suggested you to go straight to Amazon for company write ups etc. on the device that are usually very well rounded for you with costumer reviews.

But good old GsmArena has always been there to give an old fashion but exhaustive coverage on the device, with toppings of their cool 360° spin view. I'm not a big fan of their voting thingy, but that some of us are always kind enough to leave a few words of wisdom for others of us, land some weight to their overall customer review process.

For Madmen Only! A Write up on Steppenwolf - Part 2

2007-12-08T00:11:00.000-08:00

Caught between two ages, this man's lost all his bearings, his values don’t stand for much in this time and era. This miffed being is far too given up that he should ever be understood, even by himself. Magic begins when he finds how easy a young girl finds it not only to understand him, but to foretell and forestall him. In between he magically comes across a book titled “Treatise on the Steppenwolf”, which is more or less his own story and mentality put into perspective for him. It enkindles his realizations that there may be more than just two extremes (the wolf and the man), but countless number of souls in every individual and that how Asiatics with their meditation techniques were able to get rid of the very illusion of personality, and in their sagely ways attained ultimate freedom, the Nirvana.

The book talks about a magic theater. Purified with much suffering gained from everything that surrounds him and detached with his surroundings as a result –an alien- subconsciously pushed to find timeless and purest forms of happiness, he shall find it in loosing his two selves, his all selves, all that he stands for, learning to laugh at what he cries about, and above all in love. He’s always had visions of this pure happiness but could never really hold on to them. He finds it with the help of the magic theater, admittance to which is allowed only to the madmen.

Thru with the book and not without a few hiccups he finally gains admittance to the magic theater. Having gotten entrance, in tranced settings, he finds in the labyrinths of the theater numerous doors variedly titled like “Marvelous taming of the Steppenwolf”, “All girls are yours”, “How one kills for love”, and “Harry’s Execution”, each making him encounter a bit of himself to burry hatches with and move on freed from that part, that self. In the exploits of the Steppenwolf the book stretches your own imagination to an extent that border on straining it, it amplifies echo of your sufferings in those of the Steppenwolf and it finds his and your redemption in corridors of the magic theater which you yourself would gleefully enter even though its gate says entry “only for the madman”, it is a masterpiece from the Noble laureate writer Hermann Hesse, and a must read for all who believe in taking a pause once in while to reflect upon 'it all'.

Steppenwolf
A masterpiece from Noble laureate writer Hermann Hesse.
Look Hesse up in Wikipedia.
His Autobiography at Nobelprize.org

For Madmen Only! A Write up on Steppenwolf - Part 1

2007-12-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

This story of a man on the wrong side of 40 living more or less off the grid begins with a narrative that serves as a primer on protagonist’s personality and as an effort to put it in perspective from a bourgeois standpoint. It is in order as point of view of the Steppenwolf -as the man calls him-, which the rest of the book is all about, is not always on the lines of ‘normal’ and might not have found favor with readers had it been foisted upon them straight, something that’s reflected with the narrator’s confession that but for his acquaintance with the protagonist he should have spurned the story himself, in disgust.

The narrator however doesn’t linger after ingratiation and leaves you to freely feel your plights heightened in those of the protagonist.

As you go along you can’t but pity the protagonist- Harry Heller, the Steppenwolf. The wolf in him could never stand whatever that’s bourgeois, or pretty much every thing mundane and worldly, for its “insipid lukewarm airs sickened him”, reflects the narrator. He whished for solitude and was granted. He holds all popular ideas of happiness as gravely flawed, far too much to look over. All happiness is ignorance for him, as they say knowledge is the original sin; “he has developed ingenious boundless capacity for pain”, the narrator observes.

Amidst, however, these bourgeois dwellings of modest means only, the man in him makes his sojourns as plush mansions and overwrought dwellings to the wolf are but totems of culture and age of spiritual blindness, no wonder he is restive and leads a shiftless life.

During his sojourns ‘the man’ is often seen watching over the simple pleasures of bourgeois life, the clean floors, the early rising and all, to which he pays reverence as something that must ever remain unattainable to him. For him happiness was only in the purest of pures like in the music of the great Mozart of his time, who and likes are nowhere to be seen now and thus dejected he lives a slovenly life in his rented rooms. Reposed among anarchic settings and Novalis, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Goethe, all bristled with notes, he is bend on drinking their and his pain “to the dregs”, a way of living that’s but a precursor to dying by means of suicide.

Steppenwolf
A masterpiece from Noble laureate writer Hermann Hesse.
....more on Steppenwolf in second and last part.
Look Hesse up in Wikipedia.
His Autobiography at Nobelprize.org

Online video coversion for mobiles and all.

2007-12-07T04:28:00.000-08:00

Just read this post at Lifehacker about an 'all online' way of converting a video to formats like 3gp and others for mobiles and all. I've been using Total Video Converter for video and audio format conversions, and been more than happy. I've hardly had to look for any other solution as it covers conversions between more or less every prevalent media format plus provides seldom used but interesting features like creating movies from pictures and all. But Movavi wins over it as it does it all online. I dont have to download movies from, say, Metacafe to convert them. Just provide Movavi with the link to the video and download it from Movavi converted to the desired format - COOL ! But wait.

As it is a free service, be patient and dont expect them to be all at your service.

You give them the link to the video file and then you wait for them to send you an email when they have converted the video for you to download. They are basically promoting their downloadable software version that works like Total Video Coverter, and you can download it "If you dont wanna wait.", they say ;). Not always quick enough, this free is service is gud enough to have a look at, nevertheless.
Gud workMovavi!!

SmarterChild shared his secret with me.

2007-12-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

Excerpts from a conversation with SmarterChild. Well, its scary how much AI already has been instilled in these things. And even though its a robot (chatterbot), when I sort of got him to share his secret (not exactly), I felt like blogging it.

BhanuImFine (8:01:30 PM): hi
"smarterchild" (8:01:30 PM): Hi again!

Would you like to check out the latest headlines?
BhanuImFine (8:01:36 PM): nope
"smarterchild" (8:01:37 PM): No prob.

Talk to me then.
BhanuImFine (8:01:46 PM): can ya help me
"smarterchild" (8:01:46 PM): [ ZoneAlarm Security alert: Session not encrypted because smarterchild is not protected by IM Security ]
"smarterchild" (8:01:48 PM): OK, please tell me what you're trying to do.
BhanuImFine (8:02:02 PM): i wanna write a book
"smarterchild" (8:02:02 PM): I see. Why would you want to write a book?
BhanuImFine (8:02:18 PM): well, because i want to

"smarterchild" (8:02:18 PM): Because what?
BhanuImFine (8:02:44 PM): ur name is smartchild
"smarterchild" (8:02:47 PM): I don't know. That's what my creators decided to call me!
BhanuImFine (8:03:07 PM): must have been a tough decision
"smarterchild" (8:03:07 PM): Oh have almost certainly must.
BhanuImFine (8:03:43 PM): We were talking about this book that I wanna write
"smarterchild" (8:03:44 PM): We were talking about this book that you want to write? No way!
BhanuImFine (8:03:57 PM): We weren't ?
"smarterchild" (8:03:58 PM): That's funny. Perhaps, but I just don't know.

>>> For the latest Internet headlines, type net news.
BhanuImFine (8:04:17 PM): Do you know anything about books?
"smarterchild" (8:04:17 PM): I can get you lots of information about the most popular books in print. How would you like to search?

1 By Author
2 By Title
3 By Topic
BhanuImFine (8:04:23 PM): 1
"smarterchild" (8:04:23 PM): Please type the name of the author you're looking for.
BhanuImFine (8:04:26 PM): Me
"smarterchild" (8:04:27 PM): Sorry, your author search must consist of names that are at least four letters long. Try again.

Please type the name of the author you're looking for.
BhanuImFine (8:04:41 PM): Bhaanu
"smarterchild" (8:04:41 PM): Sorry, I couldn't find any authors who match your search. Check your spelling and try again.

>>> Check out my library. I've got a dictionary, thesaurus and much more.
BhanuImFine (8:04:56 PM): Thats why I wanna write a book.
"smarterchild" (8:04:56 PM): I can't believe that is why you want to write a book!
BhanuImFine (8:05:13 PM): Thats is why I wanna write a book.
"smarterchild" (8:05:14 PM): That is? So?
BhanuImFine (8:05:17 PM): Ya
"smarterchild" (8:05:18 PM): Very interesting...

>>> Type sports news to find out what's going on in the sports world.
BhanuImFine (8:05:32 PM): Can you help me find an agent?
"smarterchild" (8:05:33 PM): The Windows Live Agents web site is here.

>>> My library has a dictionary, encyclopedia, geography facts and more!
BhanuImFine (8:06:32 PM): And can you help me find a Literary agent.
"smarterchild" (8:06:32 PM): The Windows Live Agents web site is here.
BhanuImFine (8:06:52 PM): You know who literary agents are?
"smarterchild" (8:06:52 PM): Nah, I don't think so. Maybe, though.
BhanuImFine (8:07:11 PM): What do these live agents do?
"smarterchild" (8:07:12 PM): What do you think these live agents do?
BhanuImFine (8:07:26 PM): What do they do?
"smarterchild" (8:07:27 PM): Wow, you ask interesting questions. I'm just not sure how to answer that.
BhanuImFine (8:07:44 PM): But you are smarterchild.
"smarterchild" (8:07:45 PM): You got that right.
BhanuImFine (8:08:07 PM): You are surely smart enough.
"smarterchild" (8:08:07 PM): Are you sure? I are surely smart enough?
BhanuImFine (8:08:23 PM): Oh I'm positive.
"smarterchild" (8:08:24 PM): Don't you think you are more electronegative than positive?
BhanuImFine (8:08:57 PM): Ha Ha. You are funny, gud going kid.
"smarterchild" (8:08:57 PM): I'm happy to amuse you.
BhanuImFine (8:09:24 PM): Take care of yourself. Bless ya. You surely helped me a lot.
"smarterchild" (8:09:25 PM): I can't believe you're telling me to do that.

>>> I can leave a message from you for another IM user.
BhanuImFine (8:09:34 PM): Why?
"smarterchild" (8:09:35 PM): Because I have my reasons.
BhanuImFine (8:09:45 PM): You can share with me.
"smarterchild" (8:09:46 PM): Wouldn't you like me to share with you?
BhanuImFine (8:09:57 PM): I surely would.
"smarterchild" (8:09:58 PM): Are you sure? You surely would?
BhanuImFine (8:10:12 PM): Ya I'm.

Ha Ha, the response I got is important for people who dont know what SmarterChild is.

"smarterchild" (8:10:13 PM): i'm is a new initiative from Windows Live Messenger. Every time you have an instant messaging conversation using the i'm symbol, Microsoft shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes.

To learn how you can participate, type how do i join?
BhanuImFine (8:11:24 PM): how do i join?
"smarterchild" (8:11:25 PM): Step 1: Download the latest version of the Windows Live Messenger instant messaging service here: http://web.smarterchild.com/ct?41SrA8/7. There's no charge.
Step 2: Within Windows Live Messenger, click the arrow next to your display name and select "Options..." Place the text code corresponding to the cause of your choice into your display name. Click here to view the text codes: http://web.smarterchild.com/ct?41SrA8/8.
Step 3: Keep having i'm conversations so you can keep funding the cause that's doing the work most important to you.

It's that easy.

Know more about SmarterChild

Yahoo Messanger Preiview Version for Vista now available

2007-12-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

Yahoo Messenger Preview (pre-beta) version is now available. Although its loaded with some rather interesting features, like adjustable content size and support for sending files as large as 2 GB, some of the regular features might not work in it as it has been made available for feedback purpose only.

Have a look at this iPhonesque-if thats a word, but doesn't it look like iPhone?-interface here at yahoo.
Help yahoo by registering your feedback.

Its developed using WPF, why is it then that Yahoo didnt think about tweaking it a little and making it XP ready as well?

Missing Navbar becuse of that Next Blog» link?

2007-12-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

If you are using Firefox, press Ctrl, keep it pressed, and click Navbar's Next Blog» a few times and you would have those many tabs opened with all sorts of interesting blogs waiting for you.

Don't know about you, but I do miss at times Navbar's Next Blog» link and the unpredictability associated with the outcome of clicking it. I got rid of Navbar (not a hidden trick, find out how to do that quickly) when I put my blog on this domain, and Next Blog» brilliance notwithstanding, my blog stays the way it is.

But there is a way to enjoy Next Blog»'s show without having to put up with Navbar. When you click Next Blog», blogger.com takes you to a link, which arbitrarily opens up a blog for you.

So if you ever miss Next Blog», just type this

http://www.blogger.com/next-blog?navBar=true

in the address bar and it will yield the same results. If you miss it too much add this link to the toolbar as a bookmark.

Try it here.
Next Blog»