Category: drpartha’s pages

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20-2019 Why was I not born in USA ?

Why was I not born in USA ?

einstein


Unlike many Indians today, I was never attracted by the lure of living in USA. That was till recently. It all changed when I was browsing the w-w-web and I came across the website of Princeton University Press. I took the time to look around all that they had on display and I discovered many gems which I would love to own. You can browse their publications, catalogues, titles, series, and blog. Some books also make available a pdf version of some chapters. The listings are searchable by subject, by title, by author name, by date. You also get to see the author’s biography and a short synopsis of the book/title. Now I know why they say, only the luckiest of the blessed enter Princeton. If you can’t visit Princeton, make Princeton come to your home. At least try to collect a book from this amazing publisher. Beg, borrow, steal, do anything, to own a piece of Princeton University (I prefer begging).

Start here : https://press.princeton.edu/

Also see : Rome-was-not-built-in-a-day

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18-2019 Made for each other

Made for each other ….

Meet T. Shrinivsan and his wife Nithya Shrinivasan (Nee Nithya Duraisamy), a remarkably well-matched couple of Chennai. Lovers of FOSS and Tamil will know this couple well. I happened to have met Shrini several years ago, in my quest to learn some typesetting in Tamil. Shrini was not married then, and lived in Chennai’s Anna Nagar. I learnt a lot about Linux, FOSS, Tamil typesetting and ++++ from him. Now, my visits to Chennai always include a few trips to Tambaram Sanatorium (that is where Shrini, Nithya and their son lead a, no-fuss, no-pomp life). And, when I am not in Chennai, I use Shrini as my SOS Helpline for all my FOSS/Linux misadventures.

shrini2Shrini is not only an active volunteer for FOSS activities in India, he is also an active contributor to the Wikimedia efforts in Tamil, and Creative Commons. He is the Chief Animator of ILUG-Chennai. He is also an active blogger in WordPress (I learnt WordPress from him). I always wonder how he finds time and energy for all that he does.

His WordPress.com blog tells a lot about him: https://goinggnu.wordpress.com/

Some interesting facts about Shrini:

  • He does not own a smart phone.
  • His date of birth is 2 years later than my son’s dob, yet he is my guru.

nithya2Shrini’s ideal partner in life, as well as in all his activities, is Nithya, a remarkably gifted person. Nithya is a guru in big data, testing tools, Python, machine learning and, of course, Tamil. I happened to attend one of her lectures at IIT Chennai, and came out admiring her style and depth of learning. Wish many of my teacher colleagues would learn something from her.

To know more about Nithya, see her blog : https://nithyashrinivasan.wordpress.com/

Interesting facts about Nithya:

  • She is a gifted dancer, and specialises in traditional Tamil art forms like “Karagattam”.
  • She is a prolific writer (in Tamil) of highly technical and involved topics.

In this selfish and greedy world, we need more people like Shrini and Nithya.

I am lucky to have you as friends Shrini and Nithya.

partha

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17-2019 Tying it up altogether

This page is a part of my non-traditional teaching initiatives.

Blogs : It feels nice to see all my blogs in one place.

Here, we have :

  1. blogspot personal : http://partha-the-person.blogspot.com/
  2. blogspot academic : http://partha-the-prof.blogspot.com/
  3. social concerns : https://drpartha.wordpress.com/ This blog is now defunct, superseded by my “selfpress” blog.
  4. selfpress : https://drpartha.org.in/wp/#
  5. RSS Feeds (restricted access) : https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/myfeeds
  6. XML site map

Twitter : I also post regularly on twitter using the handle @profpartha

Downloadables : There is also a whole lot of tutorial material I create and publish on the web, for all to
see and use under a CC-BY-SA license.

All this is part of my “reaching out” efforts.

I fact, you can keep yourself up-to-date with these tools.

There’s a lot I learn from all the above. I learn the principles behind new tools and techniques. I learn a lot about people’s attitudes and behaviour. I learn to recognise my real friends.

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15-2019 Meet my best friend…..Nobody

Meet my best friend…..Mr. Nobody

Nobody knows who I am
Nobody cares for what I do
Nobody bothers about me
Nobody understands how I feel
Nobody wants me around
Nobody walks with me while I cross the desert
Nobody stands by me when I face the storm
Nobody thinks that I am his friend
Nobody warns me when I am nearing the edge of a cliff
Nobody cares if I am dead or alive
Nobody will bring flowers to my grave

PS : Nobody reads such lamentable blogs
(reprinted from an earlier blog of mine dated 2011-05-07 )

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14-2019 Why do people ignore requests for opinion / feedback ?

Why don’t people stop and smell the roses ?
Why don’t people applaud a singing bird ?
Why don’t people appreciate a good job done ?
Why don’t people stop grumbling that this life is so terrible ?
Why don’t people speak out when they are asked their opinion / feedback ?

How often does someone ask you your opinion / feedback on a product or service you have used ? How often do you ignore such requests ?

For many, giving an opinion/feedback on anything is usually not a very welcome or interesting activity. You find yourself caught between the proverbial horns of a dilemma. If you want to be honest, you may have to be careful that you do not offend the person. You also do not want to spend time to learn some diplomatic skills, without sounding too dishonest or indifferent. Moreover, you often suspect that the time you have to spend is not a very productive option for you. The easiest way out, is to avoid / ignore the request for opinion / feedback altogether. You have better things to do in life, don’t you ?

From the opinion-seeker’s point of view, your opinion may really matter much. Even an adverse (but constructive) opinion may be more than welcome, sometimes. Calling a spade, a spade is not always frowned upon. So, don’t worry. Remember, you have a social duty and responsibility to help remove all the blemishes you see, and to create a beautiful world where everyone enjoys a pleasant stay. Do not miss the opportunity to do your bit and earn some good karma. So, the next time someone asks for your opinion / feedback, do not ignore the request. Mere grumbling does not improve anything. You may actually be helping the person and yourself by letting know your feelings. Of course, be sure to be constructive and polite.

You want to change your habit ? For starters, try this small survey.