All posts by Ruturaj Vartak

Javascript Docs – Here we come

A new campaign has started – Promoting JavaScript Documentation, Promote JS.

One of the things that echoed my thoughts about JavaScript were these

This is the first impression of JS by the general masses who are coming to this language and once you see this, you can see why people consider it a “toy language” and understand how so much bad code and disdain can exist for JS. We have hidden the better tutorials, learnings, and documentations away from ourselves AND more to the point, those trying to learn this language. New entrants struggle to learn JS, but eventually just adopt what they know from PHP, Java, Perl, Python and Ruby to a close approximation of runnable code that suffices. They then publish it back out, proud of what they have done, and continue to perpetuate this plague of improper JS coding.

http://hacks.mozilla.org/2010/10/promotejs-a-worldwide-call-for-improving-js-documentation-visibility/

The aim of the campaign is

  • Improve JavaScript Documentation
  • Add more back links to current MDN / MDC documentation. So that a search terms like “JavaScript” gets MDN’s link as #1 reference instead of Wikipedia

 

Kisi ki Muskurahaton pe ho Nisar – Anari – Guitar Tabs & Chords

This entry is part 27 of 41 in the series Guitar

Intro

Play the following 2 times.

e|---3----------3----|-------3-3--4-4-1--|
b|-1-------1-1-------|--1-1--------------|
g|-------------------|-------------------|
d|-------------------|-------------------|
a|-------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------|-------------------|

 

Verse

Kisi ki Muskurahato pe ho nisaar
g|---------------------------------------|
d|----------5-----------5---------(5~)---|
a|-3-6---3------3-6---3-----3-6--3-------|
E|---------------------------------------|
Let the G note (5~) ring...

Kisika dard mil sake to le udhaar
g|---------------------------------------|
d|----------5-----------5---------(3~)---|
a|-3-6---3------3-6---3-----3-6--3-------|
E|---------------------------------------|
Let the F note (3~) ring...

Kisike waaste ho tere dil mein pyaar
g|---------------------------------------|
d|----------3-----------3---------(6~)---|
a|-5-6---5------5-6---5-----5-6--5-------|
E|---------------------------------------|
Let the G# note (6~) ring...

Jeena issi ka naam hai
g|----3-4-3----3-------------------------|
d|--6--------6---6-(5~)------------------|
a|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
Let the G note (5~) ring...

Play the whole above stanza twice

Whistling and music

e|-----3-4-3-----------3-4-3-------------|
b|-4-4-------------4-4-------------------|

e|---3-1-3----3-1-3----------------------|
b|-4--------4---------4-4--3-3--1--0-1---|

Chorus / (individual)

Maana apni jeb se fakeer hain
b|-4-3-4-3--------------3-4--------------|
g|----------5-5--5---5-------------------|
d|-----------------5---------------------|

Phir bhi yaaron dil ke ham ameer hain
b|-4-3-4-3------------3--5---------------|
g|----------5-5--5--6-----5--------------|
d|---------------------------------------|

Repeat twice

Chords

Cm
Kisiki muskuraahaton pe ho nisaar
                                 Bb
Kisika dard mil sake to le udhaar
                                G#
Kisike waaste ho tere dil mein pyaar
              Bb       Cm
Jeena issi ka naam hai

Malshej Ghat Bike Ride

At the last trek event, Manas the ‘biker’ had put a request for a bike ride, then I’d said I’d probably be at Bangalore, but if I’m back we could plan one to Malshej Ghat, which would be a wonderful ride on the NH 222. So faithfully, Manas called at 9.30pm in the night, checking if I’m available, and I was, instantly – Next day @ 8.00am plan was fixed. Vj (moronzkreacionz) couldn’t make it. So with just 2 of us, it was on my bike, Honda Unicorn (150 cc, 13.3 bhp @ 8000 rpm) was to lead us to Malshej on 18 September 2010.

Manas made it to my house on time, and we left instantly after a tea. I was the first to ride till Kalyan-phata, where we took a right for Murbad. We stopped at a local Udipi restaurant to have a tea break, it was 10.30am. There on we moved through the outskirts of Kalyan reaching Shahad where the NH 222, Kalyan, Maharashtra to Nirmal, Andhra Pradesh was waiting. I let Manas ride.

Just after Murbad one of the lovely local town en-route to Malshej, there was a रास्ता बंद demonstration, by locals to criticize the inefficiency of the local govt, police to prevent thefts on the road. The whole road was barricaded with burning tires. Luckily being on a bike, we were able to circumvent after moving ahead of a kilometer long train of parked cars, buses and trucks. The road was a little bumpy, probably rains doing its damage near the earlier end of the ghats. But it smoothed out later. The sudden view of the big Malshej ghat region in front of us was captivating.

Malshej Ghat Bike Ride

As the ghat started, so did the streams, waterfalls around the road. As we moved ahead, one waterfall right on the top of the road cooled off the heat and the grime that we had collected. We moved ahead, both of us were hungry. It was almost 12 in the noon. We moved towards the tunnel, where we stopped and went towards the needle point. Enjoyed a few snaps and back on the bike. I chose to move right towards Khubi phata, where the nostalgia inducing roads of Harishchandragadh awaited. Still further we went right to the gorge that divided the view of PimpleJoga Dam and the Madh village on the other side. We returned back from that gorge and were lucky to find a shade of a tree well made to sit. And as if that luck wasn’t enough, there was a Hand pump as well. We cleansed ourselves and went back to the tree where we had the तिखट मिठाच्या पोळ्या and Orange juice.

We decided to even clean our bike, so filled a plastic bag with the water at the hand pump and chilled the black seat of the bike and the engine. Yet again on the bike, we moved ahead checking which waterfall should we spend some time and have a clean shower! We went pass through 3 falls, until we spotted one just on the road, which had no one. And the fall came from atleast 30 feet above the road. We drenched ourselves in the cold water and mounted ourselves us again for the trip back to Mumbai. We left the ghat around 2 with Manas riding the bike and me as a pillion.

On our route back, luckily the road block had cleared near Saralgaon (सरळगाव), and we moved ahead towards Kalyan. At Shahad, we exchanged our seats and zoomed till my place where we reached by 5pm.

Kothaligad Trek

With no treks in monsoon, one was due, Rajoba planned for this relatively simple trek to Kothaligad for 11 September 2010. We were to meet @ Dadar’s ticket-window spot around 4.40am and board a train for Karjat around 4.58am.

For the first time all made it on time, I was happy. But Vj was still worried, Hanjoo, the President of my ex-company was yet to make it. Rest all of us, Vj, his wife, Deepak Airy, Vijay Gupta, Anshul Pandey, Digvijay Singh, Amol Rajoba were present. Manas couldn’t make it as he was late to get up. Me and Vj ran to get Hanjoo @ the cab junction, while others moved for the platform. When we reached back @ the platform, the train had already left, and the next one was at 5.37am. So we called Manas and checked if he could still make it. He did without a “cleanup” !
At Karjat station, we grabbed a ST bus for the Ambivali village. This was the base, from where our trek was to start. 1.5hrs ride to Ambivali village with everybody managing to catch hold of some sleep. We started our journey from there to the base of the pinnacle, the Peth village. This was about another 1 hrs walk, climb through a very rocky road.

The climb/walk was more of fun, as everybody with their respective stamina, and passion for photography, or should I say for Orkut-ology or newly Facebook-ology were trailing behind. Hanjoo the eldest of us, was quick. We navigated through most of the shortcuts, cutting straight through winding roads and take you up earlier, but not without extra-climbing. We split in 2 groups (naturally) with quicker and the slower. The quicker moved around the green meadows waiting for their compatriots, while the compatriots reached the Peth village!

Pinnacle of Kothaligadh with base village Peth

At the Peth village we had a few refreshments, a cold drink bottle costing almost 1.5 times that of the MRP! There we hired a kid to take us to the pinnacle, where there were caves. Another 1 hr climb, this time really a climb, no walk! we reached the caves with relatively clean area. The गांववाले must be keeping it clean. But the other parts of the cave were stinking with Bats! so horrible the smell was that we could hardly breathe. We decided that we would have our food/lunch over here. Vj and his wife started pulling out the ‘Wax Stove’ and Maggi noodles, while others helped in getting water, arranging Newspapers to sit. Hanjoo was restless.. didn’t know what to do. The kid, Anil, said there were 100 steps that lead from the cave to the top of the pinnacle. Hanjoo said, “I’ll be back” and started climbing, while I kept asking the kid if there was any place where I could swim or have bath with good clean water. After checking a few cisterns infested with toads, frogs, rats, etc. I dropped my plan. I decided I too must go through the inner-carved steps out into the open. Each step was about 1.5 feet tall, almost reaching the knee, after some panting I was there! Open ! Hanjoo was checking out the beautiful Sahyadri. It wasn’t very windy out there, I decided I need to remove my Tshirt, others who had followed me to the top too copied … few of us without our T-shirts with our President! shirtless! enjoyed the breeze which teased us.

After a small thought of Manas, Hanjoo that beer should’ve been a great companion @ the top, we moved down having our staple trek food of Bread, butter, cheese slices and the Hot Maggi. Around 3 we started our descent from the caves and reached to the base of Peth in 30 mins. From there one the climb down was little boring as it was a rocky road. Around 5 all were there at the base near the bus stop. We waited near a “Hotel” few had tea. I enquired if there was a hand pump or something where we could clean ourselves, A villager said there was a big pond of fresh water, but if we made to it, we would lose our bus ride back to Karjat. Plan dropped! 🙁

The bus arrived around 5.30 pm, and we reached Karjat around 6.40pm. Manas the only guy without a return ticket had to run as there was a Fast train already waiting to release its brakes. We just managed to grab it and reached Dadar around 8.30pm. Home sweet home was by 8.45pm.

Travelling Directions

  1. Get down at Karjat Station, Central Railway
  2. A ST bus or Tuktuk to the base village of Ambivali, 1.5hrs of ride
  3. There on 1.5 hrs of climb to the pinnacle’s base, Peth village

Approximate Time of Trek: 5-6 hrs from and to the base village of Ambivali

Shinedown – Lost in the crowd Guitar chords

This entry is part 23 of 41 in the series Guitar

Thanks to Danny (Dinesh) I heard this song, Its a very simple song to play on the guitar 😛

Strumming Pattern

D D U U D U

Just play easy and slow, during the chorus, you can add a little movement via F or C (as u’d like)

Chords

Should I offer up my hand
Dm                G   Dm
And save a wish for once
Dm                  G      Dm
For aaa.. aall of us
Dm  C             Dm

And should I offer up my hand
Dm                    G    Dm
And lay the guilt on myself
Dm                   G      Dm
So it's easier , to not stay, to not stay
Dm      C        F        C   F        Dm

[Chorus]
Because I found you in your corner
Dm                          G      Dm
I pulled you out of the clouds
Dm                      G       Dm
You left in such a hurry
Dm                 G      Dm
Your face got lost in the crowd
Dm                        G           Dm

Should I open up my eye's
Dm               G      Dm
or just ignore who you are
Dm                     G   Dm
And what you could have been
Dm       C              Dm

And should I open up my eye's
Dm                   G     Dm
and make believe you will change
Dm                        G      Dm
So it's easier to not stay, to not stay
Dm      C      F      C     F       Dm

[Chorus]

 

KDE 4.4

Just yesterday had an update on Fedora 11 for KDE 4.4. I expected from KDE 4.x legacy that the overall product would be a bit tacky. But opposed to my original thoughts it turned out to be an extremely well polished ‘Desktop’.

The settings were very easy to navigate, with lots of Compiz settings available easily without a lot of ‘extra’ installations as in GNOME. The overall stability of the desktop too was strong. I’m considering to run KDE 4.4 for atleast a week as suggested by one of my sysadmin friends.

This edition reminds me of the good old stable days of KDE 3.x