Ideal Programming Comments

Leaving proper and abundant comments in code has always been one of the most repeated programming tips.

We were discussing the inadequate commenting practice among team members at work, when I had this to say:

Ideally, comments left in a program should be such that if you filter out/hide all the code and read only the comments, that should give you a good idea of the logic of the program.

Loneliest thing I have done

I am used to doing things alone. Most of the times. I don't usually have buddies interested in the same things as I am. So, for most of my life, I have been going to places or events alone, and then making friends there. I never really minded it. In fact, I liked making new varieties of friends, in new places.

I am now sitting in a clinic for my immigration medical exam (and blogging on my phone). There are couple of other Indian guys here. They both seem to be here with their wives. Both wives are good looking. As I sit here and listen to them having their idiosyncratic conversations that don't really mean anything, I realize that this immigration thing is the most lonely thing I have doing in my life.

I personally don't know anyone who is doing this alone. Most Indians are married by the time they reach this stage in their immigration process. They do it with their spouses.

I am not feeling lonely only because I am doing this alone. I'm feeling lonely more because I realize that this immigration thing has the potential to put some serious distance between the Love of My Life and myself. Each step, each form, each activity in this process is depressing and tortuous.

I had pretty much accepted that this step would come about 3-4 years from now. But the state department advanced the dates by a huge deal. Why did this have to come now, in the middle of everything else I'm dealing with??

The Reason

The Reason (mp3)

This is my own rendering of The Reason (lyrics), originally recorded by the band Hoobastank.

State of Tears

Just got off a painful 28-minute phone call with mom. She kept trying to persuade me to get married, to consider the girls she'd like to find for me.

I kept telling her, "Don't want."

She kept asking me, "Why don't want? What do you mean by, 'don't want'? What do you want? What do you have in mind? What are your intentions? If not now, when would you want?" So on, and so forth.

I kept telling her, "Don't want."

Then she said, "Don't say that you don't want now, and then find yourself in a state of tears later."

Poor mom. Doesn't know that her son is already in a state of tears.

Jhonka hawa ka

YESSS! Finally, I have come around to posting my songs - yes, sung and recorded by myself - on this blog! Thanks to the folks at MyPodcast.com for hosting my audio files.

This first song-post is dedicated to the Love of My Life.

Click below. Be warned, it's a link to an mp3 file.

Jhonka hawa ka

This song is originally from the movie, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Libran Lover's Blog Updates 2

This year, Google has been introducing a whole lot of sharing options among all its services. I have used a couple of these to share some nice things with you on the side-bar:

1. Through My Lens - In this section on the side-bar, I use Picasa Web Albums to run a small slide-show of some favorite photos, I have clicked myself. You can mouse-over the slide-show to activate the slide-show controls and toggle the caption display. Click on a photo to view it in bigger size, and leave comments if you'd like. Keep checking for new photos from my travels and adventures.
2. My Shared Reading - In this section, I share some of the interesting and share-worthy items I have read recently on my Goodle Reader subscriptions. You can click on the links to read each article in full, on its original website. This section will be automatically updated with fresh links every time I find something worth sharing. So, keep an eye here too for new items.

If you read my blog through RSS readers, you will not be able to see these side-bar sections. You will have to visit my blog page.

I hope all you readers like these new sections. Let me know if the position of these sections on the side-bar should be moved around.

Getting Back into the Dating Scene

Before you misunderstand, no, I am not back in the dating scene. Sorry to disappoint ladies! ;-)

A nice lady who has been out of the dating scene for almost 10 years asked my advice on how she can get back into it. Here's my advice to her:

The best thing you can do right now is forget about dating, and concentrate on all the things which you are truly interested in, things you feel passionate about, things which bring you happiness, things that are not men. I feel that the best way to attract good people to ourselves is by being happy. When we are happy, people will come to us naturally. Some of those people will suck our happiness, some will share, some will increase our happiness. When you meet the person who increases your happiness, you know that you have found the person you want to date.

I am not really a believer in the 'dating techniques', rules, personal ads, being setup with someone, etc. I think that these are all market place techniques. I am not a market player. I am a Lover. And this is what I can tell you as a Lover.

I hope this helps.

Garden State - Movie Review

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of watching the excellent movie, Garden State.

Zach Braff has written and directed, as well as starred in the lead role. Zach is more popularly known as the funny lead character in one of my favorite television comedies, Scrubs. Garden State is a much appreciated movie, causing lot of people to eagerly anticipate Zach's next movie, which is not out yet.

Garden State is the story of a depressed, struggling 26-year-old actor from Los Angeles, going back home and finding his real home. It is a representation of the popular saying, "Home is where the heart is." Zach Braff plays the role of Andrew, a struggling and depressed actor in Los Angeles (his regular job seems to be that of a not-so-good waiter at a restaurant), who goes back home to a small town in New Jersey, to attend his mother's funeral. He has not been home for 9 years, and we learn that he has been in medication prescribed by his psychologist father since the age of 9 or so, when he accidentally caused his mother to be paralyzed from the waist-down. Back in his hometown, he goes off the medication and catches up with his highschool buddies, each of whom is quirky and funny. Along the way, he runs into sweet, cheerful and lying Samantha, played wonderfully by Natalie Portman. It is with her that Andrew discovers the precious feeling of truly coming home, finding peace, contentment, acceptance and love.

I have always liked movies which handle depressing plots/characters in comic ways. Garden State has become my favorite movie in that genre. It strikes a great balance between depression and comedy, without overdoing either one. Through most of the movie, you feel the lead character Andrew's quiet, desperate, depression, even as you laugh at all the other quirky characters (mostly his highschool friends), their silly lines and the funny scenes. Natalie Portman's portrayal of Samantha, who brings Andrew out of his depression and helps him discover love, by doing nothing more than being her naive, silly, cheerful self was utterly convincing.

There were some weird-interesting-funny scenes in the movie like the one where Andrew's shirt perfectly matches the bathroom walls, a family dog masturbates and there is a hall-way in a hotel from which perverts peep on hotel guests. Two of my favorite scenes from the movie:

• There is the opening scene which shows the inside of a crashing plane, with everybody close to panic, but Andrew is totally calm while a mellifluous voice chants a Sanskrit prayer in the background.
• Then there is the scene where Andrew, his highschool buddy Mark and Samantha stand at the edge of cliff which falls into a deep dark canyon and shout their hearts out. That scene is symbolic if Andrew's life at that point of time - his future is dark, deep and unknown, which could hold horrors or treasures, but the shout that comes of his heart while he stands at its edge is one of venting, relief and elation, all mixed together.

But its the final scene which ties it all together: having come to his old home, having discovered a new home for his heart, and standing at the edge of the unknown, will Andrew succumb to his doubts and fears and run away, or will he choose to stay, and nurture his new-found home and love? You will have to watch the movie to find out for yourself.


Official movie site: http://www.gardenstatemovie.com.

Google Vs eBay

Valleywag reports on eBay suspending its Adwords-based advertising through Google after a recent squabble between the two companies. Apparently, Google scheduled a Freedom Party to promote its own payment service Google Checkout, inviting eBay sellers for free drinks, food and massage. The fun part is that Google scheduled this event close - in time and space - to eBay's Live event for its top sellers in Boston. Google rubbed it in further by giving its "Freedom party" a Boston Tea Party spin. All this because eBay won't allow Google Checkout to be used as a payment option on its website. eBay, of course, wouldn't do that because Checkout is a direct competitor to eBay's own Paypal.

eBay's contributions to Google's coffers are big enough that Google suspended its planned party, when eBay stopped advertising via Google. But the damage is done. eBay continues to boycott Google, although the latter was/is the top traffic driver to the former.

While the party fiasco has been publicized a lot, Google and Ebay were bound to step on each other's feet (not just toes!) sooner or later. The fact is that, Google has its fingers in too many pies which Ebay considers its own right now. Examples include Paypal and Skype. Google also has the potential to bite out a large chunk of Ebay's pies, if it chooses to do so. Offering innovative services and features on GTalk and Google Checkout could give some serious competition to Skype and Paypal. And Google has all the big pieces needed to quickly build an Ebay competitor in the auction and sales space. Perhaps, Google should take this as an opportunity to kickstart the campaign of giving eBay a run for its money.

It will be interesting to see how this war plays out between the two. Even if the current battle ends tamely by eBay turning on some (not all!) of its Adwords advertising, the long term war is far from over.

Lawyer's Turn

Finally it was my lawyer's turn today to advise me to get married!

For the past year or more, pretty much everybody I know has advised, requested, ordered or scolded me to get married. My wedding is the most common subject people bring up with me in conversations - whether it is in casual parties or office rest rooms. I am not exaggerating about the rest room part - I have lost count of the number of people who casually ask me when I am going to get married, when they run into me in the rest room, of all the places! WTH!

Today my immigration attorney advised me to get married as soon as possible. Here's the background: The latest visa bulletin from the US State Department states that the priority dates for all categories of employment-based immigration visas (read green cards) are 'Current'. Just last month, the priority date was four years ago! What this means is that the waiting period to get the green card has been reduced from about 5 years to about 1 year for people like me.

This is a huge leap forward. An important life-changing event for thousands of Indians who are in the green card queue in the US, freeing up their employment and travel potential. This is one of those extremely rare occurences in the history of US greencard processing for Indians. It is as rare as a particularly auspicious planetary alignment.

Everybody who is affected by this is overjoyed and scrambling to get their green card process jumped forward as quickly as possible. Everybody that is, except single Indians like me. I am one of the very few people this month, who must have asked their attorneys to not go forward with their green card process. You see, if my green card gets processed for me as a single person, it will be extremely hard for my future wife to join me in the US from India. It is always advisable for green card processing to be done along with the spouse (and kids, if any).

So my attorney's advice was for me to get married as soon as possible because they don't know when we'll have a chance like this again.

Toughest in Love

Love is not always easy. As tough as love can get, there are two things which are the toughest in love.

1. Distance: This could mean being distant from the beloved geographically or emotionally. When you love someone, you want to be with them, close to them, sticking to them as much as you can. You want to be able to reach out to each other whenever you feel the need. You want to be able to see them. You want to be able to share with them, all the new or interesting or beautiful things you come across. You want to be so close as being two souls in one body, or one soul in two bodies. When we are distant from the beloved for whatever reasons, we feel like a body without a soul, like half a person. We don't live our life fully. Our thoughts and emotions, our heart and soul, are always away, in some other place, searching and reaching for the beloved. Geographical distance is quite tough. Tougher than that is when the beloved is right there in front of us or talking to us everyday, and yet emotionally far from us, not sharing the love with us.

2. Letting go: The other thing which is really tough in love is letting go. When we love, we have lots of desires, hopes, dreams. When the person we love does not share the same desires, hopes and dreams, we have to let go of ours. We can't force the other person to go against their heart. We can't talk them into it or persuade them. We just have to let go. Letting go of our own desires and dreams, to subjugate them to the desires and well-being of our beloved, letting go of the beloved, just simply letting go without getting anything in return is the greatest act of love. And it's also the toughest.

Sexuality of Vegetarian Food

We don't give this much thought, but almost all the vegetarian food we eat is quite frankly sexual in nature.

Most of the vegetarian food the humans eat is comprised of fruits and seeds of plants. And these are the sexual organs of plants, the parts from which they reproduce. Even when we eat roots of plants such as potatoes and carrots, we are eating the parts from which these types of plants reproduce.

In contrast, most non-vegetarian food is comprised of the non-reproductive parts of animals. Except for eggs.

Humans are quite unique in their almost exclusive preference for the sexual organs of plants as food. Most other herbivorous (vegetarian) animals eat other parts of the plants, apart from the fruits and seeds. I find this fascinating in a weird sort of way.

Also fascinating is the fact that plants seem to store their best qualities in their reproductive organs. The flowers, fruits and seeds of plants are the parts which have the most compelling colors, textures, aromas and taste. They attract and invite us to pick them and eat them. We like them so much, we try to grow them in ever-increasing quantities. It's almost as if plants are using us to help them reproduce in higher quantities. Quite interesting.

I wonder if this excessive consumption of sexual food is what makes humans the most highly reproductive species in the world. I can't think of any other species which mate and have babies every second of every day, all through the year.

Desi Frozen Food in Walmart

I don't know what took so long, but it had to happen eventually: desi frozen food had to make its appearance in American grocery stores.

I noticed the above two items - mattar panneer and palak panneer - in a local Walmart. Apologies for the quality of the pictures. They were taken in a hurry using my cellphone.

These were just two items. But this is still a start. Now, I can't wait for the day when Indian grocery items - spices, daals, etc. - will appear on the standard grocery store shelves.

There are very few Indian grocery stores in American cities. The problem is that the Indian merchants don't think big. They are too busy establishing and running small mom-and-pop type Indian grocery stories.

I wish some enterprizing businessman would instead supply Indian grocery, spices, frozen foods, etc. to national grocery food chains and convince them to sell them. Almost every big grocery store in the US has aisles dedicated to Hispanic and Chinese food. There is no reason why Indian items should not occupy some of that shelf-space. They are sure to sell well. They are good for the Indian suppliers, good for the grocery stores and good for us consumers. We don't have to buy goods with expired dates or dubious quality from the desi stores.

Vulnerability in Love

When a man is in love, he is extremely vulnerable. The lady he is in love with can literally wrap him around her finger. It pleases a man to bring pleasure to his lady, even if it means she has him wrapped around her finger.

The only problem is that, by nature, men are not comfortable being vulnerable. From a very young age, everything they do is aimed at making them invulnerable or at least hiding their vulnerability effectively. True success among men is not measured by money or power, but by how invulnerable a man is to everyone and everything in his life. The less vulnerable a man is, the more successful, safe and content he feels.

So, it is not easy for us to be vulnerable to the women we love. But we can't help it. It is the nature of love to make us vulnerable to those we love. To be in love is to expose our heart and soul to the greatest hurt possible. As such, it is really important to be careful about who we fall in love with.

There are some women who don't respect this vulnerability in men. They think it makes men silly, less masculine. Such women don't value the feels of their men.

Then there are women who use the vulnerability for their own ends, to get what they want. They feel a sense of power by seeing their men being vulnerable to them. Such women are dangerous and to be avoided.

The kind of woman a man should fall for understands his vulnerability. She is touched by it, and she loves him for it. She knows that it is not something which comes easily to a man, and she does not see it as something less masculine. She considers his vulnerability as a big proof of his love for her. Such a woman knows to take the man in her arms and comfort him and let him know that is is okay to be vulnerable with her. She knows to inspire him and encourage him to achieve greater things, because at times of vulnerability, men are very susceptible to suggestions. Such women are not easy to find. Even if a man is lucky enough to find such a woman, she is usually a handful to love and live with.

But the fact is that, a difficult woman who will encourage us and keep us on the right path, is always much more valuable than an easy woman who might lead us and let us go astray. The former is worth every bit of the hardwork we might have to put in for her.

Marriage questions

A few months ago, the NY Times published a set of 15 Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying.

I am nowhere close to getting married now. But as an intellectual exercise, I thought it would be interesting to answer these questions now, and then see how I will answer these questions when I am actually getting married. After all, I am answering these questions alone now, and when I am closer to getting married, I will be answering these with somebody else. So, here are the questions and my answers to them.

Q: Have we discussed whether or not to have children, and if the answer is yes, who is going to be the primary care giver?

Yes, we will have children. The mother will be the primary care giver. I will be the primary bread earner.

Q: Do we have a clear idea of each other’s financial obligations and goals, and do our ideas about spending and saving mesh?

Yes, we have three financial goals:
1. Use our money to ensure a comfortable living, to express our love by buying things which will please each other, and provide security to both of us.
2. Use our money to keep our children educated and healthy.
3. Use our money to provide for a secure retirement - this is an extension of the first, I guess.

Do our ideas about spending and saving mesh? We will trust and support each other's judgment, of course. We will both be sensible for the most part... With an occasional bout of impulsiveness to delight and excite each other. I mean, how can I resist an expensive necklace, if that will delight her to the point of seducing me wearing the necklace and nothing else that evening? Or a trip to a beautiful place to make everlasting romantic memories?

Q: Have we discussed our expectations for how the household will be maintained, and are we in agreement on who will manage the chores?

The house will be clean. That's the primary thing. Since I expect to be the primary bread winner, I guess my wife will be the primary manager of the house itself. She will decide what goes where, what color, what decor, what brand of paper towels, etc. I will help her (or bother her! ;-)) when she cooks, cleans, does the dishes. We will also have special days and nights when I'll play master chef.

Q: Have we fully disclosed our health histories, both physical and mental?

We will. My full physical history is more or less disclosed. The final tests are awaited. I don't have any history of mental issues.

Q: Is my partner affectionate to the degree that I expect?

This will be a certain "yes". If not, if there are any doubts, there is no point getting married, is there? It makes me happy when my partner is happy with my affections.

Q: Can we comfortably and openly discuss our sexual needs, preferences and fears?

Yes, of course. It's nice to be able to do that.

Q: Will there be a television in the bedroom?

No, of course, not. In the bedroom, all our attention will be on sleep... or on each other! ;-) Or may be on the books we are reading... or reading to each other.

Q: Do we truly listen to each other and fairly consider one another’s ideas and complaints?

I think I do. Even during the times I don't, I try my sincere best to do.

Q: Have we reached a clear understanding of each other’s spiritual beliefs and needs, and have we discussed when and how our children will be exposed to religious/moral education?

We are committed to Sanaatana Dharma. We will live our life for the Dharmic actualization of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.

Our children will be exposed to our Dharma from the moment they are made. For, they will be made with our love, which stands on the steady, deep and firm foundation of our Dharma.

If I am not able to introduce my children to certain aspects of Dharma because of my caste, my wife and her family will introduce them. It is important for us that our children the guidance, encouragement and exposure to the right path.

Q: Do we like and respect each other’s friends?

I hope we do.

Q: Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?

Our parents have played a significant role in making us who we are. If we value and respect each other, we will almost certainly value and respect each other's parents also. Our parents will be integral part of our lives. However, they will not "interfere" in our relationship. I will certainly not allow anybody - friends, family or parents - to alienate me from my wife.

Q: What does my family do that annoys you?

Don't know. I hope there won't be anything serious.

Q: Are there some things that you and I are NOT prepared to give up in the marriage?

Yes - each other!

Q: If one of us were to be offered a career opportunity in a location far from the other’s family, are we prepared to move?

I am already far from my family... Eventually, when my parents are much older, they will end up living with us. Her parents, may not live with us. But I hope they will be close. I have seen too many friends and colleagues in the near past, who had to rush to India (from the US) in a hurry, when their parents fell ill. I wouldn't want to put my wife or myself through that.

Q: Do each of us feel fully confident in the other’s commitment to the marriage and believe that the bond can survive whatever challenges we may face?

Yes, of course. Once again, there is no point in getting married if we were not confident of that - confident not only in the other person, but also confident in our own hearts.

Bah, Women!

I have had some success with women. I have also failed with other women. I won't say how many in either case. Just suffice it to say that the numbers are enough to notice some very clear trends.

I have almost always had success with women when I don't care what happens in the relationship. When I am not emotionally invested in them, they become open to me. When I don't pursue them too hard, they come to me of their own accord. There have even been times when I have really cared for a woman, and then given up on her because no results were forthcoming, and soon after there would be results, more than I could handle. When I don't compliment them, they fish for compliments. When I don't appreciate them, they appreciate me. When I don't give much, they seek and seek. Then when I give a little bit, it's valued much.

On the other hand, whenever I really care for a woman, things don't turn out well. The more I care for a woman, the more pain I get in return. The more I am committed to someone, the more they want to be away from me. The more I give, the more they don't want. Until they finally decide that they want nothing from me, nothing to do with me. They even decide that I am not a good presence in their lives.

"I don't have such feelings for you." "I don't think we are right for each other." "I am afraid of you." These are all lines I have heard from women to whom I have truly, sincerely, completely offered myself and everything I have.

On the other hand, when I don't offer much, when I am not interested, in fact, when I actively discourage them, they are willing to accept anything and everything. I have known women who did not want to be involved with a man who was not a virgin. But they were willing to accept me despite knowing that I have been involved with other women in the past. I have known women who did not want to be with a man who drinks. Yet, they have been willing to accept me, despite knowing that I enjoy a good drink. I have known women who never thought they would fall for a much older beastly-looking person, with a thinning hairline - and they have fallen for me, although (or because) I wouldn't fall for them.

Heck, right now there are women who are into me and who'd accept me, despite knowing that I am totally into somebody else! I don't want them! And then, there have been women who encouraged me and pursued me actively, only to run away from me, the moment I decided to give them everything they asked for. They cannot even give me a fraction of the time and courteousness, let alone affection or a fair chance, that I gave them when they were pursuing me.

Bah, women! I know that if I gave up and rejected all womanhood right now, a bunch of them will turn up to fill the vacuum in my life. That is how it has always been. It's as predictable as clockwork.

I don't want that. I don't want any bunch of women in my life. If the one person I have reserved myself for wants to come, she can come. If she doesn't want to come, she is welcome to have a happy life of her own. I am too tired to care anymore!