Hari's Corner

I mentioned the mosquito problem in passing in a previous article of mine, but I've been reluctant to expand upon it, mainly because I didn't want to be seen as complaining too much about our new home. But I decided to write a post on the ways in which we combat the problem, so that it doesn't seem totally negative in tone. Anyway, here goes!

Window screens

Net screens on windows and doors are largely ineffective, but they are the first line of defence against swarms and swarms of mosquitoes which seem to attack with a persistence that is calculated to drive any normal reasonable human being insane. The biggest problem is that it is nearly impossible to keep all the doors closed at all time and it's difficult to secure every opening or vent in this manner. Mosquito screens also tend to accumulate a lot of dust so it becomes necessary to wash and clean them regularly.

Electronic swatters

These swatters in the shape of tennis racquets do help, but they require to be recharged regularly and they require careful handling as they are quite fragile. Aiming and hitting mosquitoes is a great pastime (and exercise), but can get tiring quickly as you need to keep swishing it rapidly to and fro to be really effective. And just when you put it down after a swatting session, you tend to find yet another critter buzzing above your head. The biggest issue with these swatters is that they're cheaply built and of poor quality, so don't last very long.

Chemical repellents

There are two types of chemical repellents which burn and release odours to drive out mosquitoes. Liquid repellents and solid repellents. Some of these are fitted on an electric device that can be plugged in to a wall socket and there are mosquito coils which burn and release a pungent aroma. They help in controlling mosquitoes within a confined space, but the room can become stuffy and suffocating very quickly. These chemical also aren't exactly healthy for human consumption either and so breathing these vapours can be harmful, particularly for people suffering from respiratory problems.

Skin creams, lotions and sprays

These creams and sprays are meant for application on exposed areas of the skin, and they are very effective at preventing these buzzing creatures from swirling above the head all the time, but are good only for a few hours at best. Moreover, skin creams tend to get wiped off on contact. And in spite of your best efforts, it is likely that you would leave just a small area of your skin free of the protective cream and mosquitoes unerringly target that region with uncanny precision.

Nets and mesh enclosures

Nets over beds are the best protection at nights, but if one or two mosquitoes do manage to get in through a small gap somewhere, they are guaranteed to ruin your sleep for the rest of the night. However, I've been able to sleep well at night only after installing a net over my bed. Not recommended in the summer (when the mosquito population is lower in any case), but in mild, cool weather it's a pleasant, and undoubtedly the best option.

Other tips to keep mosquitoes away

Keep the dark corners of your house to a minimum. Avoid accumulating a lot of stuff. Avoid black coloured or dark furniture. Allow sunlight into the house at daytime (as much as possible), keep your windows and doors closed after dark. Keep your bathrooms dry and clean and keep the bathroom doors closed all the time. Try and keep your surroundings free of stagnant water. Use a combination of the above strategies to control mosquitoes and finally hope for the best!

My next edition of Geeky and Meeky is entitled, "Digg or Stumble?" Hope you enjoy it!

Continuing with my past highlights series, I present you with what I think are the best articles from October 2005. Please feel free to comment on any article regardless of age if you feel you have something relevant to add to them.

Blog hosting services - When I first began blogging, I always wondered why people chose the "free" blogging services like blogspot over self-hosting. Of course, since I already had a domain name and hosting space for LiteraryForums.org, I didn't feel the need to utilize any of these services. I still feel today that being in complete control of your content is the best option even from a "standing out from the crowd" perspective.

Of fountain pens and handwriting - a post on my thoughts on using pens (a serious one for a change ). My conclusions? Fountain pens with thicker nibs are best if you want to write neatly without effort. Of course, owning a Sheaffer does help.

LaTeX IDEs for Linux and Windows - Here I highlighted a few IDEs which make composing documents in LaTeX (a typesetting/document formatting system) easy. If you don't know what LaTeX (pronounced "Lay-Tech") is, you probably won't find this of much use!

Free speech versus responsible speech - At that time I considered this one of my best essays. I still think that people over-emphasize the value of Free Speech without understanding that it means nothing unless there is credibility. Without credibility at the source, Free Speech loses all its value, so it's necessary to temper freedom with responsibility.

Don't waste your time countering anti-Linux propaganda - Apart from the regular trolls who derive pleasure out of criticizing Linux all the time without taking facts into account, there will always be people who genuinely believe that Linux is only for hardened geeks. It's more a matter of perception than reality, unfortunately and that is where marketing comes in. Since the time I wrote that article though, Ubuntu has taken the Linux world by storm and proved how effective marketing strategies can help change these ideas.

Hope you enjoy reading these snippets from the past!

NOTE: I no longer maintain the original version of this script as both WordPress and b2evolution have changed their database structure since b2evolution 2.0.1-alpha and WordPress 2.3. If anybody wants to maintain this script for current versions of the respective software, please feel free to take the code and incorporate it from b2evolution. Also please post your questions at the b2evolution forums as you are more likely to get active responses from there.

Here's my import script which I used to convert this blog from WordPress 2.3 to b2evolution 2.0.1-alpha. The attached file has instructions on how to convert your blog. I strong recommend that you peruse the README file before using it. This works only with WordPress 2.3 and not versions below it. If you have an older WordPress blog, please upgrade first to 2.3 before importing.

I have enjoyed using b2evolution so far as it's much more configurable than WordPress (in the admin interface) and it's more like a CMS than a blog. However, you can check for yourself. This importer does not touch your existing WordPress installation, so there is no harm in testing it out.

You can ask questions and provide your feedback here! I would appreciate it.

Download link: wp_2_b2evolution.zip (6.6 kB)

Papa Hari News Service

In line with the implementation of bans on plastic substances in many countries around the world, the Papa Hari Foundation for Environmental Issues Related to Plastics (PHFEIRP) has banned plastic smiles all over the world. In a press conference late last evening at Papa Hari World Government Secret Headquarters (PHWGSH), the Papa Hari Global Environmental Minister announced that the usage of plastic smiles around the world would be banned from now on and that the Papa Hari Scientists were working on a bio-degradable option to replace existing plastic smiles.

During the press conference, the minister assured the public that metal smiles and other forms of eco-friendly smile options would still be available for use and that "anybody who wishes to smile can smile, so long as the smile is not plastic."

"We have been working closely with environmental ministries around the world and we have definitely found that plastic smiles are an increasing source of non-bio-degradable waste," said the minister who took questions from the media and the press after the the announcement. "There is no doubt that all governments will co-operate with us in implementing this ban strictly; otherwise we will nuke their countries from our secret military base in Mars!" he added with a fiendish smile.

While the public welcomed this legislation whole-heartedly, celebrities, television personalities, news show anchors, politicians and socialites of various descriptions from all across the globe were shocked and outraged at this announcement. A famous TV show host called it a "complete violation of fundamental human rights." "Plastic smiles are our sole assets! They cannot take it away from us!" screamed a popular movie actor who wished to be quoted anonymously. A committee of concerned celebrities has been formed to oppose the "draconian" law imposed by the Papa Hari World Government. In a move that is sure to enrage fans of famous Hollywood actor Jim Carrey, the Papa Hari World Government also announced a permanent ban on his smile in public. According to sources, he was only one among many in the movie industry to have received this notice. The constitutional validity of the bans will be challenged in court but Papa Hari Government officials were confident that the bans would be upheld in the interests of the public.

In other news, the sale of web smilies (particularly and ) has seen a dramatic surge with hundreds of thousands of panic-stricken individuals looking for urgent replacements for their existing plastic smiles. An online store owner announced that such smilies were indeed an excellent replacement for regular smiles and that due to increased demand, prices have shot up steeply. When asked about the original price of smilies before the ban had come into effect, he replied without batting an eyelid that they had been available free of cost.

I was watching the national broadcaster of India, Doordarshan for a little while today and I suddenly realized how much of a relief it is to watch something other than fluffy, mind-numbing, noisy, non-stop entertainment. With the explosion of private television channels, we've been flooded 24x7 with mindless crap in the form of music, movies, daily soaps, reality shows, sensationalist news and other assorted bird-droppings. Doordarshan might not be a modern, efficient or glamourous TV network run by an equally flamboyant, jet-setting media moghul, but it certainly does show some interesting, off-beat educational programmes and has the biggest geographic coverage across the country. Their lack of professionalism and quality in production is a real issue, but at least there is some intent to educate and benefit the public.

I think every country needs at least one public broadcaster which is not motivated purely by profits and driven by the need (or greed) of private corporations.

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I know that I've been complaining about the new house where we moved in, but I realized how lucky we were when we inquired about house rents in various areas in our city (we were looking for one temporarily for a friend). Some of those rents make me shudder when I think about it. Land values have blown way out of proportion and I have a feeling that the greed of people is a contributing factor in this inflationary trend.

People who are lucky enough to own houses or plots in prime areas in the city are sitting on virtual gold mines and they're complacently aware of the fact. There will be a bust, one day, folks! As Papa Hari always says, what goes around, comes around.

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I am currently suffering from a creative burnout after I spent the last three or four days working furiously on my WordPress-to-b2evolution importing tool. From what I can see, it looks to work well and all I need is to release it to the b2evolution community so that everybody can benefit.

I have already expressed my dissatisfaction with WordPress in the past and every new upgrade has been a disappointment. The real motivation to create the importing tool was a selfish one, but I have to admit that I felt a surge of pleasure when I could finally ditch WP instead of whining and complaining all the time.

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While on the same subject, Drew has been extremely kind and accommodating when I was furiously trying to make my converter from WordPress to b2evolution work on this server. He has been patient and very obliging in fulfilling my numerous requests during the last few days. Thanks again, Drew!

I would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank François Planque, the maintainer and lead developer of b2evolution who has really been working overtime to ensure that my migration was successful. He also made a few code changes in b2evolution to help me accommodate my old WordPress permalinks. His timely responses to my queries ensured that I didn't lose much time in the process. Wish all FOSS project developers were half as obliging! Thanks, Francois!