Solar Wind Predictions

So, I wanted to get the CME modelling from a particular date. This is the the hot gas from the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere that has been violently dumped into space, travelling outwards towards the Earth, causing geomagnetic storms. You get this by making a data request in this WSA-Enlil Solar Wind Prediction. The data comes in archives for the date range, within which there are individual modellings, each containing jpgs and an mpg movie. At the start, it is better to select CME only and uncheck Background, unless you want a lot of undramatic data. 

You cannot get this on archive.org of the space weather enthusiasts dashboard, which unpredictably has videos from random dates, and you cannot download the videos directly off the site, which would have been muuch more convenient. The ESA version is EUHFORIA, which you can download directly from here, at least current ones. 

I cant watch endings

I havent seen the ends of The Good Doctor, Voltron, Attack on Titan and Cowboy Bebop. Idk why.

End of an Era

Digit is no longer independent. It has been taken over by Times. 

The most valuable property for the readers is the forum. It is not so active any more, but was a defining force for most of our lives. There is tremendous uncertainty about what the future holds. There were some backchannel discussions for the readers to acquire the forum, but that would mean amputating a major part of the community. 

The editor, AKA the Great God RAABO was the person who created most of the value that was transferred to a major media conglomerate. It is his advice to wait and watch to see what happens, at least till our friends work at that place. 

I know Times, it is trash. It serves advertisers more than the readers. It's products are the eyeballs of the readers, that it vends to the advertisers. It bends over backwards for ads. 

Needless to say, I hate ads. Times Now also plagiarised from me, so I hate them too. 

The press release is below. I am sad. 

Times Network Acquires Digit.in; Boosts Presence in Tech and Gaming Communities

 

New Delhi, May 27, 2024: Times Network, India's premier broadcast and digital network, has acquired Digit.in from 9.9 Group. The acquisition encompasses Digit’s print as well as digital business. This strategic move signifies Times Network’s commitment to bolstering its digital publishing portfolio and expanding its footprint in the technology and gaming sectors.

This acquisition is part of Times Network’s continued investment in its digital publishing business, which already reaches over 110 million monthly active users and garners more than 1 billion monthly video views. With a monthly reach exceeding 4 billion across its digital news brands, Times Network stands as the fastest-growing multimedia news network in the country, providing credible, accurate, and decisive news and analysis across English and Hindi general and business news categories.

Established in 2001 with the launch of Digit magazine, Digit has dedicated over two decades to helping people choose, buy, and use technology to enhance their lives. Over the years, Digit has successfully expanded its presence online through Digit.in and has become one of the leading publishers in the technology space. Also renowned for its vibrant communities, including Digit Squad, a network of tech influencers, and the SKOAR College Gaming Club (SCGC), a premier college gaming community. Collectively, Digit and Digit Squad boast a total reach of 180 million, underscoring their significant influence in the tech world.

N Subramanian, Chief Executive Officer (New Media and Investments) of Times Group, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating, “At Times, we are committed to creating high-value digital communities that leverage audiences and commerce to deliver unparalleled value. We believe Digit fits very well in our overall strategy of building a portfolio of digital products catering to diverse audiences. It will help bring in new audiences to the network. We are confident that, under the aegis of Times Group, Digit’s existing legacy and leadership will grow manifold.”

Vikas Gupta, Founder & Director of 9.9 Group, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Digit has been India's Technology Navigator for the past 24 years, and we are thrilled to announce that it has found a new home with one of the largest publishers in the country, the Times Network. This marks an exciting new chapter for Digit, and we are confident that it will propel Digit to even greater heights. Digit's offerings will tap into the Times Network's extensive network, expertise, and legacy, ultimately benefiting our readers and the tech community at large. For over two decades, Digit’s mission has been to empower India with timely and trusted information on tech, as well as expert advice to navigate the rapidly evolving tech landscape. We are delighted that Digit will continue to thrive and grow, remaining a trusted tech navigator for India.”

The addition of Digit to Times Network’s expanding digital portfolio strengthens its position in the tech domain. Digit’s presence in digital, print, and on-ground events, along with its strong tech proposition, complements Times Network's existing assets. This synergy offers advertisers a robust platform to engage with a tech-savvy audience.

 

Indium Capital served as the sole investment banking advisor for this acquisition. 

About Times Network 

TIMES NETWORK, a premium broadcast network is part of India’s largest media conglomerate, The Times Group. Times Network with its credo Now or Nothing takes the centre stage of influencing the influencer, by delivering the most compelling and irreplaceable content to over 200 million urban affluent viewers in India and is available in over 100 countries across the globe. It houses best in class News, Hollywood and Bollywood brands including; TIMES NOW – India’s leading English News channel, ET NOW - India’s leading English Business News channel, MIRROR NOW  -  the channel that Fights for ‘You’ and channelizes its focus on issues that impact people’s lives; Times Now Navbharat –  Network’s Hindi News Channel in SD & HD that leads with a transformational positioning, Ab Badlega Bharat, Banega Navbharat; ET NOW Swadesh –  Network’s Hindi Business News Channel which is driven with the mission, Badho Desh Ke Saath; MOVIES NOW and MOVIES NOW HD – Home to Blockbusters; MN+ – The Gold class of Hollywood; Romedy NOW– a unique destination for Love. Laugh and Live; MNX and MNX HD – Hollywood’s wild child, Zoom - India’s leading entertainment destination and The Zoom Studios – original content creator that brings stories to life with relatable and compelling narratives; Times Chronicles, the content studio from Times Network that produces originals, real and gripping stories on important topics pertinent to the contemporary world. Timesnow.in, the digital entity of the Network, has seamlessly adapted itself to serve the diverse nature and interests of the content-savvy internet audience. 

MEDIA CONTACTS: TIMES NETWORK
Hina Jafri	VP & Head-Corporate Communications	hina.jafri@timesgroup.com
Manthra Koliyer	Senior Executive - PR	manthra.koliyer@timesgroup.com

Hmmmmm?

GPT 3.5 dreamed up some power and privilege stuff when I was going for gender identity, inheritance, and familial relations... which it still struggles with 

Once upon a time, in a lush forest shrouded in mystery, an asteroid plummeted from the heavens, crashing into the earth with a silent thud. Unnoticed by the creatures of the forest, it bore within its celestial heart a secret, a crystalline alien liquid that shimmered with otherworldly brilliance.

As the asteroid split open, the liquid oozed forth like a river of stardust, winding its way through the underbrush until it reached the nearest river. Along its journey, it passed by a crocodile, a black panther, and a python, each unaware of the strange energy that brushed against them.

But it was the bear, noble and curious, that fate chose as its vessel. As the bear bent down to drink from the river's edge, its maw met the glowing liquid, and in that moment, transformation seized hold. The bear swelled in size, its fur tinged with the pulsating glow of the alien essence, and it rose as a colossal monster, towering over the forest like a living nightmare.

Meanwhile, in a technofuturistic utopia ruled by a wise and just king, news of the monster's emergence spread like wildfire. The king, faced with the threat to his kingdom, declared that whoever could slay the beast would inherit his crown and rule in his stead.

Many heroes, brave and valiant, heeded the call to arms, including the king's own sons and daughters. They ventured into the depths of the forest, armed with weapons forged from steel and powered by technology beyond imagination, determined to rid the land of the monstrous menace.

But amidst the chaos and clamor of battle, it was not the mighty warriors or the privileged princes and princesses who would claim victory. No, it was the humble son of a ranger, a young man with a heart of gold and a spirit as untamed as the wilderness itself.

Armed with nothing but his father's bow and arrow, the ranger's son embarked on a journey of courage and determination. He tracked the monster through the dense undergrowth, his senses honed by years spent in harmony with nature.

And when he finally stood face to face with the beast, with its glowing eyes and fearsome roar, he did not falter. Drawing his bowstring taut, he let fly an arrow guided by the purity of his intentions and the strength of his spirit.

The arrow found its mark, piercing the monster's heart with a flash of light that banished the darkness from the land. And as the colossal creature fell, defeated at last, the ranger's son emerged victorious, hailed as a hero and crowned as the new king.

For in the end, it was not power or privilege that determined greatness, but the courage to stand against the darkness and the compassion to lead with wisdom and humility. And so, under the reign of the humble ranger's son, the kingdom flourished, and peace reigned once more in the heart of the forest.

Episode 5 of Xmen 97 is so cool

Gambit finally got heroed like he deserved. The season has been changing everything every episode. There are so many easter eggs and cameos. The music is so good, and all the X-men work so well together. Everyone is using their powers in new ways, and the animations are soo cool. 

Magneto looks a lot like Astarion

There are some dubious messages though, such as acting now to save tomorrow, like we are doing with the "ozone stuff" can lead mankind down dangerous paths... and that we should not try shifting the future too much? I didn't really understand that bit. 

There are great references to the original series, and the previous episode got back Mojo, one of the most memorable characters from the original show. 

Opera vs Vivaldi

Vivaldi

Uses Bing as a default, so it becomes a bit about Bing vs Google. 

I just like the interface of Vivaldi more, even though Opera GX has a good one. 

Tabs can be nested and you can create clusters of tabs for different purposes, called Workspaces. 

Has a downloads pane that opens with every download. 

The download process can get broken.

Opera

My Flow on Opera is better for using the browser on multiple devices. 

Google is better at getting more focused results. Bing trusts its algos more than your query. 

Has more space for the URL. 

Snapshot option lets you save PDF of whole page. 

Aria AI is not very good or useful. 

The tragedy of Anandilal Katpitiya

Apparently, this story is not there on the internet. 

Anandilal Katpitiya's story is a warning to Indian parents, especially those from rural backgrounds. 

Anandilal Kapitiya sent his sons to London for studies, and remained in the village with his wife. The kids became modern and hi-fi, while the parents remained rustic. When the kids returned from London, they could not adjust to the local environment. They started feeling embarrassed about their parents. Forget about living together, the kids were not even ready to call their parents 'mummy-daddy'. Then one day, both the kids told them, presumably in tandem, "You Bloody Desis!" and returned to London. Then the kids didn't ever see their parent's faces again. The parents were longing to meet their kids till the day they died. 

But hey, you can reach out to him on FB! 

Just got back to Delhi

So had gone to Mumbai to finish up my leaves before year end. On the day I was supposed to leave, I twisted my ankle real bad. Could not move for a few days. I stayed in bed and lived off Swiggy delivery boys. Then somehow I healed enough to travel five days later. 

I took a bus. It was crazy comfy. The ac was blasting cold air straight at my ankle, which is just what I needed. The bus switched at Gujarat. Two guys next to me were caught with booze and had to pay off the cop. They couldn’t finish their spiked drink in time. Prohibition just leads to black market and corruption, allowing cops to exploit… I love this word, alcoholics. 

At the crossover, I got a nice meal from the transport people. It was a thali with the beautiful soft chapatis of Gujarat. People were friendly. There was apparently a pair of stolen AirPods that accompanied me throughout the journey. I tried, but failed to find the thief. Instead, I found a few people who wanted to use my charger, this is because the bus only had usb a chargers, no usb c slots, and no plug points. 

In Mumbai, I recovered. I met friends almost daily and couldn’t really get around to doing everything I had planned. I was finally sleeping in my own bed, and I was sleeping a lot actually. I planned to play Baldur’s Gate 3, but couldn’t because the PC I had gotten for review wasn’t even a gaming PC, and it struggled to load just the art book. 

One of my friends gave me this kickass balm - Menthodex. It made the pain disappear instantly. It was like an indie mint on my leg. Kickass. The guy has given his direct number for feedback on the label itself. 

I got some toys for kids of my friends, and even got to play with some of them a bit. They are all growing up amazingly fast. Found out some friends are moving to Canada. Discussed future plans with some others, while getting super drunk. Played board games with still others. Heard some future scripts and just sat and talked with some. All in all, had good fun. 

After New Years, I was at a friends place and got really hot and fainted. I have to go to the doc tomorrow as I’m feeling a bit weak and under the weather today as well. 

On the return journey, came back my train. That was fun too. Everyone was using their phone speakers despite the overlapping sounds. There was one autistic guy who was using earphones. The guy next to me was handling his junk constantly, and watching reels loudly despite having tws earphones. I had half a mind to record and shame that wanker but let it be. 

I resolved to travel by bus and train henceforth as much as possible as air travel just removes the journey aspect of it. I heard at least seven different ways to pronounce NES-coffee. One guy was calling water ‘pania’. 

On the first night I got really hungry, and right next to me was a bag fool of goodies I had gotten for friends in Delhi. I simply had to dip into it and chomped down on an entire packet of til gud. 

The food was okay but the packaging was not. The train came on platform 2 but red rail and online services said it would be on platform 6. I reached the station 50 mins before departure but only got on the train 15 mins before it left, because a concerned railway employee directed me to the right platform after seeing me wait for half an hour on the wrong one. I don’t get why at this day and age, getting real-time information on which platforms the trains are on is so challenging. 

That’s all I want to remember for now, will have a smoke and crash. Need to find some lost hard drives tomorrow. 

Weed culture in India

The major culture here is about chillums. every ‘circle’ has its own rules, either you always pass clockwise or anti-clockwise.

Starting of the chillum is only given to someone who can light up the entire thing, at which time everyone says ‘bum bum’, ‘jai Shree Mahakaal’ or ‘Hari Om’. 

If you pass the chillum with the last puff, then you have to clean it after the last puff. Usually the cleaning responsibility is shared between the last two people who smoked. 

You never, ever pass an empty chillum. 

When smoking green, it is taken for granted that the maal is going to be dipped, soaked or spiked, so it is mandatory to clean. This is done by giving ‘Chita’, that is pouring 4-5 drops of water on the weed after cleaning and then squeezing the mix (this is before adding tobacco). You are supposed to let the water run off your palms, so everyone can see how red/black it is, and appreciate your cleaning efforts, and know that you are making love (mohobbat) and not poison (zeher). 

After giving Chita, you can mix the tobacco. The water also ensures that the weed burns slowly and produces delicious, heavy, oily smoke. Then the chillum is never lit with a lighter. You always have to light it with a matchstick, usually two. Some stagger the matches in such a way that the second one catches fire mid ‘sar’, or the starting of the chillum. The preferred way of lighting the chillum though, is using coconut hair! 

So that’s cleaning, starting, passing and ending covered. Oh yeah, it is always good etiquette to carry some safi, that is cotton bandage, but strips of cotton cloth are better. Anyone who carries safi is always respected. Tear generous amounts of safi, enough to comfortably clean chillum, which is done by passing safi through chillum and then rubbing the chillum. If you are sick, get your own safi, swap out the group safi for yours when the chillum comes to you, then swap it out again before passing. 

For Shiv Bhakts, the preferred location to smoke up is at graveyards, it has the advantage of keeping most people away, and is a way to honour and entertain the dead with your memories, songs and jokes. 

It is customary to get sufficient maal for everyone for a session at the start itself. Everyone takes something (matches, tobacco, safi, water etc to a sesh). If people have not gotten enough, then before starting only everyone gives contri or contribution, then people go and score enough for the session. 

Then there is the inversion code. This is a simple code that prevents anyone from understanding what you are talking about if they overhear you, or hear you on phone. So lumchi is chillum, chisma is maachis, llama is maal, and so on. 

Phew I think I got a lot covered, am ready to answer any questions, but this is the weed culture in India, not hiding in bathroom and smoking a j into the exhaust lol! 

Dream Diary persiplane edition

 I was back in college and walking around the ground floor where there was a science exhibition going on. There were different exhibits (and this was an actual real exhibition that happened at SIES about 15 years ago), and I was just observing everything one by one. I went to the top floor, some strange rooms and labs, and then came to an exhibit about weather and climate. There a teacher asked me what causes the seasons on the Earth and I responded initially with ‘attitude’ and then explained the orbital relationship between the Earth and the Sun; and that it was the tilt of the planet and not the proximity to the Sun that caused the seasons. Then a topper from my school suddenly showed up and said ‘persiplane’, while I was struggling to remember a single word that explained exactly what I wanted to say. 

There is no such word, but after waking up I remember thinking at least my dream explanation was right. 

Dream Diary magic sorting cat edition

Close enough but not at all exact 

I had a kind of dreamception, where I was dreaming within a dream. I dreamed of a game, woke up in a party with my dnd fwens and some other people I didn’t know. There was a guy playing a guitar with long hair and a dusky girl in a white shirt with lots of tats. We built and played the game.

 It was an occult themed game, had seven spinners instead of dice, you had to add things like age and current date to the rolls, and it was a coop game where everyone became vampires, werewolves or died, and you had to pass a cat, if it liked you, you became vampire, if it didn’t, you became werewolf. 

The main game board was a brown panel with what appeared to be watch faces, but these were seven spinners. The board was made of nails and black marker, and we actually placed the spinners ourselves, to make spinners for odd numbers that do not have dodecahedral shapes. 

The cat kept biting me and I woke up. 

My mom just told me a story

So as kids, my grandfather took my mom and her muslim friend to a temple, where she put on the kunkum with the rest of them. On the way back, the azaan started, and she put on her headscarf. Then she looked around, and removed it. 

My grandfather told her, "Don't look at us and remove it. You follow what your parents have taught you and what you feel is good. If you think it is silly, then don't put it on, but please don't remove it just because we are here."

She put on the scarf. 

Frontline stole my Aditya L1 image

 

So I was just reading Frontline magazine, and saw an image that I had created in the magazine! I immediately tweeted about it, and informed my boss, who informed the copyright guy, after confirming that it wasn't just an ISRO image. The thing is, on closer scrutiny, it appears that some of the text has been plagiarized too, as the caption that Frontline has used for the image is the same as the caption I used for another Aditya L1 story. Frontline has not got back or clarified yet. The last time something like this happened, Mint gave me credit instantly. 

Frontline's story is here, and my story is here. The web version credit's 'ISRO', while the magazine version does not have image credits at all. Here is the version in the magazine, which I have to read more carefully to check if anything else has been taken from my coverage. 

I fainted

 So IDK what happened. I woke up in the morning, had half a bottle of wine, then went to sleep, woke up, had the other half with a couple of joints, and went to sleep again. Woke up a bit groggy, and went to visit my friend, where I had half a fries (both of us were copilots), a vanilla shake, and one peg of Bacardi White and Pineapple juice, that made me instantly feel very ill, like I needed to be sick. 

My friend dropped me home, then I went and visited another old school friend. I went to their balcony and had a doob. Then, suddenly felt very sick. Like I got really hot and began sweating like I never have before. I headed towards the loo, then IDK what happened, I just blacked out. 

I began dreaming about something, but it was apparently only 15-20 seconds. I woke up from what I thought was deep sleep to suddenly see my friend and her husband looming over me. The guy said tried to reassure me by saying it is okay. I then went to the restroom, and purged myself, and puked violently. Then I came back outside, and the guy told me it was lucky I was light as he had to catch me. 

I really don't know what happened and have never experienced a similar thing before. He was happy about his joint rolling skills. I was embarrassed that after so many days I met someone and fainted in their living room lol. 

Another walk through a familiar location

This is a location near Sewri that I am visiting repeatedly. This time around, I actually found a new place to rent, and was confused about what to do with the place that I was currently living in. I found someone who showed me their house and allowed me to take photos. I realised to my utter disappointment and horror that it was a dream when my phone was square in shape. 

I continued to explore though, and take photos. There was a man in a camera studio who tried to shoo me away, but I explained to him I was just taking a selfie. He smirked and said I know you are not taking a selfie, which is when I clarified, "I meant profile picture", that convinced him, and he said 'take, take'. Maybe Im confronting some kind of fear over capturing poverty porn in sensitive locations. 

I also passed three girls making a reel in front of fairies or superheroes, but when I started photographing them, too many people walked into the frame and ruined the shot. Then there were some hijras dancing, and I saw some queer graffiti, that Dall-E managed to recreate almost exactly. 

Cannot wait for the day when they can pull imagery straight from human brains, like they can do in rats. 

Also, Im scared or surprised by the fact that Im having such vivid dreams even when intoxicated, which never used to happen before. Maybe it was because it was Rose lol. 

Dream Diary radar bloon edition

I had a long dream about a bunch of scientists using balloons with radar and hyperspectral imaging payloads to map urban centres in 3D in high resolution for town planning and collecting data to appropriately direct national schemes. It was a typical boring government setup who were using cutting edge technologies, and had lot of funny incompetencies such as everyone breaking for lunch when they arrive at an impasse at a meeting, and a scientist being reprimanded for asking information from the ministry for data they didn’t have as if it’s his mistake rather than the ministry’s.

Dream diary sneks edition

Another 'tell' that informed me I was lucid has now become too normal to notice. This was being able to take photographs in a dream. At first, the phone was an admixture of form factors, from a square slab to some kind of bridge device with a touchscreen and a keypad. Now, the smartphone looks and feels like a regular iPhone. The second tell was the software itself, which would be glitchy and unpredictable, not function like the regular camera app. The in-dream camera app now works well enough, that I cannot tell something is off. 

However, this time around, something was off right at the end. On tapping the shutter, it just refreshed the screen instead of saving the photograph. 

Anyway, I was exploring what seemed like a vertical slum, venturing into a temple after climbing through a maze of narrow gullies. There was a temple right on top, and I was surprised and entered it. Got attacked by a rat-snake-king, a writhing ball of baby cobras and rats trapped together. It was on my currently injured leg, and it was a nightmarish enough experience to wake me up.