That the ratio you get when you divide 1000 by 75. What that ? that was the ratio of CRPF and Naxalite rebellion.
I just realized that a Naxalite only killed 7.5% of one CRPF personnel.
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Author: Shishir Sharma
Shishir Sharma is a Software Engineering Leader, husband, and father based in Ottawa, Canada. A hacker and biker at heart, and has built a career as a visionary mentor and relentless problem solver.
With a leadership pedigree that includes LinkedIn, Shopify, and Zoom, Shishir excels at scaling high-impact teams and systems. He possesses a native-level mastery of JavaScript, Ruby, Python, PHP, and C/C++, moving seamlessly between modern web stacks and low-level architecture.
A dedicated member of the tech community, he serves as a moderator at LUG-Jaipur. When he’s not leading engineering teams or exploring new technologies, you’ll find him on the open road on his bike, catching an action movie, or immersed in high-stakes FPS games.
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Programming Republic of Perl
I've decided to dive into Perl, and I'm starting with Learning Perl by Randal Schwartz and Tom Phoenix. As someone who's mainly worked with more conventional languages, Perl's philosophy and governance model are fascinating.
The Benevolent Dictator
One of the first things you learn about Perl is that it's not governed by committee or corporation—it has Larry Wall, its creator, who serves as the "Benevolent Dictator for Life." The community has even codified this into the "2 Rules":
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Rubik’s cube
I can solve a Rubik's cube. That too in less than 10 minutes.
Tips for Beginners
If you want to learn to solve a Rubik's cube, here's what helped me:
- Start with the layer-by-layer method – It's the easiest approach for beginners. Solve the white face first, then the middle layer, then the yellow face.
- Learn algorithms one at a time – Don't try to memorize everything at once. Master one algorithm, practice it until it's automatic, then move to the next.
- Practice daily – Even 10-15 minutes a day makes a huge difference. Muscle memory is key.
- Use online tutorials – YouTube has excellent step-by-step guides. I learned from video tutorials that break down each algorithm clearly.
- Don't give up – The first solve might take an hour or more. That's normal! Each solve gets faster as the algorithms become second nature.
It took me about a week of daily practice to get my first solve. From there, it's just about repetition and gradually learning faster methods.
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I love you xkcd
This doesn't make any logical sense, but I just want to say: I love xkcd. Really loud. I LOVE XKCD!
For those who don't know, xkcd is a webcomic by Randall Munroe that brilliantly captures the intersection of math, science, programming, and life. It's smart, funny, and often hits way too close to home for programmers.
Today I'm sharing one of my favorite comics about pointers:
Pointers (XKCD #138)
Why This Comic Is Perfect
If you've ever tried to explain pointers in C or C++ to someone, you know the pain. Pointers are one of those concepts that seem simple in theory but confuse the hell out of beginners.
The comic shows a recursive definition: "A pointer is a variable that contains the address of another variable." And what does it point to? Another pointer definition. And that one? Another pointer. It's pointers all the way down.
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GTalk Bookmark button
One of my computers is an old RHEL 5.1 system on which I'm not allowed to install Pidgin or other desktop IM clients. So I was trying to figure out how to create a bookmark button for the GTalk gadget that opens in a convenient popup window. Here is the solution. 🙂
The Problem
Many work environments have restrictions on what software can be installed. If you're on a locked-down system but need to use Google Talk for communication, you're stuck. The web-based Gmail interface has GTalk integrated, but it's not ideal for quick conversations—you have to keep Gmail open, and it's buried in a tab.
I am a proud owner of a 2009 Bajaj Pulsar 150cc DTSi. When I was researching this bike, I found it surprisingly difficult to find complete specifications online. Most sites had partial information or conflicting data. So after purchasing the bike, I compiled the complete specifications from the official manual and my own measurements.
Why the Pulsar 150?
I chose the Pulsar 150 for several reasons:
Introduction
I've been a bash user for years. It's the default on most Linux systems and Mac OS X, and it works fine. But I kept hearing about Zsh (Z Shell) and how much better it is – better tab completion, better history searching, more customization options.
The problem is that Zsh is intimidating to configure. The configuration file can be hundreds of lines long, and getting it right requires deep knowledge of shell scripting.
Introduction
WordPress is powerful out of the box, but its real strength lies in extensibility. Plugins let you add features without touching WordPress core files. This is crucial – when WordPress updates, your customizations remain intact.
There are thousands of plugins available, but sometimes you need something specific. Maybe a custom widget, a specialized shortcode, or integration with your company's API. Learning to build plugins opens up endless possibilities.
Introduction
Your web application is slow. Pages take seconds to load. Users are complaining. You check your code – it's fine. You check your server – plenty of resources. The problem? Your database queries.
Database performance is often the bottleneck in web applications. A poorly optimized query can turn a fast application into a sluggish mess. But with the right techniques, you can make your database scream.
Introduction
PHP is easy to learn. You can build a working website in an afternoon. But as projects grow, PHP code can become messy fast. Files scattered everywhere, SQL mixed with HTML, no structure, impossible to maintain.
This is where PHP frameworks come in. They provide structure, enforce best practices, and include tools that make development faster and more maintainable.