Newspapers: The Hindu vs Times of India

For some years, I was subscribed to The Hindu and Economic Times alone; but when the sales person of Times of India forced me to subscribe with offers, I was kinda reluctant and finally subscribed just for the offer. I didn't like the Arnab Goswami of Times Now and still don't like him. Now, it looks like Times of India is leading in terms of journalism, though I don't like how it's pushing AIADMK. At this moment, Times of India is a clear winner though The Hindu is trying with Wikileaks articles.

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Solved: "Ports" Tab Not Visible in VS Code (WSL2)

None of the solutions I found on Reddit or GitHub worked, and most of the related GitHub issues were locked. So I'm documenting this here for future reference. Problem When using WSL2 in Visual Studio Code, the Ports tab—needed to access your application in Windows browsers like Chrome or Edge—doesn't appear. Even the Ports-related options are missing from the Command Palette. Solution After a lot of trial and error, here's what worked: Run npx serve in the VS Code terminal. It will output a URL such as http://localhost:3000/ . Click the link (or use the Follow Link option). This will open the app in your default browser. You may notice that it opens on a different port (for example, http://localhost:64198 ). At this point, the Ports tab becomes available in VS Code. After this initial trigger, the Ports tab seems to remain available in future VS Code...

The Overrated Tamil Culture

Since the COVID period, I developed an interest in exploring old books from the 1700s to the 1900s through Google Books. I first focused on the celebrated Protestant missionary Ringeltaube, but over time, my curiosity expanded toward understanding the demographics and social practices of that era. In Tamil Nadu, what is often celebrated as "Tamil Culture" revolves around the practice of monogamy, known locally as ஒருவனுக்கு ஒருத்தி — meaning one woman for one man. Some even compare this tradition with practices in other states, claiming Tamil culture is especially unique. This sense of pride is particularly strong around Madurai, where people often refer to themselves as “pure Tamil” when compared with neighboring regions like Kanyakumari, whose people they call Malayalis. What’s striking, though, is that this proud image doesn’t always align with historical accounts. A book published in 1885 (I’ve chosen not to mention its title or link to avoid stirring controversy) ma...

Malayalis may not have valued Nedumudi Venu, but ChatGPT did

Back in the late 1980s (exactly in 1988, according to some searches)—there was a much-loved Malayalam serial called Mandan Kunju . Ever since then, our family developed a deep appreciation for Nedumudi Venu. His acting was often compared to that of Sivaji Ganesan, who was widely celebrated at the time. There were even debates about how Nedumudi was surpassing Sivaji with his unmatched natural style. Even in his 30s, Nedumudi would appear with grey hair, convincingly portraying elderly characters. About 35 years ago, I happened to watch a film in which Nedumudi Venu actually played the lead role—something quite rare in his career. I couldn’t remember the plot or the supporting cast, but what stayed with me vividly was the setting. The film had been shot in Munnar’s Madupetty Estate, with the estate school serving as one of the locations. I also remembered a Carnatic-influenced song filmed outdoors in the estate, which left a strong impression on me. For years, I tried to rediscover ...