Chronicles of Collegeville:The Brush, the paint and the ladder. (a.k.a) Home Painting Tips from one novice to another.

Long long ago, there was a couple who believed that they could paint their house. They had never painted before but the lure of TLC and HGTV was too difficult to resist and the ladder and paint beckoned to them when they decided to move into a new house. Little did they know how hard it would be. Painting is hard, tiring, agonizingly long but most of all, a whole lot of fun. It was not this easy, when a partly painted house (a bad color at that) and an unpainted rest was what they started with. Along the way, they learnt a lot of things that they believe should be shared with all those other novices out there who, being the foolish romantics, think they too can. Here are some of those pearls of painting wisdom for you.

1. First off, HGTV and TLC are overrated for the most part. Yet, amidst all the unwanted stuff, there are some vignettes of wisdom you could do with. So start watching it if you intend ever painting your house or apartment.

2. The bargain bin in Borders, Barnes and Nobles and their smaller siblings (Borders Express, Brentanos, etc.) are excellent places to find cheap, colorful and extremely heavy tomes on painting ideas. Like their TV counterparts, these guides are filled with a whole lot of unwanted stuff but have some hidden gems you could start your project with.

3. When you decide to paint, plan your colors well in advance. A sampler (to-go) pack doesnt hurt. Lowes, Home Depot and Sherwin Williams keep coming with promotions to save 20-30% off on paints. Look for the ads. Spend your time visiting all the aforementioned stores and looking at their average prices, color selection and availability. In general, the more personal effort and money you spend, the better will be your final paint result.

4. Be prepared to experiment. Be creative. Its your house for Gods sake. Do what you feel like. Not what the world feels is the way a room should look. You are going to live there and the sense of accomplishment is all the more when you do it your way.

5. Dont ever scrimp on quality of paint, brushes, or rollers. They make a BIG difference. Trust the ones who have learnt it the hard way. Look at it this way. By conservative estimates, you are saving atleast $250 dollars a room (for a small one) by painting it yourself. You owe it to the room and the final look to give it the best of best. And the difference in cost is not more than 10-15% between the average and the best of supplies. Why be penny wise and pound foolish?

6. Dont forget to buy a lot of rags and kitchen towels and drop cloth (both canvas and polythene). They are truly invaluable. Also, having a gallon of primer (both the white and gray versions for light and dark colors) helps. A good ladder never goes waste.

7. Buy a lot of rollers. Roller reuse is bad idea. Even after a great wash, the quality of roller is so bad that it doubles your effort when you reuse it. Not to mention a wall with white spots all around. Having a couple of roller poles/extenders is also a good idea. It reduces your effort big time.

8. If you havent moved into a house, plan as much as possible to paint before moving or before loading the room with stuff. Its infinitely more difficult to paint with things around the room.

9. On the day of painting, be prepared to do this and nothing else. Painting is very tiring and strenuous. If you have back pain of any sort, be prepared for more at the end of the day.
Before the actual paint job, have the rags, a bucket of water, some kitchen towels, and spare everything at hands reach. Disposable gloves are a God send. Have enough of them around. They are cheap and universally available.

10. Be prepared to order in or cook in advance. You are not going to be able to do both painting and a lunch.

11. Make sure you either have your phone closeby or switch it off. Rushing to get the phone in the midst of painting, results in a whole lot of problems ranging from an irritated fellow painter to paint stains on the floor, wall or possible your phone and what not.

12. Eat well before and between the painting effort. Have some soda around. It really gives you a refreshing feel amidst the paint job.

13. The smell of paint can be overwhelming for very many. Either stay away from it or have your favorite headache pill around. Trust me. You'll need it.

14. Painting thrives on preparation. Every minute spent in preparation is 10 minutes saved while actually painting.

15. Painting is a fun job especially for couples. Be prepared for a tough day but never lose your sense of humor. There is nothing worse than a foul mood and a paint job. They almost never go together.

Many of the tips above are from the tens of books we consumed as part of the learning process and the hours spent watching various programs on TV. I have tried to summarise them to save you the time. The sense of accomplishment you get after seeing your handiwork is priceless. That alone is worth all the effort.

Enjoy your painting !

Rang De Basanti : Paint me Yellow

Rang De Basanti :: Official Web Site

I got a chance to see this movie last evening. Very thought provoking. Within the "Indian mass entertainment" format, the director weaves a tale that juxtaposes the turbulent times of 1930 -31 when Bhagat Singh and his friends revolutionised the freedom movement and the youth of today, quite unlike the youth of Bhagat Singh times. The slow yet powerful awakening of the youngsters of today makes for great thought provoking cinema. The acting is top notch led by the ever dependable Amir Khan and the brilliant Atul Kulkarni with excellent performances by Siddharth (he is a revelation), Soha Ali Khan, Sharmaan Joshi and Kunal Kapoor.

Watch it. It makes you think. The same cannot be said for the many hundred movies that the Indian film factory churnes out every year. This is good cinema at its best. Funny, sad, and most importantly, intelligent.

Nalladhor Veenai

During my recent trip to India, I got a chance to see the movie "Varumayin Niram Sirappu". While it reflects more of things at the time then, the way KB blends Bharathiyar into the storyline is amazing. The depth of each song complements the situations and vice versa. I wanted to revisit one exceptional piece in this post.

The composition "Nalladhor Veenai" juxtapositioning an idealistic and jobless Kamal trying to get a meal and his illustrious singer father singing the song in a concert in Delhi is exceptional. Kamal loses everything but his ideals and thus has everything. His father has everything but nothing since his son is not to be found and hence no peace of mind. The song and its lyrics are here along with the rest of the tracks in the movie. I am sure many of you have seen the movie, heard the songs but give it another shot and you will never regret it.

Movie Name: Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu (1980)
Singer: Balasubramanyam S P
Music Director: Viswanathan M S
Lyrics: Bharathiyaar, Kannadasan
Year: 1980
Actors: Kamal Hassan, Sridevi

nalladhoar veenai seydhae - adhai
nalangedap puzhudhiyil erivadhundoa

(nalladhoar)

solladi sivasakthi - enaich
chudarmigum arivudan padaiththuvittaay
vallamai thaaraayoa - indha
maanilam payanura vaazhvadharkae
solladi sivasakthi - nilach
chumaiyena vaazhndhidap puriguvaiyoa

(nalladhoar)

visaiyurup pandhinaip poal - ullam
vaendiyapadi seyyum udal kaettaen
nasaiyaru manam kaettaen - niththam
navamenach chudar tharum uyir kaettaen...uyir kaettaen...uyir kaettaen
thasaiyinaith theechchudinum - siva
sakthiyaip paadum nallagam kaettaen
asaivuru madhi kaettaen - ivai
arulvadhil unakkedhum thadaiyuladhoa (2)

(nalladhoar)

And here is another gem from the movie.

Movie Name: Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu (1980)
Singer: Balasubramanyam S P
Music Director: Viswanathan M S
Lyrics: Bharathiyar, Kannadasan
Year: 1980
Actors: Kamal Hassan, Sridevi

theerththak karaiyinilae therku moolaiyil shenbagath thoattaththilae
paarththirundhaal varuvaen vennilaavilae paanigiyoadenru sonnaay
vaarththai thavarivittaay adi kannammaa maarbu thudikkudhadi
paarththa idaththilellaam unnaip poalavae paavai theriyudhadi
paavai theriyudhadi

(theerththak)

maeni kodhikkudhadi thalai sutriyae vaedhanai seygudhadi
vaanin idaththaiyellaam indha vennilaa vandhu thazhuvudhu paar
moanaththirukkudhadi indha vaiyagam moozhgith thuyilinilae
naanoruvan mattilum pirivenbadhoar naragath thuzhaluvadhoa (2)

(theerththak)

It happens only in India

I am back from an awesome trip to India. More on that later. Here is a sampler from my photo collection. And yes, its all India and absolutely no photoshop.

(Taken outside the town of Nagercoil in the southernmost part of India)

Wedding in the shadows

I attended the wedding of two fellow bloggers in India last week. Since I have not gotten the green signal from them yet, I will post a picture of their shadows now and their faces later...

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

A quick review. Shalini and I did get a chance to see the first screening of the latest Harry Potter movie, "HP and the Goblet of Fire" at 12 last night. The movie is definitely the best Potter movie, yet. Its dark, its definitely more mature and it is outright gorgeous. The sets and effects are fantastic and there are very few areas where the computer effects stick out like a sore thumb. Effects are felt as experiences and not as just effects.

The acting has improved significantly with the only complaint being that Hermoine cribs too much and Dumbledore seems a trifle too angry at times contradicting his character in the book. That said, the chemistry between the lead characters is very good and new additions are all good. Ralph Fiennes as Voldermort, rocks !

The best part about the movie is the picturisation of the TriWizard tournament. It looks unbelievable and the thrills are many and great.

In short, the movie to beat for the winter and well, the movie to beat for future Potter ones themselves.

Here are some critics reviews:
NY Times
Chicago Sun Times

Fall, falling, fallen !

And Fall is over. Atleast officially. The weather has been surprisingly pleasant for the last week or so but things are changing...and the colorful leaves are history. For the year atleast.

So until Spring, here is to a bleak landscape and nightfall at 4.

Fall, at the door.

The nights are getting colder.
There are still a few that are holding on to their color.
But soon, it will be all black and all grey.
And Winter will be here.

Spicy!!!

This picture was taken at the same place I got many of my Fall pics and the previous Halloween post.

Its Halloween

Here is a Halloween picture that I shot in a nursery close by. I have since then seen a lot of innovative Halloween arrangements but this one blends the natural significance with pumpkins and the one with ghosts and all. And for trivia buffs, here is some information on the significance of Halloween.

Fall in Pa

Fall colors have started appearing all over town and this one is the best I have seen this season. This was taken on an evening drive around the place I live, Devon, Pa.

Man, Machine, God and Nature

This photo was sheer good luck. I had parked my car on a rainy night under the lights and the rain and lights together were creating this unique pattern above the dashboard of the car. Thankfully the camera was on hand and I got Shalini or rather her hand to pose for the photograph.

The honeymoon is over.

And thus the reign ended. It was nice and glorious while it lasted. After a comeback for generations last Fall to win the World Series, the RedSox sputtered and fell yesterday to the Chicago WhiteSox in the ALDS. It was shocking to few but expected by many. Inspite of tying for the top position in the AL East with the Yankees, the 2005 RedSox had been plagued by injuries, player chemistry and everything else that made it almost impossible for the RedSox to defeat a much better White Sox. There was a finality for the Idiot team of 2004 which will spread far and wide in the off season. While Theo pulled the almost impossible in holding most of the champion team together last offseason, changes are inevitable this year.

Yesterday, the loss was much less of a thought. The feeling of sadness in seeing the team splitting this offseason was evident in fan forums and message boards and the field. Millar, Damon, Timlin, Mueller have probably played their last game for the RedSox. And much as I hate even thinking about it, one of the greatest hitters in recent memory, Manny Ramirez, might be soon saying goodbye to the Fenway Faithful. The lovable RedSox of 2004 are soon going to be distant dream but the camaraderie and sheer joy they brought to the clubhouse and field would be remembered forever.

Goodbye team of 2004/2005. We loved you inspite of your problems and inconsistencies. We believed. You delivered . That alone is worth a lifetime of joy and joyful retrospection. May the best happen to all of you.
We will never forget the Fall of 2004.

A photo to celebrate photography

This photo was taken on Labor Day in downtown Philly. This happens to be the location of the oldest surviving photograph by Joseph Saxton in 1839. Others in the picture include my wife Shalini and fellow blogger, Saranyan. The photographer is a blogger himself, Pradeep.

Note: No one actually posed for the photo. The fact that we have all adopted similar poses is just coincidence and credit to Pradeep for having captured it at the right moment.

Fall Tracker: 09-04-2005

Not much change in the foliage this week. The hope persists. I am expecting to see significant change in the next two-three weeks. The temperature is starting to come down especially at nights.

Fall Tracker: 08-28-2005

I am tracking Fall in PA this year by taking photos of the same subject over the entire season. This is the first of the set taken last Sunday, the 28th of August, 2005.

No hassle or too much hassle

If you live in the US, you probably are groaning even thinking about it. If you work in India as a software engineer or as a professional in a big city, you pretty much know what I am talking about. Why do the credit card companies torture us with the unending mailers for pre-approved credit card offerings?. I have had days when I got 4 of them. On an average I get about 10 pre-approved card applications a month. And that doesnt include the ancillary credit card offerings like magazine subscriptions and credit protector schemes and what not. I have cursed them so many times, and still fallen short of how many preapproved applications I have received from them.

The bad news is that it never gets better. As your credit improves, the offers pour in more and more. The good news is that you can actually stop this mail bombardment. The credit bureaus offer you a choice of phone in (1-888-5-OPTOUT), mail in or an online mechanism of opting out of receiving the applications. All methods come with a big caveat- revealing your social security number. While there is no obvious threat to doing so, such a move needs to be done judiciously. Here are some websites to help in the decision making process.

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/3/1/13940/79585
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs24a-optout.htm
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs24-finpriv.htm
https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t

Hope this helps. And as a friend told me, never trash your preapproved card offers as is. Shred them to avoid any possibility of privacy theft.

Update: As per a legal ruling, the preapproved ads I have been getting since August last week (after the time of this posting) give me the option of opting out from the ads. The notice bears the aforementioned number and website for the same.

To opt out of telemarketing calls, please use www.donotcall.gov. Its very effective.

Kalimdor Diary

Kalimdor Diary
Originally uploaded by geeky_rp.

This is a collage of pictures taken while I(Bheema and Bheeshma - my game characters) visited Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdom in the World of Warcraft.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

No spoilers here. This past weekend, Shalini and my wait for the sixth Harry Potter book came to an end. We had preordered a copy at the local Borders and picked it up on Saturday. Here is a quick review with no spoilers whatsoever.

The book is great but could have been better. Bear in mind that J.K.Rowling is so good that even a less than fantastic effort from her is much better than most books out there. That said, the focus on apparently unimportant issues (could become important in the last book but does not appear so, to me) is more than the important ones. Romance is given lot more space than in the past and understandably so. The kids are 16 and romance is pretty high on the list of 16 year olds. I would have preferred a little less romance but thats just me. There is much more Dumbledore-Harry interactions in this book than ever before and that is a good thing. Sometimes a bit too disconnected but nevertheless pretty interesting, we see more of the human side of the great HeadMaster that we always wanted but never got until the sixth book.

Harry is not a pain in the a$% like in the "Order of the Phoenix". In fact he is the total opposite. He is mature, intelligent and getting to be the role model he is expected to be at the end of the series. The lovable Harry who got lost in Book 5 makes a triumphant return in book 6. Ron and Hermione undergo changes too and for the better. Ginny gets more space and so do a bunch of people.

The two main characters in Book 6 are Snape and Dumbledore, not to mention Harry and each one gets an excellent character exploration from Rowling. The Book is worth reading for just them if not anything else.

Finally, there is a death. Much more sadder than Sirius's death in Book 5 and far reaching too. For the faint hearted and emotional ones, there are tears here for certain. So be prepared with hankies and all.

The stage is all set for the final book in the Harry Potter series. It is expected in 2007 but could very well get to 2008. Nevertheless, the events have been set in motion and the reader can be assured of an explosive ending to the beloved series. I personally cant wait for the final book!

Enjoy.

Image Courtesy: Scholastic and Bloomsbury. Picture refers to the cover of the deluxe edition.

Three days in Chicago: A casual tourist guide

Its hard to imagine cities bigger and nicer, having lived in Philly, Boston and Dallas, not to mention being close to NYC, Baltimore and DC. While Chicago doesnt match NYC in size it does come very close if not match the big East coast cities in being a sheer tourist delight. My wife and I were lucky to get a room along the Chicago river and right opposite to the Wrigley Building. This meant that we could see all the downtown attractions without having to worry about travel.

Downtown Chicago is magnificent, not just because of its high rises, but also its picturesque location by the Chicago river and the glorious Lake Michigan. The Magnificent Mile (N.Michigan Avenue) is a shoppers paradise. Lake Michigan is a true jewel in Chicago's crown. Spending time walking by Grant Park was an awesome experience embellished to no less extent by the annual Taste of Chicago food festival. This being the 4th of July weekend, fireworks were aplenty. We chose to see the one on the 3rd of July over Lake Michigan from Grant Park. This was one well attended event with people everywhere. For more on that, check the previous post titled Resident Evil.

For art and museum lovers, Chicago is an absolute delight. There are museums of all sorts peppered all over town. We chose to visit the excellent Art Institute of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. With nice sections on European Impressionists, it was a great trip. The best part though was to come outside the Museum and see the section of road named Swami Vivekananda way. For a moment, my chest swelled with pride. Rarely does one get to see such public recognition of an Indian in the US. The second museum we visited was the very unique and interesting Museum of Science and Industry. This is supposedly a kids place but has so much for adults that makes it a must visit for all ages.

A sight to behold is the view of Chicago and the Lake from atop the Hancock Observatory or the Sears Towers. We chose the former based on recommendations from friends and it was definitely a glorious sight atop the skyscraper.

Last but not the least a trip to Chicago is incomplete without a walk by the uniquely designed, excellently executed Millenium Park. An oasis amidst skyscrapers, its so unique, it needs to be seen to be experienced.

This was all we could squeeze in three days and there was so much leftto do. So we are already looking forward to a trip in the future where an evening Buddy Guy's Legends blues place, an evening in the Navy Pier and a ballgame at the venerable Wrigleys Field would take priority over everything else.

The Windy City sure is rockin'!