Restrictive Software, Crazy Computer Administrators...

... and other causes of heartburn!!

God! I hate software which feels the need to own its user and thrives in its user-unfriendliness. The one I'm referring to now is this Finite Element code called ABAQUS which has led to a few ulcers spawning inside my body ever since I had the misfortune of running into it when I started my Ph.D. I swear, the software tries its utmost to be unhelpful. The documentation that comes with it is laughably inadequate when it comes to debugging errors. While I usually manage to find the bug after a couple of days of despair, this time, I think I have run into a titanium wall!. The program gives the message: "Error code 5. Access is denied" and basically stops running! I guess it never occured to the Einsteins in the software team to include an explanation of the error codes! Either that or they have hidden it well! Really, really, really well!

And obviously, the computer adminstrators in my university have no idea what this error means! No way, that would make things too easy! Of course, given the brain damage it seems to require for someone to qualify as a computer administrator, they wouldn't have helped much anyway. When I run into problems, usually brought about by that other paradigm of user-friendliness, UNIX, and am forced to turn to these Hitler-wannabes for help, they start by giving me a look that plainly says: "Do I really have to explain to this idiot he has to modify the kernel at the machine level in order to properly emulate the startx terminal?" (That probably makes no sense but they either say something like that or something like "Ok, you look at the keyword and type "L-O-G-I-N". You with me so far?") There is no middle-ground with these chaps, I swear, its impossible to communicate with them!

(another ulcer has grown while typing the above)

Now to more unversal reasons for hearburn...

Sharapova's brutal defeat of Sania Mirza. Yes, it was expected, but my friends and I were really crushed after seeing how unprofessional Mirza's game was. Granted, she's a newcomer, the first Indian girl to do all that, but, come on, she could have at least been a trifle better. I sincerely hope that she works hard on that second serve of hers and on the consistency of her groundstrokes (which were spectacular when they came off). Here's wishing her luck!

Then there's the Indian cricket team...Boo hoo hoo :(

That's enough hearburn for the day. Now for some good news. India aside, this has been a spectacular season for sports. First, there was the Ashes, awesomely entertaining, one of the best, if not THE best series of all time. Who'd have ever thought Australia would go on the defensive? (I'm referring to Ponting complaining about being picked on for the team's failures). And now, after two days Australia look to be in a good position after Warnie stepped up.

And how about the US Open, y'all? It seems to me that this has been the most competetitive Grand Slam I have seen, especially in the Men's side! What quality? How many 5-setters? What power? Blake, Dent, GInepri, what amazingly physical players? The magic of Fabrice Santoro! The Blake-Agassi match! Blake-Nadal! Dent-Hewitt! And on the women's side, Clijsters taking out Venus! And now she's up against Sharapova!

It's a pity I didn't realize earlier that the US open would be on during the Labor Day weekend. Else a trip to NY city would have definitely been on the cards!