Creating Letters in Latex with Letterhead and Scanned Signature

With graduation nearing and my fervent attempts at applying for Post Doc positions, I am required to sometimes write a cover letter and include my signature. I feel that using Adobe PDF writer to make a stamp of my scanned signature is cumbersome, as I need to rely on using a Windows machine for that step or install Adobe PDF Writer on my Mac.

So I searched and came to this solution. One awesome reference is from Dr. Balkrishna@WSU He has generously uploaded his templates here. I have modified them slightly to include my scanned signature.

Another option is to use the example by Robert McNees here.

My final PDF looks like this. Source file for generating your own letter: VT_letter.zip

The original newlfm package manual can be browsed here.

Note: Using the VT Logo is at your own responsibility. I have used it for illustrative purposes.

2010: another year ?

My first post of 2010 and I am not sure what the title should be. 2010-10 years after graduation, 10 years after giving GRE/TOEFL, 10 years back-working on BE project, 10 years back-doing my VLSI course, 7 years after a MS degree, couple of months away from another degree? So has the past 10 years of my life been an educational experience literally speaking (PJ)?? Yes and no. Yes, academically speaking. Yes, for independent way of living. Yes for learning to live life and learn from those experiences. Yes on how things go right or wrong based on your decisions. No, because some things are not in your control and you learn to live with it. 6 years- since I have met family (Thanks to Reliance and Skype). 10 years- 3 recessions (2001, 2003, 2009).

(also, 2000-single, 2010-committed :P)

what's new about 2010 ??

2010 for me means: graduation, job, India trip ??

2010 and my friends: Most of them are parents/to-be :) Recession and baby boom :)

Hope this year is what everyone hoped for !!!

What to look for when buying a laptop for parents

It's been a year since Mansi gifted her dad with a Dell Inspiron with Ubuntu installed. It's been great so far with no panic calls for viruses or spyware slowing down his laptop. Again bow of the hat to Manas, who tried this experiment first.

So based on my experience, here are some tips when you are searching for a laptop to buy for your non-techie parents:

1. Get a laptop with decent hard disk space and memory. Most of the time, if it's just web browsing and chatting, a Celeron will do. So you can save some money by not opting for a high end Core 2 Duo. I would rather spend money on getting a laptop with a webcam and mic.

2. Choose a brand that has a presence in India. AFAIK, Dell, HP, IBM-Lenovo all are great. But I chose Dell, because I am happy with its customer service.

3. Though it may seem a bit difficult at the beginning for your parents to understand Linux, it will pay off on your time if you select Linux over Windows. For one, they won't click on IE by mistake and unknowingly allow the laptop to be infected by viruses or adware. From my experience, I have seen that once your parents' laptop is infected with either virus or spyware, (i) you end up considerable time finding someone in your neighborhood (in India) to come to your place, look at the laptop and try resolving it. (ii) your parents keep worrying about what virus may affect it next, etc and so on. So to avoid all these issues go for Linux. Select your distro, install it for them (I chose Ubuntu).

If you decide to install Ubuntu, a couple of tips:

1. Install Picasa, so that they can share albums online. Picasa is available by adding Google repos: http://picasa.google.com/linux/thanks-deb.html

2. Install OpenOffice which is in fact a good replacement for MS Office.

3. Something of an option, you could choose to install Dropbox, so that you can share larger files. Dropbox is free and starts with free storage upto 2GB. Dropbox syncs up the files on all laptops with the same account.

4. Skype works like a charm on Linux distros.

5. Install VLC and other video codecs.

6. Last but not the least, set up ssh and vnc on the laptop, so that you can debug and resolve issues online :)

Overall, Linux should be able to provide a worry free User Experience to the older generation :)

Happy Holidays :)

An applicant's experience at Job sites

I have been actively applying for positions at various companies. Some are great and some are cumbersome and tiring. I can classify them into 2 groups:
1. Select job and add to job cart followed by atleast 10 clicks till the final submission.
Now if I had 10 jobs in my cart, that would amount to atleast 100 clicks on the "Save and Continue" button. I also forgot to mention that every job needs to know the source of application and that's easily two clicks per application.
2. You make your profile just once and keep updating it. Add jobs to cart and apply. Just two clicks. Some positions require you to fill a questionnaire. Filling a questionnaire is fine as it gives a sense of what is expected from the candidate.

I like the second category better, as it's streamlined and fast. I do not understand why would companies stick to the first category when you know that the candidate's information is not going to change between job applications. But hey, no one's complaining about the job applications in this economy. Just seeing vacancies is a ray of hope in these dark times.

However, applying to jobs is not easy, because you are relying on so many search engines and job sites. Some search sites such as (HJ, LU, LI) are good in searching and displaying positions with the keywords and what opened after your last visit. Some websites like JF and CB spam you with all kinds of stuff. (I have deliberately abbreviated. From my perspective, I have categorized some search sites to be useful and some are spammy)

The only webpage where companies can expect maximum user interaction is on the Employment or Careers page. If that page does not convey information easily, it's disappointing. Some companies still rely on sending resume by fax and that's a bit surprising. Sometimes, I see positions advertised but no way to contact the HR. (I think it's because the company has already tied up with some recruiting company to search for candidates. In that case, we have to be lucky to find the recruiting company first). Also some websites are only compatible with certain browsers (IE-oh ya) (I have stopped using Safari for job applications. IMHO Safari is not compatible on most websites except Apple). I am no User Experience or Human Computer Interaction major, but I am just blogging my disappointment in clicking to death till I finally submit my application. Hoping for better times !!!

Behind Enemy Lines

My post is not about the movie by the same name, but about the op-ed article written by Col Harish Puri in The International News Jang. Another reason is also because of the aftermath this article has had on the blogging community and the Indian soldiers. This letter assumes more significance in light of Clinton's remarks. Below is what Col. Puri wrote:

An open letter to Gen Kayani
View from the other side Col (r) Harish Puri

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Dear Gen Kayani,

Sir, let me begin by recounting that old army quip that did the rounds in the immediate aftermath of World war II: To guarantee victory, an army should ideally have German generals, British officers, Indian soldiers, American equipment and Italian enemies.

A Pakistani soldier that I met in Iraq in 2004 lamented the fact that the Pakistani soldier in Kargil had been badly let down firstly by Nawaz Sharif and then by the Pakistani officers' cadre. Pakistani soldiers led by Indian officers, , he believed, would be the most fearsome combination possible. Pakistani officers, he went on to say, were more into real estate, defence housing colonies and the like.

As I look at two photographs of surrender that lie before me, I can't help recalling his words. The first is the celebrated event at Dhaka on Dec 16, 1971, which now adorns most Army messes in Delhi and Calcutta. The second, sir, is the video of a teenage girl being flogged by the Taliban in Swat -- not far, I am sure, from one of your Army check posts.

The surrender by any Army is always a sad and humiliating event. Gen Niazi surrendered in Dhaka to a professional army that had outnumbered and outfought him. No Pakistani has been able to get over that humiliation, and 16th December is remembered as a black day by the Pakistani Army and the Pakistani state. But battles are won and lost – armies know this, and having learnt their lessons, they move on.

But much more sadly, the video of the teenager being flogged represents an even more abject surrender by the Pakistani Army. The surrender in 1971, though humiliating, was not disgraceful. This time around, sir, what happened on your watch was something no Army commander should have to live through. The girl could have been your own daughter, or mine.

I have always maintained that the Pakistani Army, like its Indian counterpart, is a thoroughly professional outfit. It has fought valiantly in the three wars against India, and also accredited itself well in its UN missions abroad. It is, therefore, by no means a pushover. The instance of an Infantry unit, led by a lieutenant colonel, meekly laying down arms before 20-odd militants should have been an aberration. But this capitulation in Swat, that too so soon after your own visit to the area, is an assault on the sensibilities of any soldier. What did you tell your soldiers? What great inspirational speech did you make that made your troops back off without a murmur? Sir, I have fought insurgency in Kashmir as well as the North-East, but despite the occasional losses suffered (as is bound to be the case in counter-insurgency operations), such total surrender is unthinkable.

I have been a signaller, and it beats me how my counterparts in your Signal Corps could not locate or even jam a normal FM radio station broadcasting on a fixed frequency at fixed timings. Is there more than meets the eye?

I am told that it is difficult for your troops to "fight their own people." But you never had that problem in East Pakistan in 1971, where the atrocities committed by your own troops are well documented in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. Or is it that the Bengalis were never considered "your own" people, influenced as they were by the Hindus across the border? Or is that your troops are terrified by the ruthless barbarians of the Taliban?

Sir, it is imperative that we recognise our enemy without any delay. I use the word "our" advisedly – for the Taliban threat is not far from India's borders. And the only force that can stop them from dragging Pakistan back into the Stone Age is the force that you command. In this historic moment, providence has placed a tremendous responsibility in your hands. Indeed, the fate of your nation, the future of humankind in the subcontinent rests with you. It doesn't matter if it is "my war" or "your war" – it is a war that has to be won. A desperate Swati citizen's desperate lament says it all – "Please drop an atom bomb on us and put us out of our misery!" Do not fail him, sir.

But in the gloom and the ignominy, the average Pakistani citizen has shown us that there is hope yet. The lawyers, the media, have all refused to buckle even under direct threats. It took the Taliban no less than 32 bullets to still the voice of a brave journalist. Yes, there is hope – but why don't we hear the same language from you? Look to these brave hearts, sir – and maybe we shall see the tide turn. Our prayers are with you, and the hapless people of Swat.

The New York Times predicts that Pakistan will collapse in six months. Do you want to go down in history as the man who allowed that to happen?

What's new for Elections '09?

Elections are around the corner. This is the only time of the year when the so-called saviors of the nation (read politicians) come and woo the voters. The leaders come and woo the poor first with promises of food, electricity, better living standards. For the recession hit scenario, we have political parties trying to give away food at ultra-cheap prices, even though that's not going to help the economy. Some parties play on the caste/religion divide. Not to mention, parties in Maharashtra will indulge in regional politics to woo only the "Marathi Manoos" votes. Will they forbid the non-Marathis to vote for them? In Kerala, we have the LDF and UDF battling it out. Given that the recession is forcing Gulf NRIs to come back, what does Kerala offer to these expatriates? This blog sums up the election euphoria in Kerala. (Oops, did I indulge in some politics now??)

As a techie, I am happy with JaagoRe's initiative in helping voters register in time, get their ID cards. Google has announced their Google Election Center. This is an attempt to share relevant information about the constituencies to the voters. There's also a website with information about candidates with criminal background. One more site for election information.

May the (Election/IPL) games begin !!!

One more Pappu pass ho gaya !!!

My heartiest congrats to the Pappu, who did his 50 68 44 defense yesterday. Now in case, you are wondering what the numbers stand for, please check this table

It's been an eventful adventure watching friends graduate and wondering "Mera Number kab aayega". I am inspired by all of them. Next in line is ex-roomie Brijesh (fraud Mallu). Summer seems to beckon me for a defense against the dark arts, I guess. (Deja Vu Prelims defense ?)