Computing
Why XFCE Makes Windows Optional
Windows isn't the default anymore. Xfce is fast, familiar, and finally polished — running it on Fedora's bleeding-edge spin, coming off years of i3, and I haven't noticed a single performance hit.
Read morePoetry
When AI Meets Bedil: A Conversation on Poetry, Meaning, and Machine Insight
But beneath all that, a profound reality is that we’re building tools that can engage in subtle, reflective, and culturally rich conversations.
Read moreComputing
Volunteer Computing
Volunteer computing is an arrangement where volunteers provide or donate their computer resources to projects. That way, these projects are able to do really advanced and time-consuming computations. Most of these projects are scientific trying to solve different problems. Some...
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Computing
Solving the i3 Startup Race: Why assign Fails for LibreOffice
I tweaked my i3 configuration to automate application placement. During this process, I encountered a frustrating issue. LibreOffice was ignoring my workspace assignments. While the main suite started correctly, specific components like LibreOffice Writer refused to land in their designated Read more
Randomness
Why I Ghosted My Blog (And What Brought Me Back)
It’s been quite a while…. such a long time that I can’t think of how to begin anymore. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d blog again. It wasn’t because I did not have anything to say. Somewhere along the Read more
Afghan politics
Marx, Engels and Lenin in Pul-e-Charkhi Prison
With all the hype about Marxism and Socialism, I remembered this story. Someone in my family back in the 1980s spent some time in the infamous Pul-e-Charkhi prison. They had taken him because of suspected links to anti-government elements. There Read more
Holiday
Maximising your layover in Doha: A personal guide
Having lived in Australia, I’m no stranger to long-haul flights. If you’re going to be stuck on a plane for over 15 hours, why not break up the journey with a layover that feels like a mini-holiday? For travelers between Read more
Islam
A Shared Ramadan Experience
We are only two Muslims in our workplace, but every Ramadan almost everyone else fasts one day to share the Ramadan experience with us. Our work organises a dinner for those who fast. This year, one of our colleagues emailed Read more
Computing
AWK One‑Liner: Total a CSV Column in Seconds
Imagine you have a file with multiple columns and you need to quickly get the total of a column in command line in UNIX. The easiest way is to use AWK in the command line. Let’s take the following file: Read more
Afghan politics
Afghan War: A popularity contest for Western Leaders
Ever since NATO invaded Afghanistan under the guise of fighting terrorism, the poverty-stricken country has served as an election-winning tool for leaders of the involved countries. Every time election gets closer, the leaders of these countries make an announcement that Read more