Weekly Notes 44/2025

It was a hectic week, with short trips and numerous meetings to kick-start the work. There are many things slated to go live in the new year, so the year-end seems hectic.

• I became a supporting member of the Python Software Foundation this week. The PSF post about withdrawing from US Govt funding triggered this. Good job, PSF. I don’t know why it took me ages to do this, given that I have been supporting similar organizations like the FSF and OSM for a while now. I am happy to contribute, even if it’s a small amount. I already contribute data and code in one way or another.
• I was in Mumbai for a work. It was a short day trip. I take the Vayu Vajra bus to Thom’s Bakery on my way back and catch an auto for the last mile. It’s the easiest, cheapest, and fastest mode of transport. I still haven’t had the confidence to take the bus to the airport. But with some planning, it can be done, so I will soon. Also visited a new dessert/cafe place in Mumbai called Mr. Misu on the recommendation of a friend. It’s a small place, but they do have good tiramisu. Added to OSM.
• Some of the friends and readers have received the postcards. But many haven’t. Some have also reached foreign countries. Anju has not received it yet. I’m not sure what the logic is. Thanks to everyone who let me know, and special thanks to those who sent me pictures.
• I use the Bell MX-9 Adventure helmet for long-distance riding. I have borrowed it from my BiL as he was not using it. I like it, it fits very well, and you feel confident. But I wanted a lightweight and easy-to-wear helmet for city use. I got a new one, SBH-23 AVA, from Steelbird. I also obtained a new Emission certificate; it’s already been six months. Yamaha is performing very well in terms of emission parameters. I have not measured mileage yet. It’s quite challenging because the old Yamahas didn’t even have a fuel gauge, let alone trip meters. You get to know when you reach reserve levels, that’s all. You use that as a reference, then measure. i.e, full tank to reserve. I will do it at some point for the sake of record-keeping.
• I am always looking to simplify my tech stack. I recently added Dramatiq to my stack to do background jobs. It seemed stable enough to be part of the stack. It’s simple to code and maintain. At some point, I would like to incorporate it into MAD. I think it’s much easier than Celery for a beginner.
• Videos from the Open Data Devroom at IndiaFOSS 2025 are now available and public. There are very interesting talks. Please watch them at your convenience. I am adding Kailash Nadh to my blogring. His recent post on DeepSeek, AI sovereignty, and India had me nodding in agreement. Not a regular blogger but worth having there.