We all have our birth certificates, certificates for each and everything in life. But is that the proof of our existence.Each of those certificates mean a lot to us. Its the only way, we can ensure all our jobs, life is smooth. I know that in our country people who retire, they need to go to the respective offices and prove they are alive once in few years. Its like a certificate of existence that has to be given.
We take xerox of all our important papers and keep them carefully. Laminate the originals and keep them even more safely! I have a suitcase of certificates and papers over the years. Now I haven't opened them or even looked at them in the last year or so. Only when I am changing a job, or the need to give some xerox arises, do I open that suitcase.
Surprisingly the paper that holds the information is the most important possession. Land documents, ration cards, voter id cards... the list is endless. We in India don't have a social security number. Mostly people have PAN cards. How do you use this card? I wish there was a system which was built where everything related to a person was linked to one certificate say PAN card. From the birth of the person, his date of birth gets stored in that card. And this number is his unique identity. This system has its flaws and complications associated with it. Many banks don't accept the same proof as an address proof and ID proof, even if it has a photo on it! May be its to increase the documentation, or have another additional document for verification.
If we had bar codes to identify us, and it would relate to all our other certificates, would make life easy for us. But identity theft is prominently one of the biggest risks we face today. Lets see how things work in our country. But think about this, If you didn't have your birth certificate, you would'nt be alive today?
Saturday, July 12, 2008
After Life - what ?
Written somewhere, "the fear of death is deadlier than death itself". I don't know how many years I am going to live on this planet. So every time you have a minute of happiness enjoy it till the last drop.
Most of us dream of having better jobs, better lives, bigger houses and a great future for our children. But is always money = happiness? Money is needed to satisfy many of our needs and desires, but do you look at your kids smile and then think $'s? I was brought up in a middle class family where importance of saving money was embedded in me deeply since my childhood.
Every stage of life, we have different needs and desires. How do you achieve your goals with the limited resources?
Thanks to the Indian culture, everyone is here to save! we save everything from tiny bits of paper to trash, in the event that we can use that at some later point in life. money is only a number which can be used to satisfy some of the needs and desires. So what do you do when you don't have the numbers(MONEY). Some how I realized that not using a credit card was one way to keep the numbers from fading away. Till date, thanks to my parents last 27 years of my life I never needed or never wanted a credit card.
Back to after life. What do you plan to achieve in your life span? what do you want to contribute to humanity and how can you create a mark on this planet? are the most important questions to be answered if you are thinking about after life. Its like how children from a small age are asked what do you want to become when you grow up? Parents in general look at a career for their children in the various fields today.
Knowing about after life is like cracking the universe mysteries. I wish, something like this can happen you finish your time on this planet and then launch on another planet! sounds good. But Most of us need to ask ourselves this question, do we spend enough time with out parents when we grow up? I haven't done that. I plan to do that whenever time permits.
Most of us dream of having better jobs, better lives, bigger houses and a great future for our children. But is always money = happiness? Money is needed to satisfy many of our needs and desires, but do you look at your kids smile and then think $'s? I was brought up in a middle class family where importance of saving money was embedded in me deeply since my childhood.
Every stage of life, we have different needs and desires. How do you achieve your goals with the limited resources?
Thanks to the Indian culture, everyone is here to save! we save everything from tiny bits of paper to trash, in the event that we can use that at some later point in life. money is only a number which can be used to satisfy some of the needs and desires. So what do you do when you don't have the numbers(MONEY). Some how I realized that not using a credit card was one way to keep the numbers from fading away. Till date, thanks to my parents last 27 years of my life I never needed or never wanted a credit card.
Back to after life. What do you plan to achieve in your life span? what do you want to contribute to humanity and how can you create a mark on this planet? are the most important questions to be answered if you are thinking about after life. Its like how children from a small age are asked what do you want to become when you grow up? Parents in general look at a career for their children in the various fields today.
Knowing about after life is like cracking the universe mysteries. I wish, something like this can happen you finish your time on this planet and then launch on another planet! sounds good. But Most of us need to ask ourselves this question, do we spend enough time with out parents when we grow up? I haven't done that. I plan to do that whenever time permits.
So lets plan to make life a better place to live in.
Mileage Consious
Most of us are mileage conscious. We are always looking at ways and means to increase the mileage of our automobiles. In most of the crowded cities, we end up getting 11-12 in small cars. I realized that the amount of fuel that gets wasted in traffic jams in huge. Not just one car, hundreds of them coming from all directions, two wheelers included. Is it possible to somehow save some fuel in these traffic heavy zones. If we had a system where, if traffic in one direction was halted for more than 3 minutes, they can ask commuters to shut off their engines. Mostly I try to figure out if I am going to get delayed more than 2 minutes and then shut the engine off.
The amount of fuel that gets saved is quite a lot, put together all the vehicles stuck in the jam. Cars in general use up close to 100 ml petrol for 3-5 minute of idling. It may not be much for a single automobile. But calculating all the vehicles that are burning up fuel without moving is huge. So next time you get stuck at a signal, you can stretch your mileage by using this simple tech niche.
I always wondered why cars gave much poor mileage in the range of 10-13 kms usually. But when you try understand the kind of mechanism that goes into the engine, will you realize how efficient they have been made. Just assume you have a 100 cc bike which gives you a mileage of 60kms/litre. Then If you have a larger engine say 1000 cc, what would you do- divide 60 / 10? I would do that and end up with mileage of 6kms/litre. Small cars as such weigh 800-1000kgs. So the amount of additional weight they carry has to be taken into consideration, Right! Putting all these factors if you still get 6kms/litre you would be lucky. All I am saying is the cars in todays gen are pretty fuel efficient for the kind of weight they carry and work.
I used to wonder, how people could afford the mileage of 10-13kms a litre. I just couldn't digest the fact that I drive a bike that gives me 45kms/litre and people have the money to spend 5times more per km! Even today, for less than two people who are fit , bikes are the best means of travel, in terms of economy,parking, cutting through traffic. It is not the safest, safety lies in how we can tackle obstacles.
For car drivers, it is very necessary for them to look at fellow road users and drive carefully. Its about driving with your eyes open and looking in all directions, taking turns slowly. A small step by driving cautiously can be a long way in keeping people safe on the road.
Every individual has his share to contribute. Pedestrians can search for foot paths to walk on. Of the accidents that happen, mostly pedestrians end up getting hurt. So are the motorists always looking at ways to hurt pedestrians? I think we need to take a interest in our own safety and understand that vehicles don't stop at a shot of the brake above certain speeds. So for any person crossing the road, please look on both sides, calculate the distance from oncoming traffic, and only if its safe,then cross the road.
My grandfathers foot was run over by a double decker bus in 1952. It was a harrowing experience for the entire family. Luckily they got his foot right and he was able to walk through the rest of his life. I have had my share of accidents, some because of my mistakes and some because of others mistakes. So please watch out and drive carefully with a smile. .. Soon a day where pedestrians and cyclists will all wear helmets......
The amount of fuel that gets saved is quite a lot, put together all the vehicles stuck in the jam. Cars in general use up close to 100 ml petrol for 3-5 minute of idling. It may not be much for a single automobile. But calculating all the vehicles that are burning up fuel without moving is huge. So next time you get stuck at a signal, you can stretch your mileage by using this simple tech niche.
I always wondered why cars gave much poor mileage in the range of 10-13 kms usually. But when you try understand the kind of mechanism that goes into the engine, will you realize how efficient they have been made. Just assume you have a 100 cc bike which gives you a mileage of 60kms/litre. Then If you have a larger engine say 1000 cc, what would you do- divide 60 / 10? I would do that and end up with mileage of 6kms/litre. Small cars as such weigh 800-1000kgs. So the amount of additional weight they carry has to be taken into consideration, Right! Putting all these factors if you still get 6kms/litre you would be lucky. All I am saying is the cars in todays gen are pretty fuel efficient for the kind of weight they carry and work.
I used to wonder, how people could afford the mileage of 10-13kms a litre. I just couldn't digest the fact that I drive a bike that gives me 45kms/litre and people have the money to spend 5times more per km! Even today, for less than two people who are fit , bikes are the best means of travel, in terms of economy,parking, cutting through traffic. It is not the safest, safety lies in how we can tackle obstacles.
For car drivers, it is very necessary for them to look at fellow road users and drive carefully. Its about driving with your eyes open and looking in all directions, taking turns slowly. A small step by driving cautiously can be a long way in keeping people safe on the road.
Every individual has his share to contribute. Pedestrians can search for foot paths to walk on. Of the accidents that happen, mostly pedestrians end up getting hurt. So are the motorists always looking at ways to hurt pedestrians? I think we need to take a interest in our own safety and understand that vehicles don't stop at a shot of the brake above certain speeds. So for any person crossing the road, please look on both sides, calculate the distance from oncoming traffic, and only if its safe,then cross the road.
My grandfathers foot was run over by a double decker bus in 1952. It was a harrowing experience for the entire family. Luckily they got his foot right and he was able to walk through the rest of his life. I have had my share of accidents, some because of my mistakes and some because of others mistakes. So please watch out and drive carefully with a smile. .. Soon a day where pedestrians and cyclists will all wear helmets......
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Our reliability on Gadgets
Have you ever wondered, if your phone switched off without your knowing it? The car you drove suddenly develops a problem? what do you do, when that gadget is needed the most!
I personally have seen and realized the importance of us ( we users) testing and making sure our gadgets run right once in a while.
Most of the funny problems come when you need them the most. Its something that cannot be explained, and cant be expressed easily. My grandmother who isn't any more, had seen people in the early 60's with a transistor radio which people would carry along with them. She wondered if a phone could be that way(she was not educated much and had no exposure to technology).
When I am in another network, My cell searches for network on its own. But it doesn't hook up sometimes and then I keep searching manually. I have found the phone hangs sometimes too. This is not with a particular model, but with several models that I have used earlier.
When things like these happen, is when we have the most anxious moments! calls fom home, office, or Boss calling up & we aren't reachable.
I have learned a valuable lesson in handling gadgets - giving them rest for a few hours everyday, to let them work promptly. And all batteries usually have 1000 or more charging lives in them. I use my phone till its down till 20% of its life, then charge it. If you increase the intervals at which you charge your instrument, you actually end up increasing its life. I switch off my phone at night and make sure I switch it on when I wake up! Adjusting the brightness on the phone, where it is good enough for you to look at too improves battery life. Its also good one way that you keep away from the phone for a while in the day! Ya, many people have two phones, which they can alternately keep switching off.
Mankind has developed enough gadgets to keep him hooked to 2 or more at any point in time. Life saving equipment used in hospitals which are very reliable! Every time you use a lift, a mode of transport, communication equipment, every gadget that makes your life simple... we need to thank the people who have put their efforts in creating a better future and making things work better everytime. Nothing is more precious than life.. mankind!
I personally have seen and realized the importance of us ( we users) testing and making sure our gadgets run right once in a while.
Most of the funny problems come when you need them the most. Its something that cannot be explained, and cant be expressed easily. My grandmother who isn't any more, had seen people in the early 60's with a transistor radio which people would carry along with them. She wondered if a phone could be that way(she was not educated much and had no exposure to technology).
When I am in another network, My cell searches for network on its own. But it doesn't hook up sometimes and then I keep searching manually. I have found the phone hangs sometimes too. This is not with a particular model, but with several models that I have used earlier.
When things like these happen, is when we have the most anxious moments! calls fom home, office, or Boss calling up & we aren't reachable.
I have learned a valuable lesson in handling gadgets - giving them rest for a few hours everyday, to let them work promptly. And all batteries usually have 1000 or more charging lives in them. I use my phone till its down till 20% of its life, then charge it. If you increase the intervals at which you charge your instrument, you actually end up increasing its life. I switch off my phone at night and make sure I switch it on when I wake up! Adjusting the brightness on the phone, where it is good enough for you to look at too improves battery life. Its also good one way that you keep away from the phone for a while in the day! Ya, many people have two phones, which they can alternately keep switching off.
Mankind has developed enough gadgets to keep him hooked to 2 or more at any point in time. Life saving equipment used in hospitals which are very reliable! Every time you use a lift, a mode of transport, communication equipment, every gadget that makes your life simple... we need to thank the people who have put their efforts in creating a better future and making things work better everytime. Nothing is more precious than life.. mankind!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Looking at the Future
God knows how many more years we will have fossil fuels. At the rate we are using up fuel, soon a day when the planet runs only with solar power. More over, every human will have a battery pack on him, that keeps charging as and when we move or do some exercise. I imagine this, If you want to watch T.V or Listen to music, you need to exercise to create electrical energy to keep things running. Using our solar powered batteries to run water coolers, so as to keep away from any sort of pollution. But thinking of distant travels? how will that be possible? Possibly small solar powered planes that use up solar energy and surface panels of the plane that get charged due to the wind passing over them. Anything could be possible. But again it depends on when we start taking an initiative to keep the planet cool and healthy.
Teach children now onwards to use cycle, or walk for short distances. Understanding the need to conserve natural resources and energy in all forms. Having underwater turbines in the seas to create energy to run ships.
But in case the entire fuel reserves on the planet dry up! imagine the millions of cars that will be stranded. what will we done with them? Just throw them and move ahead? True.... again its like a phase, scooters just phased out in a couple of 5 years.electric vehicles have started being manufactured. So future has a lot in store.
Think of local transport. I think of tubes that have solar panels, which has cabins inside them. and the least friction between the inner chamber and the lining of the pipe. the movement of the cabins could be 60-80kms a hour. no destination would be too far.
Please do feel free to share your comments and ideas on making things better for the gen next.
Teach children now onwards to use cycle, or walk for short distances. Understanding the need to conserve natural resources and energy in all forms. Having underwater turbines in the seas to create energy to run ships.
But in case the entire fuel reserves on the planet dry up! imagine the millions of cars that will be stranded. what will we done with them? Just throw them and move ahead? True.... again its like a phase, scooters just phased out in a couple of 5 years.electric vehicles have started being manufactured. So future has a lot in store.
Think of local transport. I think of tubes that have solar panels, which has cabins inside them. and the least friction between the inner chamber and the lining of the pipe. the movement of the cabins could be 60-80kms a hour. no destination would be too far.
Please do feel free to share your comments and ideas on making things better for the gen next.
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