This is a just an angry outburst at a common practice driven by an almost irrational logic. It has been nagging me for quite a while and I have to put it down somewhere.
emails are everywhere around us. Office work revolves around email and telephone with a lot of information transacted in this form. Official documents, explanatory images, illustrative media, useless forwards, unwanted spam and ofcourse plain text is transmitted and received in huge quantities every second.
But something irks me whenever I see it- a very short text message almost like an sms, no longer than a sentence sent by email, and whats more a inexplicably long 'Disclaimer note' (sometimes 2 paragraphs long) automatically appended by the company's mail server to every outgoing mail.
When I see such a thing my weird mind penetrates the physical layers of networking and stands as a silent observer of the atrocity taking place at a micro level- Every ASCII character is 8 or 16 bytes long and for each character the bits toggle by about half the number of bits. Much of our logic circuitry is CMOS based which means the major consumption is dynamic and occurs where there is toggling of bits. An sample disclaimer(found below) is 432 characters long.
Imagine The Amount Of Switching Taking Place (ITAOSTP) for each email sent by an employee in the mail server.
ITAOSTP when each email passed through a network with its own series of repeaters, routers and switches.
ITAOSTP when the email goes thru external network and the internet, passing thru more cables and repeaters.
ITAOSTP when the email reaches the other end till it reaches the screen of the receiver
ITAOSTP when the email has multiple recipients in various locations.
ITAOSTP when each employee sends tens of mails per day
ITAOSTP when the mails and sent back and forth thru reply-alls and cc-s and bcc-s.
ITAOSTP when all the mails sent by all the employees of an organisation have the same dumb disclaimer note.
ITAOSTP when many big organisations have mail servers adding their own fanciful disclaimer notes.
I cannot imagine the amount of energy wasted this way. I dont even want to imagine about the congestion and time overhead caused by the disclaimers.
All said and written, these responsible thoughts never occur to me whenever I recieve an multiple-MB videoclip as a forward - the content being something like'Planets funniest animals' or 'wacky commercial for cola' . I never understood why !!
-----------------------------------
"Note: If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If
you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer. Thank you. "
Monday 26 February 2007
என் சுவாசக்காற்றே
கரங்கள் இரண்டில் மென்மையாய் பற்றி
என்னருகே உன்னை அணைத்து இருக்கி
என் சுவாசக்காற்றினை உன்னுள் ஊற்றி
மூங்கில் தோள்களை உடையவள் பெயர் சூட்டி
நித்தமும் உன்னையே முத்தமிட்டு இசைப்பேன்
மூங்கிலால் இறைவனே படைத்தறுளிய - என் குழலே !
என்னருகே உன்னை அணைத்து இருக்கி
என் சுவாசக்காற்றினை உன்னுள் ஊற்றி
மூங்கில் தோள்களை உடையவள் பெயர் சூட்டி
நித்தமும் உன்னையே முத்தமிட்டு இசைப்பேன்
மூங்கிலால் இறைவனே படைத்தறுளிய - என் குழலே !
Sunday 25 February 2007
Hidden in a haystack
"Selfishness is Immoral"-Swami Vivekananda
-easy to understand, tough to absorb, impossible to follow for most people.
"The world has enough for everyone's need, not everyone's greed"- MK Gandhi
In the recent past, I have interacted with people, who seemed to justify an immoral, illegal act with descriptions like its the truth , its practical, its common-place, its done by everybody and so on.
Are bad acts only restricted to deeds done by a minority, but shunned by the majority ? Can selfishness be made to look like perfectly normal, just because a large majority of people are selfish ? Why does the world have so many religions and prophets and philosophers who seem to understand and propagate great ideals, but are never followed by most people ?
-easy to understand, tough to absorb, impossible to follow for most people.
"The world has enough for everyone's need, not everyone's greed"- MK Gandhi
In the recent past, I have interacted with people, who seemed to justify an immoral, illegal act with descriptions like its the truth , its practical, its common-place, its done by everybody and so on.
Are bad acts only restricted to deeds done by a minority, but shunned by the majority ? Can selfishness be made to look like perfectly normal, just because a large majority of people are selfish ? Why does the world have so many religions and prophets and philosophers who seem to understand and propagate great ideals, but are never followed by most people ?
Friday 23 February 2007
Gasping..
Like the solitary pearl-diver
Seeking the glitter in an oyster,
Has to return from the silent depths
To take his lungful of breath..
I live my lonely life, chase my lively dreams,
Across the muddy paths and icy streams,
But long to return to my turtledove
And claim a heartful of love.
Seeking the glitter in an oyster,
Has to return from the silent depths
To take his lungful of breath..
I live my lonely life, chase my lively dreams,
Across the muddy paths and icy streams,
But long to return to my turtledove
And claim a heartful of love.
Proverbs and Converbs
Have you ever been irritated by friends or relatives, who always seem to have the perfect proverb or quote for any situation ? If you listen carefully to them, and listen to many of them over time, you will come across one undeniable truth - Every Proverb has a Converb, and every Quote has its Anti-Quote. So you can say something wise for a given situation, and say something witty for exactly the opposite situation too. I was also told about the existence of de-motivational quotes brimming with pragmatism and common-sense as opposed to lofty sounding motivational quotes. So the conclusion is my favourite one- 'every generalisation is false including this one' !
A: Ignorance is bliss !
Examples: Quote:Antiquote
Q: Money cant buy happiness
A:Whoever says Money cant buy happiness, doesnt know where to shop.
Q: United we stand, divided we fall
A: Familiarity breeds contempt
Q: Nothing is impossible
A: If you think its impossible, you are probably right.
Q: Success is a habit worth cultivating
A:Failures are stepping stones to success.
Q: If you dont plan for future, you are planning for failure
A: Why dwell in the past or worry about future, while you can still enjoy the present ?
Q: What you can do today dont postpone it till tomorrow
A: What you can do tomorrow dont do it today.
Q: A smile can make short work of any difficulty
A: When a lion is showing its teeth, dont think its smiling.
Q:Speech is silver, silence is golden
A: Where words fail, even silence speaks
A: Ignorance is bliss !
A screwed up repair attempt is self-satisfaction
People get satisfaction out of weird things and actions. Sometimes a dismal failure can still lead to a psychological candy.
I had a few horrifying jellyfish-shaped (dust/scratches?) artifacts on the image sensor of my digital camera, which led to ugly shadows in every image shot with it. This meant spending a few moments in Photoshop to correct every image, and was back-breaking work given the number of photos I tend to shoot in any outing. I decided to take charge of cleaning the sensor myself, armed with the self-help knowledge from umpteen websites who readily disclaimed their suggestions to be risky and not recommended by camera manufacturers. Tried out something last weekend, and didnt help much, so decided to give it to Canon service.
The guy had one look at the sensor and asked if I tried anything heroic !! I was informed that the sensor had not only scratches which cannot be removed, but also stains from the methanol used as solvent. A hefty bill was what remained after all the valiant efforts.
But somehow I felt I would have been more disappointed with the high price, if I hadnt tried anything myself. Somehow one doesnt mind paying the price for something he screws up, when compared to something that happens beyond his control. The repair still had to be done anyway, but it just felt better adding a little more damage to it, before bearing the cost.
I had a few horrifying jellyfish-shaped (dust/scratches?) artifacts on the image sensor of my digital camera, which led to ugly shadows in every image shot with it. This meant spending a few moments in Photoshop to correct every image, and was back-breaking work given the number of photos I tend to shoot in any outing. I decided to take charge of cleaning the sensor myself, armed with the self-help knowledge from umpteen websites who readily disclaimed their suggestions to be risky and not recommended by camera manufacturers. Tried out something last weekend, and didnt help much, so decided to give it to Canon service.
The guy had one look at the sensor and asked if I tried anything heroic !! I was informed that the sensor had not only scratches which cannot be removed, but also stains from the methanol used as solvent. A hefty bill was what remained after all the valiant efforts.
But somehow I felt I would have been more disappointed with the high price, if I hadnt tried anything myself. Somehow one doesnt mind paying the price for something he screws up, when compared to something that happens beyond his control. The repair still had to be done anyway, but it just felt better adding a little more damage to it, before bearing the cost.
Saturday 17 February 2007
A longish birthday wish
The buoyant waves of joy
that do not ebb with time
the suddens bursts of laughter
that doesnt dissolve like lime
the bliss of soulful music
ears to which you'd lend
the company of good friends
who dont desert at the end
the gentle love of dear ones
that cannot fade over ages
the blessings of the almighty
that doesnt dilute in stages
Wishing you all these and more
on this beautiful day and forever.
that do not ebb with time
the suddens bursts of laughter
that doesnt dissolve like lime
the bliss of soulful music
ears to which you'd lend
the company of good friends
who dont desert at the end
the gentle love of dear ones
that cannot fade over ages
the blessings of the almighty
that doesnt dilute in stages
Wishing you all these and more
on this beautiful day and forever.
Cardiac Arrest
Blood finds its way
in and out of my heart,
But why can't U
find a way out ??
Blood finds its way
in and out of ur heart,
But why can't I
find a way in ??
in and out of my heart,
But why can't U
find a way out ??
Blood finds its way
in and out of ur heart,
But why can't I
find a way in ??
Smiles that last for miles
I got a notion of genuineness of a smile while observing the different managers and receptionists in the hotel where I stayed. Somehow we unconsciously find some people in PR jobs to be friendly and warm, while others maybe nice yet cold and business-like. So I evolve the theory-
Measurement of the Persistence of Smile as an Quantitative Indicator of its Genuineness- (yeah its a white-paper!)
When I interact with a person who smiles gloriously when talking to me, and if the smile dies out quickly after the conversation or in the breaks when the person is interrupted for another task I usually feel its fake.
On the other hand if the smile in the face of the person persists for atleast a few seconds after the interaction is over, and diffuses slowly while the person concentrates on his/her next task, I feel much more comfortable with such people.
But on the other end of the scale, if the smile lasts too long, and with the same curvature to be meaningful, it just looks like cosmetic addition to a face- some television ad models or actors in public often fall under this category.
So when you smile at me next time, remember... Im still watching you after you have turned away too.. :)
Measurement of the Persistence of Smile as an Quantitative Indicator of its Genuineness- (yeah its a white-paper!)
When I interact with a person who smiles gloriously when talking to me, and if the smile dies out quickly after the conversation or in the breaks when the person is interrupted for another task I usually feel its fake.
On the other hand if the smile in the face of the person persists for atleast a few seconds after the interaction is over, and diffuses slowly while the person concentrates on his/her next task, I feel much more comfortable with such people.
But on the other end of the scale, if the smile lasts too long, and with the same curvature to be meaningful, it just looks like cosmetic addition to a face- some television ad models or actors in public often fall under this category.
So when you smile at me next time, remember... Im still watching you after you have turned away too.. :)
Friday 16 February 2007
Three old men and a serving of inspiration
Observing seemingly ordinary people, can be interesting and sometimes even thought-provoking. Over a period of a little over one month in Italy, I saw and reflected on the actions of 3 old men I met in different restaurants, who demonstrated something to me.
-----
One was the sole owner, cook, waiter of a warm and nicely decorated pizzeria, in his late sixties, and walked with a slight limp in one leg. After ordering some pizza in his shop, I was observing his style of work- he was completely enjoying himself- whistling melodiously to the music in his FM radio, sharing a joke or two with his customers and ofcourse cooking and serving the food himself, and cleaning the dishes.
Somehow, he seemed to be a classic example of a follower of karma yoga.
-----
Strangely I always seemed to have great difficulty in opening plastic caps of the water or juice bottles sold. I would forever struggle with my forefinger and thumb clasping the cap, and the other hand gripping the bottle, with the facial expression of a feather-weight wrestler being pinned to the ground by a super-heavyweight- till someone else in my table or a waiter would offer to open it for me.
Im a buffet-type restaurant in Termini station in Rome, an old gentleman came to sit in a table across mine, carrying all his foodstuff in a tray, settling down and starting his meal. He paused in between took his water bottle, placed it on his chair inbetween his thighs where he held
it tight, and opened it quite easily with one hand. He couldnt use the other hand, simply because it wasnt there !
- With the right tools and some smart work, you can even do without a extra helping hand.
---
"Buona sera Signore ! Prego.." welcomes this 60-something waiter with a warm smile in the many evenings I ate at this eateria near my hotel. Knowing my difficulty in understanding Italian, he would offer helpful translations of the menu, the plate-of-the-day etc. And he would also remember my preference for vegetarian dishes from my second visit onwards and help me get what I want.
Moving quickly yet graciously across the spaces, and serving food in a well rehearsed style, he was miles ahead of his much younger colleagues in quality of service. One a day he was working alone, and seemed to be everywhere, I just offered to take my drink and salad from the fridge
myself. He stopped me in my tracks, politely sent me back to my table, and said with a another smile "I will bring it to you. Its my job" - such pride in what he does and mastery of rules of the customer service game.
-----
One was the sole owner, cook, waiter of a warm and nicely decorated pizzeria, in his late sixties, and walked with a slight limp in one leg. After ordering some pizza in his shop, I was observing his style of work- he was completely enjoying himself- whistling melodiously to the music in his FM radio, sharing a joke or two with his customers and ofcourse cooking and serving the food himself, and cleaning the dishes.
Somehow, he seemed to be a classic example of a follower of karma yoga.
-----
Strangely I always seemed to have great difficulty in opening plastic caps of the water or juice bottles sold. I would forever struggle with my forefinger and thumb clasping the cap, and the other hand gripping the bottle, with the facial expression of a feather-weight wrestler being pinned to the ground by a super-heavyweight- till someone else in my table or a waiter would offer to open it for me.
Im a buffet-type restaurant in Termini station in Rome, an old gentleman came to sit in a table across mine, carrying all his foodstuff in a tray, settling down and starting his meal. He paused in between took his water bottle, placed it on his chair inbetween his thighs where he held
it tight, and opened it quite easily with one hand. He couldnt use the other hand, simply because it wasnt there !
- With the right tools and some smart work, you can even do without a extra helping hand.
---
"Buona sera Signore ! Prego.." welcomes this 60-something waiter with a warm smile in the many evenings I ate at this eateria near my hotel. Knowing my difficulty in understanding Italian, he would offer helpful translations of the menu, the plate-of-the-day etc. And he would also remember my preference for vegetarian dishes from my second visit onwards and help me get what I want.
Moving quickly yet graciously across the spaces, and serving food in a well rehearsed style, he was miles ahead of his much younger colleagues in quality of service. One a day he was working alone, and seemed to be everywhere, I just offered to take my drink and salad from the fridge
myself. He stopped me in my tracks, politely sent me back to my table, and said with a another smile "I will bring it to you. Its my job" - such pride in what he does and mastery of rules of the customer service game.
Thursday 15 February 2007
Raaja Paarvai
I always used to wonder, if the world is so beautiful with just the
narrow spectrum that we can see, How much better it would be for God!
narrow spectrum that we can see, How much better it would be for God!
"At frequencies of visible light , many dielectrics become less lossy.
Materials such as glass,water are virtually loss-less w.r.t visible
light and hence transparent. Considering that our eyes are made mostly of water,
we are fortunate that water is not opaque at those frequencies.
A striking fact of nature is that the absorption coefficient of water rises more than 7
decades (factor of 10 million) in magnitude on either side of the visible band.
So it is impossible to create a water-based eye at any other part of the
spectrum.All creatures with vision exploit this narrow region of the spectrum."
- Extract from "Electromagnetics Explained - Handbook for Wireless/RF,
EMC and
high-speed electronics" by Ron Schmitt.
A parting mail to a great friend
to you,
i will miss you for sure, after you leave this place, but i dont regret
it.. u r irreplaceable, and play a unique role in my life,
but unfortunately your heart and soul is not here . i have never had
someone like you before, and dont think i will have
anybody else in future. i dont even know how to describe you, but i know
u r special.
from me
Love-Lost-Live
Unlike a whole lot sentimal crap being sent and received on V day, that we seem to receive almost every year..these ones suddenly impressed me - apparently intended for married folks- but applicable to anybody.
Love is not about "its your fault", but "Im sorry"
Love is not about "Where are you?", but "Im right here for you"
Love is not about "How could you?", but "I understand"
Love is not about "I wish you were..", but "Im thankful you are.."
- simple but elegant !
Another analogy which wafted across my mind - Unsuccessful love stories are a bit like an arrears in semester examination- you may have failed the test, but that does not mean you didnt learn or experience anything during the entire semester.
Love is not about "its your fault", but "Im sorry"
Love is not about "Where are you?", but "Im right here for you"
Love is not about "How could you?", but "I understand"
Love is not about "I wish you were..", but "Im thankful you are.."
- simple but elegant !
Another analogy which wafted across my mind - Unsuccessful love stories are a bit like an arrears in semester examination- you may have failed the test, but that does not mean you didnt learn or experience anything during the entire semester.
Wednesday 14 February 2007
V for Valentine not Vendetta
Its probably not coincidence that this thing was started on Valentine's Day 2007.
Its just that the words left unsaid were too many to remember, and too meaningful to be forgotten.
Was wondering how many people we actually care for or love and adore in our lives, but to how many people we actually wish or even remember on Valentine's day ? For a world filled with so much hatred, a good cure could be - having a V day every week ! So much love to share, but so few recipients, and even fewer givers.
Its just that the words left unsaid were too many to remember, and too meaningful to be forgotten.
Was wondering how many people we actually care for or love and adore in our lives, but to how many people we actually wish or even remember on Valentine's day ? For a world filled with so much hatred, a good cure could be - having a V day every week ! So much love to share, but so few recipients, and even fewer givers.
Why ??
There were just too many interesting things running in my mind to be thought of, but left unexpressed...
The single biggest reason for creating this blog is to capture the daily dose of weird imaginations, specific observations, strange thoughts of this brain that refuses to sleep...
The days of living in fear of forgetting a great thought or idea to the monster called time, just because Im too lazy to jot it down somewhere, have passed by..
Now let my insomniacal neurons speak...
The single biggest reason for creating this blog is to capture the daily dose of weird imaginations, specific observations, strange thoughts of this brain that refuses to sleep...
The days of living in fear of forgetting a great thought or idea to the monster called time, just because Im too lazy to jot it down somewhere, have passed by..
Now let my insomniacal neurons speak...
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