Sunday, February 26, 2006

Public Toilet Facility in Switzerland

Switzerland is known for its cleanliness.

Here's a picture of a public toilet in Switzerland which came in my mail today.






You have seen the outside view of the Toilet,

Just spend some more time scrolling down to see how it looks from inside ..!!


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That's made entirely out of one-way glass. No one can see you in there, but when you are inside, it looks like you're sitting in a clear glass box.

Would you use it?

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

IPO scam: CBI mounts searches


    How they did it

    The accused came out with an advertisement asking people to get one photograph clicked and get two copies free

    A large number of people availed of the free service

    The accused kept photographs for fictitious bank, DMAT accounts

    An application was made for share allotment to account holders

    Once the allotment was made, the shares were transferred to Panchal's account, who passed them to financers

    Financers offloaded the shares on the opening day of the listing and made illegal gains as list price was higher then allotment price






Full Story (From Hindustimes.com)
THE CBI conducted searches at 21 places of officials and brokers in three cities on Wednesday, as a follow-up to the investigation into the initial public offer (IPO) scam in Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) and YES Bank.
This comes close on the heels of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's commitment in the Lok Sabha last week on taking "severe action" against the accused in the scam.

The searches were being conducted at 15 places in Ahmedabad, five places in Mumbai and one place in Delhi against certain individuals, bank managers and lead managers. The searches will provide leads in the investigation against the case registered by the Bank Fraud and Securities Cell of the CBI on a complaint by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) which resulted in loss of Rs 32 crore to the exchequer.

Among the premises searched by the CBI were that of the applicants, managers of several bank branches, brokers and depository partners. According to the CBI FIR, certain irregularities were found in the IPO of the two banks which included opening up of 14,807 dematerialised (DMAT) accounts by four investors with IDFC whereas they had their DMAT accounts with Bharat Overseas Bank.

According to CBI, there were 6,315 fictitious DMAT accounts opened for procurement of YES Bank shares out of which 6,221 had the same address of "402-403 Shashwat Building, Opposite Gujarat College, Ahmedabad".

In the IDFC case, there were 27,064 fake bank accounts out of which 4,990 had the address of "406 Shashwat Building", 4,971 had common address of "403Shashwat Building" and 4,946 had an address of "307-Shashwat Building".

The searches have revealed that one financer who cornered Rs. 1.5 lakh shares of IDFC and 30,000 shares of YBL made a profit of Rs 4.6 crore.

Similarly, another financer has made a profit of Rs 3.88 crore. A third financer in a likewise manner has sold 40,000 shares of YBL and 1,60,000 shares of IDFC.

Evidence has been gathered that one financer has given approximately Rs 30 crore to Roopalben N. Panchal for investing in IPOs.

The searches have also yielded about Rs 1 crore in cash and substantial investment by these investors in other assets. In case of one financer, the recoveries include details of 1,100 bank accounts in HDFC, 4,000 bank accounts in ING Vysya Bank and 6,000 D-mat accounts in M/S Karvy Stock Broking Ltd. The same financer has invested Rs 21 crore in these two shares.

Quite intriguing

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Volatile Gurgaon

Amidst the news of demolitions on the MG road and then the buildings being actually demolished; which I thought should have inserted a semi colon in the astonishing rise of property prices in Gurgaon; there came along a couple of news items in my mail which have given me a nice jolt.

Having subscribed to Google news alerts, I get on an average one mail per day which contain 2-3 links to news items which mention Gurgaon anywhere in the text. So ranging from new BPO setting up business, to the recent labor unrest to property news to cookery and bomb scare I get a lot of stuff. With close to 300 mails left unread, I usually skip these to read about other more interesting stuff.

So today I thought I will make some use of these alerts and decided to open up some links.

I reached this:

I mean… Oh come on!! Is there an end to this madness? Nobody talks below crores these days.

And I am on the lookout for a place of my own in 20 lakhs.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

My Current Playlist

112 - Dance With Me
50 Cent - Outta Control
Bluffmaster - Right Here Right Now Hip Hop Mix
Ek Ajnabee (Mama Told Me)
Everlast - I've Seen Better Days
Everlast - What It's Like
Everlast - White Trash Beautiful
Gwen Stefani - Rich Girl
Jack Johnson - Wasting Time
Jazzy B-Ni Tun Romeo Bana ke Munde Rakh te
Neo - So Sick Of Love Songs
POD - Goodbye for now
POD - This Time
Santana & Everlast - Put Your Lights On.mp3
Shamur - Let The Music Play (rmx).mp3
Shamur Vs Dj Zeus
SonaFamily Ft. HardKaur - Glassy
Soul Kid - We Got More Bounce (In California)
The Soggy Bottom Boys - I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow
Timbal and Magoo - Indian Flute

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Looking After Your Back

A really nice article this:

Back pain affects all industries, not just a small number of high-risk sectors. An estimated 4.9 million working days were lost in 2003/04 due to back pain caused or made worse by work.

The exact cause is often not clear, but back pain can arise in many work situations and is more common in tasks that involve:

  • sitting at a workstation for a long period of time if the workstation is not correctly arranged or adjusted to fit the person, eg working with computers;
  • heavy manual labour, and handling tasks in heavy industry;
  • manual handling in awkward places, like delivery work;
  • repetitive tasks, such as manual packing of goods;
  • driving long distances or driving over rough ground, particularly if the seat is not, or cannot be, properly adjusted or adequately sprung.
  • Operating heavy equipment, such as an excavator, can lead to excessive jolting and jarring.

Physical activities that can aggravate back pain include:

  • stooping, bending over or crouching, including work at PCs (poor posture);
  • lifting objects which are too heavy or bulky, carrying objects awkwardly;
  • pushing, pulling or dragging excessive loads;
  • working beyond normal abilities and limits, and when physically overtired;
  • using poor lifting techniques (or where you are unable to use lifting aids due to the working environment);
  • stretching, twisting, reaching and repetitive movements;
  • prolonged periods in one position, leading to postural strain;
  • uncomfortable working position
  • exerting too much force
  • situations where the whole body is subjected to vibration, jolting and jarring.

As with many ill health conditions, some people are more susceptible to back pain than others.

It is not possible to say if a load is safe to lift or to set general weight limits for manual handling.

All of the following have an effect on the risk:

  • individual capability;
  • the nature of the load;
  • environmental conditions;
  • training; and
  • work organisation

Preventing Manual Handling Injuries

First and foremost, does the load need to be moved at all? If so then can it be moved mechanically? If manual lifting is the only option the risks may be reduced using the following:

  • make the load smaller or easier to lift?
  • reduce the carrying distances, twisting movements, or avoid lifting things from floor level or above shoulder height?
  • improve the environment - eg better lighting, flooring, or air temperature can sometimes make manual handling easier and safer;
  • use correct liftin techniques and ensure training has been given to lift as safely as possible?

"Back" for the Future

Almost half the adult population of the United Kingdom report lower back pain lasting for at least 24 hours. It is estimated that up to 4 out of 5 people will experience back pain lasting more than a day at some time during their life. Therefore, thinking about your back is a must for anyone involved in manual handling, whether that be as part of your work, hobby or general day to day activities with the kids, at the shops in the car or even in bed. Run through your daily routine and examine the amount of strain put on your back. It is a must for everyone to consider and minimise excess stresses and strains on their back.

To preserve the health of your back there are a variety of measures that can be adopted such as:

Maintain a good posture. Avoid standing or walking in a bent-forward position. Whenever possible walk or stand with your shoulders and head slightly back. Sleeping on a bed with a firm mattress is thought to be best
Exercise. The aim is to get supporting back muscles strong and supple.
Lifting. Do not bend your back when you lift, bend at the knees and keep your back straight. Do not lift with your back in an awkward position.
If you are overweight, there is extra stress on the back and losing some weight will help
Be Back Aware. It may not be heavy work that causes most bouts of back pain. More commonly back pain is due to bad posture or bad manual handling techniques at home or work.

Getting "Back" to Normal

Our bodies are designed to be active and our backs are well suited to performing a whole range of activities and exercises. Many people who experience back pain believe that they should avoid exercise in case it makes the pain worse, this is a misconception. Research suggests that most back pain is not due to any serious disease and most chronic disability should be preventable. Over the last 5-10 years there has been a revolution in medical understanding of back pain and how it should be managed. This evidence promotes that the best treatment for back pain is to stay active and to continue ordinary activities as normally as possible despite the pain, doing this has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic pain and disability.

If you have injured your back:

  • Try applying ice or heat to the affected area. Wrap an ice pack or hot water bottle in a towel to help muscles relax. Some people find that alternating the heat and ice produces most relief.
  • Change your position often. If you stay in one position for too long, your back may stiffen up.
  • Try extension exercises working within you own limitations. Stretching or bending backwards is helpful in preventing pain and helps your back to heal.
  • Don't take to your bed and wait for the pain to go away - the sooner you get back to normal activity the better.
  • Take mediation. If you need painkillers it is best to take them regularly as recommended on the packet, always read the instructions and make sure the medication is suitable for you. Your local pharmacist will be happy to advise you if you are unsure. Medication should not be a long-term solution for most people.

When to See Your Doctor

Many people with back pain never need to see their doctor, but you should feel able to call or visit your GP if your worried about your back or feel unable to cope with the pain. As a general guide people with back pain are advised to contact their doctor if the pain is no better after about a week. You should certainly see you GP as soon as possible if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Difficulty passing urine.
  • Numbness in part or parts of your buttock, leg or foot
  • Numbness, pins and needles or weakness in your legs
  • Pain running down both legs
  • Unsteadiness on your feet
  • Pain that develops gradually, and slowly gets worse
  • These are symptoms that need treatment immediately and are associated with uncommon conditions.

You can check out these sites also:

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Crackpot Invention

Some of my closest allies have been privy to my certain burst of genius from my brain cooked into an astounding invention or a neat plan for a inspired money spinning business proposal. Some of them have seen the light of the day as other like minded; and “brilliant” may I add; people have actually implemented them successfully not with any help from me though.

For example; back in the old days of dial up connections when broadband was unheard of and you had to wait ages for the page to load up and the WWW was made acronym for World Wide Wait, I had commented to my boss that if we could buy up some bandwidth from the satellite and use the Cable TV wire, to hook up a network, we could sell premium connectivity at premium prices. My boss demurely passed off the idea with some explanation that I don’t remember now. We anyways were in the software development business and not in IT / Network Support business. Anyways a few months later somebody opened up this service right in our office neighborhood and soon we were one of their customers. Sometime later during a casual tea break, when we were chatting up about something, I reminded him of my idea and the fact that the vendor was following almost the exact business model which I had suggested to him. All he gave back was a nod and a smile. There are quite a few like this one. (Ceiling fan that breezes up the whole room, travel agency based on multi level marketing, doors, furniture and storage made of plastic and many others)

But this claim of mine hasn’t got much validity since what was said was verbal and no record of it was made. Which brings me to what I wanted to write in this blog today.

I have had this idea with me for quite some time. So I decided to look up Google before venturing out to write about it. I didn’t get very good results. I got a lot of results on The Invisible Man motion picture, Hollow Man motion picture, about snipers using camouflage uniforms.

Some forums had people discussing (after watching Hollow Man) ways to be invisible. They mentioned the fact that jelly fish, a certain kind of frog and many deep sea aquatic animals are in fact translucent and they use this characteristic of theirs as a neat survival tactic to avoid being eaten up by bigger fishes. So the idea was to basically try and turn your skin by some method into transparent tissue. I don’t really see much practicality in that unless you wanna turn man like the Hollow Man ;). Some discussed chameleon like features others discussed magicians and their tricks but that’s venturing out of topic.

Then I came up with this link:

And then this:

Pretty amazing I would say and my idea is along the same lines. Maybe I should stop calling it “my” idea as a matter of respect for these gentlemen who seem to be genuine scientists. The articles came in 2003 and nothing much has been reported since then. I say 2-3 years that have passed since then should be enough for them to make more news. I hope they do succeed.

I will explain how I have approached this invisibility suit. What we see is basically light in different wavelengths being reflected from any surface. How we are able to comprehend the existence of anything is processing the reflected light coming from that surface.

So a sofa reflects light in a certain way and the reflected light when it reaches our eyes, makes us aware of its presence. A glass on the other hand just passes the light through it and we are able to see on the other side and that is what it makes it transparent and almost invisible.

So all we need to do to make an invisible suit is to make a fabric which will capture the light from one side and emit it from the other side and in effect make the object inside invisible. Simple isn’t it?

We have light sensors which accurately convert light into data as we can see in scanners. We have diodes or crystals which emit light as seen in LCD monitors the world over. All we need to do is make a super fast scanner and a very big LCD screen and that should do. Except that it is not a suit yet. So to do that, we will need to make miniature crystals and sensors and line them up side by side into a fabric. Then we will need software which will calculate which crystal should emit light from which sensor. And presto, we are done.

Except alas that software will be a lot longer than the line which I used to describe it and will take a hell lot of time to develop. Also if someone manages to make all this and also somehow manages to put all that into one single suit along with the computer which will run that software, you have two more problems.

One, the person who will wear that suit will have to be still for the program to work properly. I think the computing power which will be able to process all that “light” will take up some rooms for years to come though its amazing how capable desktops these days are.

Two, even if the future succeeds in incorporating that much processing power into a single chip, we still have external forces like dust, mud etc factoring into making the person visible.

But I guess if the gentlemen are able to reach the level which we are discussing here, it will be quite amazing.

Quite a crackpot invention I’d say !!

I would like to close this with a quote by Frank Wilczek who has been awarded with the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of asymptotic freedom in the theory of the strong interaction," to quote the citation by the Nobel Committee.

"In physics, you don't have to go around making trouble for yourself - nature does it for you." - Frank Wilczek

Thursday, February 09, 2006

No Work to do

Today is the 3rd day. I have had notingh to do for the past 2 days and today also its been the same.

Its my fault also. The project timeline which I was given has an end date of 15th and I had finshed it last month. So

I decided to complete the work of the next phase and that finished a 3 days ago. So basically I am a victim my own

succeess or performance. Generally when this happens, I start thinking of switching Jobs.

On the plus side this gives me an opportunity to write this blog entry.

14th Feb is arround the corner and there's a lot of excitement arround. My team mates have started asking for leaves and half days but my manager is saying no. Lets hope this time the festival of love will have something better in store for me.

I called up my friend Gabriel... He has become a father. He is not a proud dad of a brand new boy. The baptism is on 19th and he has invited me. But the problem is that he lives in Bombay. I'll have to take the Rajhdhani. or I will be spending the week in trains.