Posted On Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at
at
11:10 AM
by Bijesh
Some things that I ponder about.
The glass-and-metal mammoths that are our IT campuses seem to use so much of energy. All lighting is electrical and that must eat away a lot of power. Why aren't companies and architects making conscious effort to use natural lighting to the maximum? Why does it all have to be flourescents?
Look at any board room or conference room. There are always some lights that cannot be switched off at all. Why? What's the need for that?
Why is it that a single switch very often controls a large bank of lights? Why can't the control be more granular? Is it that inconvenient to toggle a switch? Why not have the switches within each cubicle so I can switch on the one light bulb that I will need? The same applies to plug points. Why can't each switch control exactly one point?
Why can't the switches and the plug points be above the table or work area? Most times it's tucked underneath. If it were more conveniently placed, more people will take the effort to switch off completely.
There are lots of such simple things that could be done. All of the corporates speak about social responsibility and environmental awareness, but I am yet to see one corporate that puts any effort into even these small things. Can't the govt or the development authority recommend and enforce such requirements?
Why can't these large campuses have some trees planted around them? Landscaping doesn't have to be just grass. Trees even serve as a shade for the occupants when they want to stretch their legs or have a quick smoke.
------------------
What's the bit I can do to help the environmental causes that are being battled for around the world?
1) I consciously use the shower less. Yes, a shower is a shower and so I haven't given it up entirely. What I do is that I shower a bit and then use the bucket-and-mug technique to complete my bath.
2) I consciously avoid using the paper hand towels and instead rely on the good old handkerchief to dry my hands.
3) I try and switch off anything that isn't required. I walk around the house turning off lights and fans. I monitor the geyser to switch it off as soon as possible. I switch off all unused electrical points at night.
Posted On at
at
11:00 AM
by Bijesh
Read how the CEO of Wachovia (the latest one to fall - as of now) had a very positive message to the investors only 2 weeks before it had to get bought up.
This is the kind of ridiculous stuff that has put the whole financial jungle on the spot.
The bail-out has been rejected albeit temporarily. That should remind the Fed, the Treasury and Mr. Bush that they shouldn't rush in when dealing with so much of the taxpayer's money. Wall Street's reaction to the rejection should help push the proposal through the next time it gets tabled.
It's surprising that nobody wants to question the managements on how they screwed up so big and what they intend to do to prevent this from happening. All they want to do is give them more money. Bah!! I know nothing about business, but that sounds outright idiocy in my view.
Posted On Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at
at
9:38 AM
by Bijesh
I know - weird title. However that's what I think looking at what's going on in the U.S of the A. These shrewd investment bankers went all out to make money in every which way they could. Alas, they were shrewd but stupid at the same time. Giving out bad loans, buying out bad investments. They did everything that got them a fat paycheck and hefty bank balances. Now, when they get hit and are just about beginning to learn a well-deserved lesson the Treasury offers to pump in more money to keep them afloat. I mean what the heck. There are thousands of the common folks left with their investments lying in the drain. Their savings have been shaved off directly or indirectly by the tactics that these big firms unleashed on the markets. Yet, it is their tax dollars that is being used to bail out the villains of the story.
Maybe, I understand it wrong but it sounds like outright dumbness to me. $700 billion!!! That's a huge number of tax-payer dollars and the Treasury wants to just hand it over to these witless suits and in return for what? Bad investments? Lots and lots of them. The Treasury's claim is that once the conditions improve these investments (bad now, better later?) will bring in good returns. The catch, however, is that nobody knows exactly what these investments are worth. Yeah, that's right. Just read the articles on the web on this and you will know how confusing it is with so many under-writings, mortgages and . You will need an MBA just to understand these terms. All this complexity was put in there by these financial "institutions" to inflate their networth and their bank balances. In the end, an investment worth $1 was now valued at many many times that and these biggies refused to acnowledge their true values even when they were faced with the reality that the market was in a mess.
In effect, all the big suits can relax in their beach houses that get saved by the bailouts. They will probably buy up some more villas in a small, green island and retire with their riches.
What happens to the common man? Nothing good! He will lose his home, he will have to pay more for loans and he will end up in shambles. When has the world ever cared about the common man except when asking for his dollars.
I agree that by financing some biggie corporate there are some indirect goodness that comes out of it. Take, for example, the Karnataka govt offering land to the Tatas. Yes, it will generate more jobs and help better the economy in general. But will it be worth the 1000 acres of land that will be grabbed from the same common man? Nobody knows and nobody ever cares. So long as their banks are brimming over with money the "government" never cares.
Posted On Sunday, September 07, 2008 at
at
8:57 AM
by Bijesh
http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/07/stories/2008090753710600.htm
Interacting with other communities is immoral say these wretched idiots. Who the hell are these organizations - Bajrang Dal, VHP, "Social" Action Committee? Earlier such asses used to target men and women who were in a relationship. Now, they are targetting people that have friends of another community. Isn't there a law in this land to fry their asses? The police says resistance to such incidents should come from within the people. WTF? Why are you on the government's payroll?
