Know your mobile phone

It is often the case with us that somebody asks us our mobile model, and we don't remember it. Don't worry about what to say when somebody asks, just dialing this number can give you the phone model (works with NOKIA mobiles):

*#0000#

What if, you loose your mobile somewhere and you don't want anybody to use it, you can do that by giving your mobile Serial Number to the service provider. To know your mobile Serial Number (technically called IMEI number), just dial the following number:

*#06#

This will display a 15-17 digit number which is unique to that device, note that and keep it safe and use it when needed (hope you will never need to use it). IMEI is expanded as International Mobile Equipment Identity

What is a SIM card...?
SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module, the SIM cards store a unique International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) also called Service Subscriber Key, used to identify a subscriber. The serial number of a SIM card can be found on the SIM.
(Most of the information here applies to GSM services.)

Blackle

We all are big time Google Search Engine users. Have you ever heard of Blackle? Blackle is a search engine designed all in Rich Black so that your system consumes less power. The site has a meter which keeps displaying the number of Watt Hours saved. So change your homepage to Blackle now!!

World on course for hottest year since 1880

Scientists uncover new ocean threat from plastics

నీలి మేఘాలు: ఎవరిదీ ప్రకృతి?

Wonderful lines on environmental pollution by Raju . . .

Keep it up Raju :-)

Plastic Menace - Contd..

In Continuum with the theme of the Tirupathi Experience post, I would like to share a few insights..

Have you ever taken a look under plastic bottles? Did you notice the Recycle Triangle with number in it? Ever wondered what that number meant? Ever wondered why sometimes water stored in plastic bottles in cars and other places tastes like plastic? Go on..

The taste is so because of a process called "Leaching". When we store water or any other liquids in the bottles, chemicals gradually leach from the bottle into its contents. Now we need to know what are those chemicals and what effects they have on us.
Beneath the bottles, we have the numbers from 1 to 7. These are nothing but the type of Resin used to make the bottle.

1. PET bottles. You might have heard of the name. Poly Ethylene Terephthalate
2. HDPE. High Density Poly Ethylene
3. PVC. You're aware of it.
4. LDPE. Low Density PE (as in 2)
5. Poly Propylene
6. Poly Styrene
7. Mixed
The following images describe about them in detail.

But based on inputs from various health sources and FDA it has been recommended that only the bottles with the numbers 2,4 and 5 are safe for "re-use". The Mineral Water bottles we generally buy have 1 beneath them. That is why they say "Please crush after Use".

The bottles with number 7 are the most dangerous of all. These bottles leach BPA (Bis Phenol-A). BPA is a "xenoestrogen", a known "endocrine disruptor" (it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies). Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly dangerous to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes.

Bottles with number 2 as per my understanding and FDA suggestions are the safest for re-use. In any case, use mild soap and hot water to clean the bottle once in a while though.
Now why is all this info given? Instead of buying Mineral Water bottle wherever you go (Very Easy and no hassles), carry your own bottled water (Costs Rs.20-30. One time investment for atleast 2 years to go). The only draw back with this is you have to carry it all along and you'll end up with an empty bottle. You know what the advantages are?

1. You have the satisfaction of saving the environment by cutting the use of plastic.
2. You fill it up with Refilling centres (charge 3/- per liter. So you save 9/-).
3. If you don't have Refilling centres around, fill it up with tap water. You'll have an initial cough and cold and occassionally diarrhoea. But your Immunity will gradually improve to survive the toughest conditions.(Remember! Keep pinging the body with Antigens and stay Immune. Don't give time for the body to relax!)
4. And you can avoid your chance of being in the situation shown below someday!!

That is the Pacific covered with Plastic bottles twice the size of Texas !!!

Plastics when introduced faced intial hiccups due to high costs (The same story that we hear for Bio-degradable plastics these days) and then later became so inexpensive that there is no place where we can't get them now! Hope Bio-Degradable plastics also become so cheap that they should replace the toxic plastowaste.

Let us contribute in Saving the Earth. A big structure starts with a single brick!!! Join hands together!!

A few small steps to start with . . .

One of the major things which we all have read in our school books and many more times in new papers is about the climate change. The kind of consequences that we need to face, resulting from our filthy technologies and government policies (should be rather called political policies) has been well explained in a documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". You can have a look at it below in the video.



As a good citizen it is our responsibility to take at least a few small steps which will make our world a better one and a bearable one. We have very limited resources, so should be used wisely. We should go for eco-friendly technologies. Everybody knows it, but not many care. We will enter the desperate phase, if we don't start now. So, start it today. Here are twelve ways in which you can take such small steps. Hope all of you will go for it and reduce your carbon consumption. Invoke these habits in you, your friends and family (esp children). Be the change that you want to see in the society. Lets bring down the carbon consumption to very low levels.

Click here for a higher resolution image . . . 

See the video below of a girl who made a very important statement on behalf of the coming generations. Hope listening it will make you realize the importance of these steps and it will inspire you to take action immediately . . .

Please share this with all your friends and spread the word . . .

Some sites where you can read and get more info and take some action on topics like these are:

Climate Crisis, Care2

Tirupati experience

Recently I have been to Tirupati on a family trip. The foot path from Alipiri to Tirumala is a superb one, the divine experience is ultimate. But, in this visit I have observed an enormous amounts of waste on the hill on either sides of the foot path.

Leave all those areas, even the important areas like the banyan tree thats on the way, which is supposed to be a resting place were completely cluttered with plastic bottles. It no longer seems to be a place to take rest.

What amazes me is that even those who are well educated throw waste like anything, they don't mind throwing it any where, whether it be out of a train window or just somewhere around at a coffee shop or even in holy places like Tirupati. When will our educational system infuse such civic sense into the coming generations. And also why should we expect schools to do so. Why not we ourselves make the effort. We are the one who make the society. It is our prime responsibility to be a good citizen.

Let me share a small incident that happened to me on the way to Tirupati,

In the same compartment in which we were travelling while going to Tirupati there were an old man, an old woman and their grand daughter. The girl had some snacks, she completed them and was left with the wrapper. So she was holding on to it. In the mean time her grand father was having a tea. After completing his tea, he threw the cup from the train window. Immediately the little girl followed him and through the wrapper from the same window. This is the kind of example we are setting for the next generation. If the change that is needed is not there within us then, how come and with what right do we expect to have that change in the next generation. If the grand father, instead of throwing it out of window, threw it in a dustbin, think of the impact that will have on the girl. That is the kind of change we need in our mindsets. So please become better citizens for a better world . . .

It is just a few small steps which will make a huge difference in the long run. These small things like

• Discourage usage of plastics - carry your bags while going for shopping, use disposable biodegradable eco friendly glasses in your functions (at least).
• Throw waste in dust bins - if you don't find any at a shop, ask them, ask them as many times as you can, they will someday arrange that and that is what is important for us. to bring a change.
• Keep your surroundings and cities clean.
• Inculcate such things in children. A very important step.
• Lead with an example, be an example for your friends, family and colleagues - you might be laughed at, but who cares, we are doing a good thing, so never get offended by such things. Be strong and patient, you will see the results soon.

Make a small effort for a better society, be a better citizen and make better citizens too . . .

Reading Books - my another passion

One more passion to which I am addicted is reading a lot of books. I am a bookwork. I read a lot of general and self help books. I have collection of some wonderful books. Whenever I go to some book stall I buy some book. Even my mom scolds me for that :-). Some of my favorite books are:

2 states by Chetan Bhagat

This is a love story between a girl and boy who are from two different states. You can surely have a lot of fun reading it. It has some wonderfully written hilarious and romantic lines.

I too had a love story by Rabinder Singh

This is another wonderful romantic book, written in a very simple language. Written so passionately it will take you into the story. You will surely feel the chills and thrills of the romantic, humorous and emotions of the story.

Why men don't agree and women can't read maps by Allan and Barbar Pease

This is a superb book, I loved it so much I completed the whole 300 pages in one day. The authors, based on scientific evidences clearly explain why men and women are like what they are. They also explain it in evolutionary, biological, genetical and biochemical basis. It's a kind of scientific facts explained in a layman's language. Was a superb experience reading this book.

CoNNECT THE DoTS by Rashmi Bansal

This is a book about some 20+ enterprenuers. Each chapter of the book is the experience of an enterprenuer. It has stories of some well known brands like CROSSWORD, CASHURDRIVE, VETA, Su-kam etc.,. A must read for people aspiring to be an entrepreneur.

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

This is a romantic novel that has been made into a successful film. I have seen the movie too. It tops the list of romantic movies on most of the sites. But reading the book was much better than the film. After all you can included multiple emotions in written form which is not possible in a film. So, if you are in a really romantic mood or want to get into it is really the most recommended book by me.

Robin Sharma collection

Robins Sharmas books are mostly about self help. "The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari" is a story of a boy. This story is very inspirational and through out the story it gives us beautiful messages. The series of books that were written later by Robin were all like books on leadership, motivation, life lessons etc.., His latest "The Leader Who Had No Title" was also a good one. All these books will surely give you a lot of boost to become a better individual and also a good leader.

Chetan Bhagat collection

Chetan Bhagat books are all general stories written in a very expressive way in a very simple language. All these books are great for improving your english as well as there are a few part of the book where you will surely get completely involved in the story. The best for a time pass.

The books so far by him are "one night @ the call centre", "Five Point Someone", "Three Mistakes of My Life" and "2 States".

Never read books of John Grisham, Sidney Sheldon, JKRowling, Dan Brown and a few others. Am looking forward to read these books. Post any recommendations if you have.

Have a great day. Byeeeeeeee :-)

Photography - one of my passions

Photography has been one of my passions from the childhood. At home, we have a lot of photos from our childhood till now. My dad was interested in it to. Where ever we used to go, we used to take snaps, which now remind us of the wonderful memories we had then. I surely got this passion from him. I am crazy about taking good photographs, and some creative ones also.

You can see a lot of photographs in my orkut account. I still dream of having a DSLR to take much better pictures, to capture all the wonderful moments and the beautiful world we are in.

Here is a collection of some of the best photos that I have took so far:

Have a great day, bye . . . :-)

Welcome to my blogosphere

Welcome to my blogosphere where I will share you all the experiences like the travelling and trekking experiences, my experiences in this world with people, my opinions on various worldly things. Hope you guys will accompany me in my personal blogosphere too . . .

Have a great day :-)