Job satisfaction

February 14th, 2010

It’s just a boring and monotonous life.  Get up in the morning, get ready, leave the house, and catch up some public transportation to reach the place of work on time. Meet the same colleagues, do the same work. After the day’s work, get back home tired and take rest. For most of us this is the routine mechanical life.

But a few of us would like to do something interesting more to our heart’s content and get job satisfaction.

I came across a lady doctor by name Charulatha, who was working in JIPMER  Hospital Puducherry. Though she loved the job and did a wonderful service by administering to the ailing patients, she did not get real job satisfaction in the job.

Basically she was interested in journalism right from her childhood. It was due to compulsion from her parents, she had to take up medicines. She used to write articles in the local news paper during her college days. She had a passion for journalism.

One day she came to know about “Leo Burnette Advertising Agencies” and she applies for the post of copy editor and succeeded in getting the job. She expressed her desire to her family members to join the new job. But there was much objection from her family members. In spite of that, she resigned the doctor’s job and joined as a copy editor during the year 1999. Though initially her salary for this posting was very meager she accepted it as this job gave he job satisfaction. But today she earns a lot far more than what she expected. More than the money factor she loved the job very much. We watch many an advertisements in TV and other media . All these are just the creative work of these people who have passion and vision to deliver right product. Success or failure on their product depends on their involvement.

Charulatha says she is most content with the present job. She also says “Who knows if I develop a new passion for some other work of the latest trend later on, I will definitely say bye to this job.”

How many of us have the guts?

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Choosing Broadband connection

February 13th, 2010

Having a TV set three decades back, was a costly affair.  But these days TV is part of the family.  Thanks to the Tamil Nadu Government scheme to supply free TV to all the households who are in possession of a family card.  The days are not far off when the Government may announce schemes to supply free computer with broadband connection.

There are so many players vying for the buyer’s attention with exciting offers.  Some present connections without pre-payment, some others offer free modem.  Basically, you can get an internet connection without paying a rupee in advance.  One should be careful in choosing a broadband connection, because there are so many hidden costs and overheads involved in it.

Hence make a choice after considering the factors listed below.

  • Ask your neighbors what internet connection they are using and how the services are.  Choose a service provider who is popular in your area.
  • Decide on the speed and the download limit you require.  This in turn depends on your usage – whether you use it only for email or you work with fat files, multimedia etc.
  • Identify your peak usage whether the usage is more during night or day time.  Because some service providers offer “free hour download” schemes during night time.
  • Consider your mobility requirements – whether you work on a desk top or you like to roam about in your house and work on a lap top.  Depending on this you can opt for a modem, a wireless route or mobile internet.
  • Once you have decided on these factors, sit down and compare the offers rendered by various service providers.
  • Enquire about charges for download beyond the specified limit.  Because some service providers charge heavy penalty per MB beyond the specified download limit.
  • After you short list plans that suits you, call the service provider and get all your queries answered.  Ask about freebies, service calls, deposits, if any.

 

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Green tea for good health

February 11th, 2010

Green tea is famous for its medicinal values. It has antioxidant compounds called polyphenols.  If the leaves are brown, then it is for sure that it has lost its healing power.

In China, most people consume green tea and hence have long span of life time.  Studies have shown that those who drink green tea have kept themselves apart from intestinal cancer.  It helps prevent blood clotting. Hence heart attack or bad cholesterol keeps away from these people.  Researchers have also found that those who consumed 2-4 cups  of green tea a day have more power of immunity than those who had tea on sporadic times.  Green tea helps the body to metabolize fat faster and it supplies more energy and immunity.

If you feel tired and run down while working in an office or at home, take a cup of green tea and it gives you instant energy to go ahead with your assignments.

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Lasting Fame

February 9th, 2010

My son who lives in London had come down recently to Chennai. During the course of our talk, he told me a matter which was very interesting indeed. He said that a research was conducted as to who became world famous in a short span of time. The study showed that the people belonging to the following category rose to the height of fame very quickly.

1 .Actors

2. Players

3.  Scientists

4. Politicians

5.  The bureaucrats

6.  Social workers

7.  Businessmen

I put forth a question to my son as to whose fame lasts forever.

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Be connected

February 8th, 2010

Recently I met one of my friends who studied with me in school.  I never had a chance to meet him during the past 15 years. I was very happy to meet him with his family. I found this friend, when I was browsing through Orkut. Then we got in touch with each other and we met.

Thanks to Orkut, the social networking site through which I found him after many years.

I had lost contact with most of my friends after my school and college days. But through Orkut, I have the chance to have access with many of my friends, even the childhood ones.

I am really happy to get in touch with them after a long time and it’s really interesting to know how each of them has transformed now.

This is a site which is very helpful to manage and maintain your contact with your friends across the world. There are options to create groups too. We can also share our pictures to our family and friends. It also provides security options, if you don’t like your personal photos or messages to be viewed by everyone. And it has cool applications which you can use for various purposes…

It is managed by Google so you need not have a separate user ID to get started …

So why are you waiting?  Just start using it and get in touch with your buddies….

http://www.orkut.com

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Marine Pollution

February 6th, 2010

We are least bothered about the effects that pollution has on the ocean.  We continue to dispose of chemicals, sewage and garbage in to rivers and ocean at an unprecedented rate.  The fish catch from the ocean having the bio concentration of pollutants is finally reaching the human beings and we are in a way compelled to know the cause and effect of marine pollution

       1. Chemical Toxins:

Discharge from industry and cities, pesticides from farms, forests and homes run through the rivers and waterways and pollute the ocean at the end, while polluting them. Anti fouling Paint and Paint leach from port and harbors are some of the substances that pollute the ocean.

Accumulation of such chemical toxins in the fatty tissue of marine mammals and birds cause disease and reproductive failure.  Anti-fouling substances inhibit the growth of marine organisms.  They cause behavioral and physiological damage.

2. Nutrients:

Substances rich in nitrogen and phosphorus through effluent and run off mostly from forestry, forming and other land use cause pollution in the ocean.  Air borne nitrogen oxides from power plants and automobiles also cause marine pollution.

As a consequence of such pollution algal blooms are triggered leading to depletion of dissolved oxygen.  This discolors the water, clog fish gills, depletion of oxygen and release toxin that kill fish.

3. Oil:

Land based sources, ship oil ranker operation, ship accidents at sea, off shore oil drilling and natural seepage cause pollution in the ocean.

The oil slick clogs the gills of fishes and cause respiratory problems.  It kills larvae.  Tar balls when swallowed by marine species kill them immediately.

4. Pathogens:

Sewage from beach resorts, urban and rural areas and live stocks activities cause pollution.

As a result the shore waters are contaminated.  Filter feeding marine organisms such as mussels, clams and oysters concentrate pathogenic micro organism in their gut.

5. Sediments:

Erosion from mining, forestry, farming, dredging and other land use activities cause pollution.

Pollution by sediments cause clouding of water, impede photo synthetic activities below the surface of water.  Sediments kill the bottom living organisms.

6. Plastics:

This pollution is caused by damaged nylon fishing nets, beach litter, waste from plastic industry, plastics thrown by the humans in to the sea and land fills.

Plastic debris entangles marine life.  The fish eat them mistaking it for food.  Plastic litter beaches and persists without decaying for about eighty long years.

7. Radio active substances:

Discarded nuclear submarine and military wastes also from industrial waste cause pollution

Radio active substances can alter the food of chain of marine organism and cause death.

8.  Thermal Pollution.

Cooling water from power plants and industrial sites cause pollution.

Corals and other temperature sensitive sedimentary species are affected by thermal pollution.

9. Noise:

Traveling operation of super tankers, other large vessels and machinery cause noise pollution.

It leads to stress and disrupts marine life.

What could be done to prevent marine pollution?

  1. First of all assess how much our humans are contributing to ocean pollution
  2. Find out if our people are reducing sources of land based pollution.
  3. Nip marine debris in the bud.
  4. Remind our generation that hazardous waste should never be dumped in to storm drains.  Discard toxic wastes never down the drain.

 

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Writing Diary

February 5th, 2010

In these days of high-tech era, a few of us have the habit of chronicling our life events, mostly full of complaints, anger, tales of daily rituals etc. Keeping journal is a life long habit which is often started in children.  Those who write down their goals step by step are the ones who are the most successful ones.

The words ‘journal’ and ‘diary’ are often used interchangeably.  Writing about one’s

own life is an ancient hobby.  The first personal diaries were written by Japanese women in the 10th century.

Samuel Pepys, the famous English diarist, kept a brilliant record of his life and the days of the great fire and plague of London in 1665-66. Another famous diary writer was Anne Frank.  The diary spans two years from 1942 – 1944 as a 13 year old Jewish girl hiding in Amsterdam during the German occupation of The Nederlands.  Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India was known as a reputed diarist and poet.

Journaling really pays.  Journals allow you to clarify your thoughts, thus increasing self- awareness, focus and perspective.  It helps you to be honest. In return, your communication skills could improve as you deal with people on a different level.

Most people don’t wait for the New Year to begin. Some consider the traditional calendar diary.  I find it easier to write with a structured note book and lined pages.  Some find blank paper alternative.  They go beyond writing such as drawing, poetry and so on.

Traditional diary has taken new forms. In this modern era, such as blogs, on-line diary, diary hidden in MS Word and pass word protected.

Writing a diary is much more than merely jotting down what happened to you today.  Let your diary flow with honesty, without making any judgments.  You could record your sentiments, thoughts, listing of activities which will lead you to a greater insight in to life and indeed your own self.

There are different kinds of journals.  In Travel journal, you write your observations during the trip. It could be a true picture of the fun and excitements of your travel. In Nature journal, you capture the beauty of your natural surroundings.  Sketch, describe or stick photos of natural beauty.  In a Family Recipe journal, you compile the method of preparation of different kinds of dishes for the family. You can share it on-line among family members and friends.

If you are not a diary writer, it is never too late Today is the day.  Start writing diary, today.

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Social networking

February 4th, 2010

There are more than 200 websites providing social networking for user interaction including chat, messaging, email, blogging, file-sharing and discussion group. If you have signed up on a website like Batchmates, MySpace, Orkut or Facebook, then you are one among the millions of users of social networking revolution.  Though these sites were initially started to find old classmates and link up with working colleagues and relative, the concept, of late, has expanded into something quite different.  Thought to be once the monopoly of teenagers, is now fast growing with people of different age groups.  An estimated 41% of Facebooks 30 million users are aged above 35 years.  Executive, politicians, publicists and people of different walks of life are flocking to this new way of networking.

Classmates.com was one among the first social networking sites formed in 1995, followed by SixDegrees.com in 1997, Friends Reunited in 1999, Friendster in 2002 and MySpace in 2003.  Only when Google started Orkut in 2004, the social networking picked up momentum and began to be viewed as an integral part of internet strategy.  Facebook was started in 2004 and is now the seventh most visited site.

Even though social networking sites are traditionally seen as a trivial past-time, it is a distraction from serious work or a trend for teenagers.  The greatest advantage of business networking sites is that business from across the globe can come together and share ideas, clients and referrals in a mutually beneficial manner, without even having to meet someone face to face. One of the most famous sites for business networking is Likedin.com.  It helps you to find people who have worked for a particular company and also helps recruiters with references for someone they are considering hiring.

Be cautious when signing up for social networking.  Be ware of the intentions of anybody you meet on these sites and use your commonsense while giving out your personal information.  Check up with your friends who are already on the site to see if you could join a network.  Join a network you are comfortable in.  Build your online profile carefully.  Don’t furnish confidential information.  If you have positive experiences you can put them on your profile, like hobbies, volunteering experience, travel etc.  Think twice before posting anything.

Social networking sites are indeed the flavor of the day but they are in no way going to replace phone calls or meetings.  These websites are tools to make life easier and interesting

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Tender coconut water – the fluid of life

February 3rd, 2010

The coconut tree is grown throughout the tropics.  The water inside the tender coconut has got many healthy and medicinal benefits.  It is sterile until opened.  It easily mixes with blood. It is sweet and makes for a wholesome nutritious beverage.  It contains sugar, fiber, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and provides an isotonic electrolyte balance making it a highly nutritious food source.  An excellent tonic for the sick and the aged, it is recommended by Ayurvedic medical practitioners for easy digestion, cleansing the urinary tract and even in the treatment of kidney and urethral stones.  It is used as a refreshing drink throughout the humid tropics and is also used as isotonic sports drinks.  It was also used during the Second World War as an emergency transfusion liquid for patients who had lost a lot of blood.  Even the infants suffering from intestinal disturbances can be fed with tender coconut water.  It contains organic compounds containing growth promoting properties.  The body temperature is brought to normal condition when consumed.  If it is applied over the human body it prevents prickly heat and summer boils. It is best for those who have been affected with small pox, chicken pox and measles.  It is a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance we have in human blood.  It removes body toxins.  If consumed in the morning with a few drops of lime and pure honey it purifies the internal organs of patients suffering from dehydration.  It helps maintain our mental concentration and aids in the prevention of headaches by keeping the body’s natural fluid levels maintained and the body properly hydrated with normal blood pressure, circulation, kidney functions, digestion and liver functions.

It is the fluid of life.

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Maintaining contact details

February 2nd, 2010

In today’s human life, the mobile phones and personal computers have become inevitable, where we need to store hundreds of telephone numbers and other details. We need to maintain the contact of innumerable people.  This leads to address books bursting with business associates, friends and relatives, social acquaintances, public utilities and even household helps.  And for each entry you need to manage a lot of fields – ranging from phone numbers (both personal and official), to email IDs and addresses etc. These details are spread across mobile phones, computers and so on.  So how do you manage all these and access them quickly, without loosing information? 

Here are some tips to help you out:

  1. If you have hand held devices for telephone numbers and other details, make sure it synchronizes with your computer database and update them.  Microsoft Outlook works best.
  2. While entering contact details make sure to enter proper designation/ reference so that you can retrieve them easily.
  3. Prefix labels to names in your phone book.  For example you cold prefix ‘R’  before the names of your relatives, ‘O’ before office associates, ‘MDU’ before people from Madurai city etc.  This way you can easily find the one you need without wasting time browsing through hundreds of contacts.
  4. If you might end up with too many telephone numbers and email IDs, it is better to keep only the frequently used telephone numbers and email IDs in your phone and address book.  Move the rest to and Excel work book with different spread sheets for different categories, so that it is easy to find what you want.
  5. Clean up the data base occasionally.  Do not accumulate dead bytes, update or delete entries that are not in use.
  6. Protect and keep the details secure by the usage of pass word.
  7. You might have a master database but do take a printout and place it beside the telephone instrument so that it is useful to one and all at home.
  8. All said and done, remember that no computer is as reliable as a paper and a pen.  Do write down contact numbers and other details in a diary. It remains intact.

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