Going Green is truly rewarding !!!

I had another of my "Go Green" moment today. I was buying myself some groceries and at checkout, I gave my clubcard and told that I am carrying my own bag - I don't need yours.

The cashier gave me an extra clubcard point - Green point and Eureka! I reached yet another 100 points milestone!!!

Reward points aside, it gives a feel-good factor when you re-use your shopping bag - a small contribution to the environment - but hey! every little helps.

To know more about green-living, go to www.commonfloor.com/green-living

What else I want in Google Wave

Over the last 3-4 days, I have been spending a lot of time on Google Wave and I have a wish-list of ideas which I would like Google to implement.

# Integration with Gmail, Google Docs.

# I should have control over which wave I want to be a participant in. For example, I don't want anybody in my contact list adding me to a certain wave [X] and then I have to unfollow it. I should get an email/wavelet where I can see all waves pending my approval for being a participant in there.

# When adding a new participant to the wave, I should decide whether he can see playback from creation of the wave, or from the moment he was added in.

# Smiley / Emoticons in waves.

# If I, as a creator of wave, add someone (by mistake), then I should be able to remove him/her before/after his approval to join.

# Export participants of a wave and import them in another wave. [view]

# Enable typing in draft mode.

# Right-click menus.

# Nick-names for my contacts - visible only to me.

# Pages. When a wave becomes loooong, then, viewer should have option to view it in a single page, or in multiple pages.

# Skins / Themes like in Gmail.

How wave will change the nature of chain emails

Disclaimer: Any views expressed in this post are entirely of the USB keyboard I have borrowed from my friend.

Today, I received yet another chain mail regarding Microsoft paying me money!!!

Microsoft pays you $245 for every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243 and for every third person that receives it, you will be paid $241.

Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a cheque.

So, I was thinking what will happen in a wave scenario ? How will Microsoft / AOL track you and credit your account.

Because, in case of emails, it works like a chain reaction. A forwards to B, C and D and they forward to {B1, B2, B3 ... }; {C1, C2, C3} .. etc. This way, there are lot of different emails floating around - you get lot of different "legs" in which you can earn $241.

But, when we talk about wave in case of chain mails, it will be a single document in which you can add different participants. To make sure you make quick money, or help a 3 old girl who got raped, you can make your wave public and ask people to follow it.

So, in near future, you can expect emails like:

Microsoft pays you $245 for every person that follows this wave. It pays you $242 for every next follower and $241 for the next one. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a cheque.

Green and Safe Diwali

Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India (and abroad). It falls on the darkest night of the year. The tradition of lighting lamps on this night may have come from the need for light on this intensely dark night.

However, every year, the festival of lights fill our cities and environment with dark smoke. Air pollution more than doubles and big cities like Delhi become gas chambers. The toxic substances used in the firecrackers release toxic gases that are harmful to the health of all living beings.

Children and animals are the biggest victims of Noise Pollution as their defence mechanisms are not fully developed to withstand the increased intensity of noise and air pollution.

Bursting of crackers is now a means of "showing off " and is another opportunity to display ones wealth. With so many people living in poverty, burning money on crackers is a shame.

How to celebrate eco-sensitive Diwali?

• - Make Rangoli with natural ingredients like wheat or rice flour or mix with haldi, mehendi and sindur for colour. Rangoli made of wheat, rice flour provide food for ants and look more ethnic.
• - Instead of individual celebration prefer community celebration in a open ground.
• - Instead of electric illumination for long hours go for traditional lightening of earthen lamps or diyas.
• - Donate for relief operations in Karnataka.
• - Share food, sweets and clothes with the lesser privileged.
• - All gift wrapping paper should be made out of recycled paper and not glitter paper which is not recyclable.
• - Send out e-cards or text messages. No fancy Diwali cards.

Go Green this Diwali. Wishing you all a very happy, safe, green and prosperous Diwali

Diet Assesment

I was looking today for nutrient content in various food stuff and how much should be consumed by an individual. I came across the following values and thought of sharing:

Required Daily Allowance for an average Indian male + a moderate worker + weighing around 60 kg. The reference Indian being defined as "one between 20-39 yrs of age, weighing 60 kg, free from disease and physically fit for active work. On each working day he is employed for 8 hours in occupation that usually involves medium work. While not at work he spends 8 hours in bed, 4-6 hours sitting n moving around, and 2 hrs on walking and in active recreation or household duties".

Energy (kCal): 2875
Proteins (gms): 60
Fats (gms): 20
Calcium (mg): 400
Iron (mg): 28
Misc: Not included in this post.

I am on to my own diet assessment now. I wish I am not getting any deficit in my diet while in Western Siberia.