India Ranks 89 in Average Internet Connection Speed

According to the latest Akami State of The Internet Report, India ranks 89 globally in average connection speed. The report observes that the average connection speed in India is around 6.5 Mbps. This makes India 14th of the 15 countries surveyed in the Asia Pacific region. It is worth noting that Asia Pacific region contains the global leader South Korea.

In terms of peak speed, India is in 15th position in Asia Pacific region and  the global rank is an abysmal 97. Despite the high penetration of 4G networks like Jio and Airtel and higher smartphone adaptation, the country remains far behind both globally and in the neighborhood in terms of connectivity speed.

Further on the distribution of broadband speeds, 42% of Indians have 4 Mbps lines, 19% have 10 Mbps lines and only 10% have 15 Mbps lines. On an interesting side note, USA ranks 28th in terms of Wireless Connectivity speeds!

தடுப்பூசிகள் தேவையே!

தடுப்பூசிகள் தேவையே! அரசு இலவசமாக வழங்கும் எம்.ஆர். தடுப்பூசி மிகவும் பாதுகாப்பானது மற்றும் பயனுள்ளது. MR (Measles  Rubella) தடுப்பூசி இரு கொடிய நோய்களில் இருந்து உங்கள் குழந்தைகளை பாதுகாக்கும். பணக்காரர்கள் மட்டுமே பெற்று வந்த MMR ஊசி போன்ற இந்த தடுப்பூசியை இன்று நம் அரசு அனைவருக்கும் இலவசமாக்கியுள்ளது. இதற்க்கு நாம் அரசுக்கும், இதை முன்னெடுத்த எல்லோருக்கும் நன்றி சொல்ல வேண்டும். ஆனால் நடப்பது என்ன?

இன்று கையில் செல்போன் மற்றும் ஜியோ தரும் இலவச இணைய இணைப்பை வைத்துக்கொண்டு ஒரு கூட்டம் தடுப்பூசிகளுக்கு எதிராக எழுதி வருகிறது. இவர்களில் யாரும் (முறையாக மருத்துவம் பயின்ற) மருத்துவர்கள் இல்லை. இவர்களில் பெரும்பாலானோர் போலி அறிவியல் துணையோடு பிழைப்பு நடத்தும் அற்ப ஜந்துக்கள். சிலர் மத/ஆன்மீக வியாபாரிகள். இவர்கள் அனைவரும் நம் நாட்டு அரசையும் அறிவியல் மற்றும் மருத்துவ சமுதாயத்தையும் கேள்விக்குள்ளாக்குகின்றனர். யாரும் கேள்விகளுக்கு அப்பாற்பட்டவர் கிடையாது. ஆனால் கேள்வி கேட்க ஒரு தகுதியும் நியாமமும் இருக்க வேண்டும். சந்தேகம் வேறு, அவதூறு வேறு. நேற்று நான் ஒரு கடைக்குச் சென்றேன். அருகில் இருக்கும் குழந்தைகள் மருத்துவமனையில் ஒரே கூட்டம். கடைக்காரரிடம் கேட்டேன். அவன் கூறிய பதில் என்னை அதிர வைத்தது. எம். ஆர் தடுப்பூசி அறிவிப்பு வந்த நாள் முதல் இங்கு கூட்டம் அலைமோதுவதாகக் கூறினார். மக்கள் அரசை விட, மருத்துவர்களை விட, அறிவியலாளர்களை விட வாட்சாப்பையும் பேஸ்புக்கையும் நம்பும் காலத்தில் நாம் வாழ்கிறோம் என்ற சிந்தனை என்னை இப்போதும் நெருடுகிறது.

அலுவலகத்தில் அருகில் இருந்த நண்பரிடம் பேசினேன். அவர் சொல்கிறார் "எல்லா வைரஸும் நிலவேம்புக்கு சாகும். எனவே தடுப்பூசி போடா வேண்டாம்" என்று. நான் கேட்டேன், "போலயோ, பெரியம்மை போன்ற நோய்களை நிலவேம்பு அல்லது இயற்க்கை மருத்துவம் மூலம் முற்றிலும் அளித்திருக்க முடியுமா?" என்று. அவர் "கண்டிப்பாக!" என்றார். எனக்குத் தூக்கிவாரிப்போட்டது! பொறியியல் படித்து, 3ஜி, 4ஜி என்று சுத்தும் மேதைகளின் பேதைமை இப்படி! முயற்சியை விடாத நான், "வெறி நாயிடம் கடிபட்டாலும் ஊசி போடா மாடீர்களா?" என்றேன். சுதாரித்த நண்பர் "உங்கள் விதண்டாவாதம் தவறு" என்று முடித்துக்கொண்டார்.

என்ன நடக்கிறது இங்கே? இதை எழுதும் நான் கிறிஸ்தவ மிஷனரி என்றோ (என் பெயரை வைத்து), ப.ஜ.க. கட்சிக்காரர் என்றோ (மத்திய அரசு திட்டத்தை ஆதரிப்பதால்), மருந்துக் கம்பெனிகளின் ஏஜென்ட் என்றோ, ஏன், இல்லுமினாட்டி என்றோகூட முத்திரை குத்தப்படலாம். இவர்களைப் பொறுத்தவரையில் உலகத்தில் நடப்பது எல்லாம் சாதி. எல்லாம் பெரிய சூழ்ச்சியின் பகுதி. கேட்டல் "தனி ஒருவன்", "பூலோகம்" என்று ஜெயம் ரவி படங்களை மேற்கோள் காட்டுவார்கள். ஜல்லிக்கட்டு விஷயத்தில்கூட தமிழர்களின் கலாச்சார உரிமை என்ற நேரடி வாதத்தைவிட ஏ1, ஏ2 புரளிவே போராட்டம் வெடிக்க உதவியது. மீத்தேன் திட்டம், கூடங்குளம் அணுஉலை, நியூட்ரினோ ஆராய்ச்சி, ஹைட்ரோகார்பன் திட்டம் என எதை எடுத்தாலும் ஒரு அறிவியல் புறம்பான நிலைப்பாட்டை நாம் எடுப்பது சரியா? தக்க பாதுகாப்பு அம்சங்களும், நியாயமான நிபந்தனைகளுடன்கூடிய ஒப்பந்தங்களும் வேண்டும் என்று கேட்டால் பரவாயில்லை. நம்மாழ்வார் சொன்னார், செந்தமிழன் சொன்னார், ஹீலர் பாஸ்கர் சொன்னார் என்று ஏதாவது ஒன்றைப் பிடித்துக்கொண்டு நாட்டின் வளர்ச்சியை முடக்குவது சரியா?

நீங்கள் செய்யாவேண்டியது ஒன்றே! துறைசார்ந்த வல்லுநர்கள் கருத்தைக் கேளுங்கள். அதுவும் ஒருவர் இருவர் கூறுவதை மட்டும் அல்ல, பெரும்பான்மை வல்லுநர்கள் என்ன சொல்கிறார்கள் என்று பாருங்கள். அதை உங்கள் அடிப்படை அறிவைக்கொண்டு அலசி ஆராய்ந்து பாருங்கள். பின் ஒரு முடிவுக்கு வாருங்கள். தடுப்பூசி என்றால் மருத்துவர், அணுஉலை என்றால் அணு விஞ்ஞானிகள் என்று எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் படித்த வல்லுநர்கள் நிறைந்த நாடு நம் நாடு. அவர்களை விட்டு விட்டு தெருவில் போகும் குடுகுடுப்பைக்காரன் அளவுக்கே அறிவு உள்ள, பயத்தையும் பொய்களையும் மட்டுமே விற்று பிழைப்பு நடத்தும் ஆட்களை நம்பினால் நாம் எப்படி வல்லரசு ஆவோம்?

பல லட்சம் குழந்தைகளுக்குப் போடும் ஊசியில் சதி செய்யும் கேவலமான அரசும் மருத்துவர்களும் உள்ள நாடா இந்தியா? இன்னும் உங்களுக்கு இந்த நாட்டின் மீதும் இங்குள்ள அறிவியல் ஆய்வாளர்கள்மீதும் நம்பிக்கை வரவில்லையா? வர வேண்டாம்... குறைந்தபட்சம் உங்கள் குழந்தை விஷயமான தடுப்பூசியை உங்கள் பேஸ்புக்/வாட்சாப் புளுகு மூட்டைகளை ஓரம் கட்டி வைத்துவிட்டு அருகில் உள்ள மருத்துவரையோ அல்லது துறை சார்ந்த நிபினரையோ கேளுங்கள். அவர்கள் தங்கள் பிள்ளைகளுக்கும், தங்களுக்கும் இந்த ஊசியை போடுகிறார்களா என்று கேளுங்கள். அப்போதாவது உங்களுக்கு புரிந்தால் சரி. எக்காரணம் கொண்டும் உங்கள் மூட நம்பிக்கை ஒரு குழந்தையின் ஆரோக்கியத்தில் விளையாட அனுமதிக்காதீர்கள்.

கொஞ்சம் படிங்க பாஸ்! - பகுதி 7

நூலின் தலைப்பு: தி பெஸ்ட் ஆஃப் தாகூர் (The Best of Tagore)
ஆசிரியர்: ரபீந்த்ரநாத் தாகூர்
ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு: ஜர்னா பாசு
பக்கங்கள்: 88
வெளியீடு: ஸ்கொலாஸ்டிக் இந்தியா
மொழி: ஆங்கிலம்
விலை: ~ ரூ. 80/-
வயது: 10+
பொருள்: சிறுகதைகளின் தொகுப்பு

இந்தியா மற்றும் வங்கதேச நாடுகளின் தேசிய கீதத்தை எழுதியவர், இலக்கியத்துக்கான நோபல் பரிசைப் பெற்ற முதல் ஐரோப்பியரல்லாதவர், இந்தியாவின் முதல் நோபல் பரிசு பெற்றவர் என்று பல்வேறு சிறப்புகளைக் கொண்ட ஒரு மேதை உங்கள் குழந்தைக்கோ ஏன் உங்களுக்கோ கதை சொன்னால் எப்படி இருக்கும்? அந்த அனுபவத்தை பெற இந்த நூல் உதவும். இது தாகூர் என்ற கடலின் ஓரத்தில் நம் போன்ற எளியவர்களும் விளையாடக் கிடைத்த கடற்கரையே!

எளிய ஆங்கிலத்தில், குறைந்த விலையில் கிடைக்கும் இந்த நூலில் பத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட கதைகள் உள்ளன. சிறுவர்களுக்கு ஏற்றார் போல ஓவியங்களும் உள்ளன. சிறுவர்களும் புரிந்துகொள்ளும்படியான எளிய உணர்வுகளின் வெளிப்பாடு, நல்லொழுக்கங்கள் மற்றும் தாகூரின் எழுத்தோட்டம் என்று மேலும் பல சிறப்புகள் இந்நூலுக்குண்டு.

English Summary:  

Book Title: The Best of Tagore
Author: Rabindranath Tagore
English Translation: Jharna Basu
Pages: 88
Publisher: Scholastic India
Language: English
Price: ~ Rs. 80/-
Age Group: 10+ 
Category: Short stories collection

Leave and Travel?

For last few days, there was much noise about the tax on EPF. Thankfully the government has reversed the same now. But there is a feeble cry in my mind for a long time. This is about the non-taxable nature of Leave and Travel Allowance (LTA). To makes things simple and not to waste time on things that are not related to this post, please read about LTA here: http://taxguru.in/income-tax/taxability-of-leave-travel-allowance-lta-and-relevant-aspects-to-keep-in-mind.html

Why traveling alone is given a privilege over other forms of recreations or entertainments?

So what is the problem with LTA? I am not against LTA tax exemptions. But I am asking why traveling alone is given a privilege over other forms of recreations or entertainments? It is correct to argue that travel encourages tourism and indirectly benefits the economy and hence the tax exemption. But this can be said to anything. For example, a good guitar costs around 7,000 to 15,000 rupees. A good set of encyclopedia costs around 5,000 to 10,000 rupees. A hobby telescope costs around 4,000 to 8,000 rupees. Can you get tax deduction on these? They also encourage trade and business. It is profitable for the business and pays the craftsmen. It also encourages the "scientific temper" among the public which in turn may result in more inventions, discoveries, creativity and overall progress of the nation. Why there is no tax exemption on these things?

Also not everyone likes to travel. For example, I like to spend days together in a locked room than visiting 10 locations in 3 days. It is neither relaxing, not informative to travel that much in the small vacations we avail now-a-days. Some people may have a working spouse or studying kid or bedridden parents and hence couldn't plan for a travel. Physically challenged people, people with chronic diseases etc. also prefer to stay home instead of taking that extra risk of travelling. Also travels result in increased number of accidents, which indirectly harm the economy through reduced productivity, insurance cost and loss of life. As we can see, LTA is skewed towards people who like to travel a lot. But why leave behind the considerable population who don't want to travel?

A group of friends can travel to Goa or Pondicherry and booze and happily claim the travel expenses under LTA while another group of friends interested in astronomy have to fund their telescope without any encouragement like tax benefits. Is this acceptable? I think it is not! I try my best to list few of the things that can be exempted from tax. This can be clubbed under one new category "Recreation and Hobby Allowance" or RHA!

a. Exercise and Fitness Equipment

As an encouragement towards a stronger and healthy India, fitness equipment with valid scientific backing can be excluded from taxation. Why I say they should have valid scientific backing? Because claiming tax benefit for a magnetic amulet that can "cure" obesity is not what we want end of the day, right? Indian Medical Association and other such Government bodies should have a transparent process to identify valid fitness equipment so that people can get tax benefits for them. Also spending on proper sport gears like balls, nets, helmets etc. for children should be non-taxable for the parents. The price tag on a 600 rupees shoe will look like 540 rupees for a salaried middleclass parent. Will it not encourage a student somewhere to become a Olympic gold medalist holding the Tricolor?

b. Musical Instruments, Drawing and Painting Tools and the Likes

Music is integral part of our culture, so are the various arts. Music, drawing, painting, dancing, sculpting and other forms of arts demand lot of money for the equipment and tools involved. We all know that it is not cheap to learn any art. And art has no age too! Art is long and life is short, right? Is it wrong to learn Tanjore painting at 35? I am not even saying that the fee amount should be non-taxable (I will be happy if it is!) At least the money spent on the articles, tools and instruments involved should be non-taxable. Again, institutions like UGC should strongly scrutinize the candidates for this exemption as pseudo-science and religion can sneak in to this category easily.

c. Books, Infotainment Media (CD/DVD/e-Books/Downloaded Contents)

Good books are indicators of a good culture and civilization!

We are reading lesser and lesser if we don't consider our WhatsApp and Facebook ASCI diarrhea as reading. Good books are indicators of a good culture and civilization. In this modern era, not only books, but interactive software, videos and audios can also play a good role in shaping us. Again, government should make sure that no religious or pseudo-scientific books or media slips in to this category.

d. Scientific Hobbies

Young children often ask their parents "Dad, can you buy me a microscope?" or "Mom, can I get a electronics kit for this birthday?". Even if the parent is willing, when they check the price of the "gift", they get upset and settle with a video game console or a cricket bat, for which the kid shows no interest. But when the kid doesn't get what it loves and forced to love what it gets, we are silently murdering a scientist in making. If the government gives a double tax benefit on scientific equipment (again no pseudos!), we can see more and more kids looking in to the night skies or testing the salinity of the nearby pond. Who knows how many Sir C. V. Ramans and Satyendra Boses are going wasting time on WWE only because they couldn't get their hand on a book or an instrument they wished for? Giving a 10 or 20% tax benefit on these items can return the nation in many ways. Even if only 1 out of thousand becomes a scientist, given the population of India, we will be world's number 1 in few decades.

Conclusion

There can be more such things which can be classified as both entertainment/hobby and beneficial to the individual and society. I am not here to list them all. This post is just to share my opinion on the skewed nature of LTA benefits. Why I am saying this is because, government cannot decide that travel alone is what everyone wants and it is not sufficient to give travel alone some tax benefits while things far better and beneficial than travel are given no encouragement at all. As we have seen in above examples, there are lot many things people like to get involved in their free time. Given the direct positive effects on trade and economy and the indirect benefits of building a stronger and brighter nation, tax exemption on these secular and scientific areas of human interests is need of the hour!

Online Offers or Outright Scams?

Recently I bought some instant pasta and got some gift coupons with it. It said that there is 500/- off on purchases above 1200/- in a popular online store. As my running shoes were wearing off, I thought I can use it to buy a pair of shoes. I checked the price of some shoe models and compared it with another online store's prices. There was almost 600 to 700/- difference. So, they just give 500/- off while pricing things 600/- more. Is this an offer?

Again, one day everyone around me at office were panicking. They said that some online shops are giving unbelievable discounts. But again, when checked against some other online stores, people realized that it is just a publicity stunt and the so called offer prices are higher than other sites.

Some other companies give you "free" talktime offers with purchase of things like noodles and dishwash bars. But that requires you to "register" yourself with some sites. This is the catch. They get your email id, mobile number etc. And as usual we never read the "terms and conditions" but just click "I Agree". So this information can be misused. I am not saying that all such offers are threat to your privacy but you can not trust all such offers. Nothing in the world comes for free from "businesses". They themselves say that they are not charities!

So am I against all online purchases? Definitely not! I myself purchase lot of things online. But what I am saying is, clever marketing gimmicks and enticing offers should not mislead us to waste our money on something that is not worth. Now let me list out how these online stores are serving us better as well as how they are spoiling us!

The Good Side:

1. They don't need to rent a large showroom, air-condition it, pay hefty electricity and water bills and employ staffs. All they need is a website and a warehouse. That's why they can offer cheaper prices.

2. They offer more choices. For example, they provide option to buy phones and laptops of brands that are seldom available in conventional market.

3. They allow you to shop at your convenience. More payment choices and offers.

4. There are some tax differences between states. As these products are shipped from various locations across India, you can get a cheaper deal in that way too!

The Bad Side:

1. Things like shoes, dress etc can have mismatch against your expectations.

2. Purchasing lesser known brands may look like steal deals. But in some cases, there can be poor after sales service that will make you regret the purchase!

3. Delay in shipments are possible. Also some damaged products may need lengthy follow-ups to get rectified or refunded. Some times that even won't happen.

4. Unlike in case of conventional shopping which happens once in a while, people can constantly waste their time by looking in to online stores. Some tempting offers and targeted ads create an unwanted urges to spend on things that people seldom need.

So, to summarize, online stores are inevitable effect of the IT revolution. There is no point in protesting against it. Resistance is futile! These stores provide us more options and choices. But be careful! Don't purchase anything in a hurry. Compare price in other online stores and conventional shops. (Recently I bought a helmet of same brand/model/size for a much lesser price than in any online store from a conventional shop!) Before buying anything ask yourself if you really need it and will use it for sure and it is worth the money you are going to spend on it. Once again! Beware of online offers. Be extra cautious before buying anything (not only online but also in normal shops).

DIY Cap Gun

The fireworks season is on! Diwali followed by Karthigai followed by Christmas followed by New Year, followed by Pongal! WOW! For next three months, there will be lot of dazzling colors and sounds (and also smoke and bit of paper!). What to do if the kids are demanding for lot of crackers and sparklers? How to divert them to do something useful and at the same time less polluting and cheap? This Do It Yourself (DIY) cap gun is one. When I was a kid, during a Diwali time, one of my friend introduced this in our street. Soon, everyone of us were bugging our parents/brothers/friends to help us in making our own cap guns and we almost lost our interest in everything else (sweets are exceptions as usual!). Let us see how to make it!

What you need?

Things you need

1. A hollow stick (I don't know the name of that plant we used, but any hollow stick that is strong and not so thick is suitable)

2. A large nail (4 or 4.5 or 5 inch nail according to the size of stick or availability)

3. A small nail (1 inch nail)

4. A bicycle wheel spoke with the nipple (screw like part that connects the spoke to the rim)

5. A rubber band

6. A knife to cut the stick

If you are below 15 years old, you also need an adult supervisor (preferably parent/elder sibling).

Steps:

Don't forget to get adult(s) help in case you are younger than 15!

1. Cut a 2 to 2.5 inch wide rectangle in the middle of the length of the stick up to half of the thickness (refer image).

2. Insert the large nail in the stick through the slit which we have cut. The head of the nail should be facing the opening of the slit (refer image). You may need some bits of paper or card to hold it tightly in place. You can use any suitable thing like large screws, flat head pins etc, preferably made of metal, in this place if you don't find a suitable nail.

3. Drive the small nail on the stick so that it is in the opposite side of the large nail (refer image).

Nipple end should be straight...

4. Bend the bicycle spoke as shown in the image.

5. Insert the bicycle spoke in to the stick, with the nipple facing the large nail and put the rubber band over the small nail and bent end of the spoke.

6. Drag the spoke and insert a spot cap or a single bit of torn roll cap in the space between the nail and spoke's nipple. Release the spoke, “Tzzaap!”

You can try with different shape of sticks. Also you can paint your gun or stick some color papers to improve its look. I once tied an empty soap box to the bottom and pasted black paper to give it a better look!

Advantages:

This gun will soon break or may need frequent tinkering. So this will keep the kids engaged in taking care of their home made guns and improving the same instead of demanding  you to buy another 1000-wala. Also it will make them proud that it is the gun they themselves have made and hence their happiness is much more compared to those who own costly cap guns and crackers. As the parts are fully bio degradable and caps cause relatively miniscule pollution, this is Eco-friendly too! You can think of lot many improvements and other such DIY toys. If you have any ideas, you can also share it with others! So have a creative, safe and responsible festival season ahead! Enjoy!

Rain Rain Go Away?

It is rainy season again. A good rain is what farmers need to grow crops, forests need to sustain the flora and fauna, people in cities need to replenish the ground water, power-plants need to supply us with electricity and the list never ends... The purest natural source of water, "The Elixir of Life" as told by Sir C V Raman, is rain. Nature itself distils the water! Removing salts, killing germs and leaving behind sediments, Sun works as a huge boiler that provides us with pure water. Whenever scientists look for life in other planets/moons they look for liquid water. As Valluvar said, "The world can't sustain without water!". But what our people think about rains? Some people like the "Little Johnny" want their life to go on as usual and feel rain as a spoiler! But for a "regular" life 365 days, we have to happily receive rain for at least 15 days!

Bad Roads?

A subway, completely submerged in water.

We should not be angry with the rain for bad roads. We should raise our voices in proper forums to repair the roads regularly before the winter begins. Also the sewer system should be prepared to handle rainwater and waste water efficiently. Rainwater falling on highways and other places like bus stands and railway stations can be harvested easily. Already government has started some initiatives like that, but due to bad maintenance, these systems are barely working. So stop accusing rains for bad roads!

Mosquitoes?!

Mosquito repellents are secondary!

Rains are not the "cause" of increased mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases. It is human inefficiency to keep the surroundings clean of stagnant water which creates suitable breeding havens for mosquitoes. And one more thing, mosquitoes that cause diseases mostly breed in fresh water. They don't breed in drainage or murky waters usually. Also the water on roads usually dries in few days, hence mosquito larvae can't grow to mosquitoes in road side puddles. But on the other hand, water stored in tanks, pots, vessels are where these mosquitoes find fresh water to breed. Also places like AC machine cases, discarded tyres, broken plastic/glass articles can hold clean water for many days providing suitable space and duration for mosquitoes to breed.

Fever and Diseases

Maintain cleanliness!

With rain, we get more fever and diseases. It is not the rain water itself that causes the diseases. It is the germs which utilize the moisture in air and on surfaces to survive for longer periods and easily spread from person to person. Sunlight, which kills many germs in sunny days of summers is also scarce. So what can we do? By maintaining clean habits, one can protect himself and others from catching infections. Frequent hand washing, avoiding touching face/eyes/mouth/food without washing hands, sneezing in to kerchiefs, wearing shoes, avoiding urination and defecation in open etc can prevent lot of infections. Taking brooms in hand is not the only way to create a "Clean India"! Every person maintaining a good personal hygiene is a soldier in this fight against diseases.

Conclusion

Some believe that if people are upset due to rains, there will be lesser rainfall! I am not one of them. We can neither summon rain through rituals nor we can send rain away by wishful thinking. But what I mean by this article is, if we take proper steps and remain well prepared, rainy seasons are enjoyable. It is a chance to thank the Almighty for the divine providence. Next time when it starts raining when you are half way to office, just find a teashop, have a hot tea/coffe and enjoy the love of nature poured upon us!

Apartments Analysed

Introduction

The recent trend among IT sheeple is to go to onsite within 4 years of joining a job. Save some money by living on bread and jam. Return here and buy an apartment by paying 20% as down payment. Marry a  girl and demand dowry to close the loan faster or force her to work so that she can help in repaying EMI. Is a block of space in a concrete structure worth your entire life's hard work? Let me share what I have learnt from what I have seen/heard. I am not against living in a rented/leased apartment or buying an apartment for the sole purpose of renting. But this is for those "clever" people out there who think that buying an apartment for living is a good idea.

Cost and Returns:

Most apartments are built and sold by so called "builders". Those who buy apartments don't own the land. In some cases, the land is given in to collective ownership or in some cases, the builder owns the land while buyers own the house under some agreement. Water connection, electricity connection etc too remain with builder's ownership in some cases. These houses cost a hefty sum of money, that even onsite returns feel way too much. Mostly people buy these houses with loan unless their parents spend their pension benefits or father-in-law wants to ensure a happy life for his daughter ;-) But what happens to the money. These apartments have no resale value compared to land. For example, land prices quadrupled in 6 years at a sub-urban area, but my friend who bought apartment can't sell that for the cost he spent on it 5 years ago. So, technically, apartments lose money at worst or gain meager or no money at best. So, what happens to those who took loan and bought the apartments? They will be paying twice or thrice the amount as interest and get no returns on the property. Sad! Isn't it? On the other hand, imagine if you had bought a land for same amount, it would have at least tripled in value when you finish your loan and hence you lose nothing! Even wiser decision is to buy land for the money you have on hand instead of taking loan. This is the most beneficial investment. But some people have too much money, so they buy apartments and rent it. It may be good. It is better if it is a house built on own land and best if they can buy the entire apartments with land. But for others apartments are poor choice for investments.

I hear some of you saying that instead of paying rent, you are paying EMI. It is better to do the math. How much you will be paying in rent for the same house you own through EMI? Calculate the difference and multiply with number of EMIs. There you go! You can buy another apartment! The best bet is to take a house for lease, even with loan. Pay just the interest for the loan and at the end of the lease terms, repay the loan. Cheapest of available options.

Freedom to Live?

The most important aspect of owning your house is your freedom. You don't need to wait for your turn to get the metro water. You don't need to wait till the fixed time to switch on the motor. You can lock/unlock any door any time. You can use the front space, roof or backyard without seeking permission from anyone and the list goes on. Let me give you few incidents that I have seen in real life!

1. One of my friend is good in rangoli. She moved to an apartment after marriage (bought with some down payment by her father, onsite return husband and a promise from her to help him pay the EMI by working! WOW!!). I told her that apartments sucks as they lack space in front. She said "We have car parking space." I asked, "So, you're gonna draw your rangolis there?"

2. One of my friend was so upset and told me this. Ground water went down in his apartments. He is at 2nd floor. Two of the apartments are not in use (as they went to onsite :D). Ground floor is rented to a family who is not so "rich" compared to these "owners". Now the 3 out 5 apartments need to share the cost of lorry water. But the problem blew up when the ground floor family refused sharing the lorry water. They said, we will fetch water from public water pump. As 2 people can't afford lorry water every other day, they tried their best to convince the tenant. Due to this, the tenant called his owner (in some other city on deputation) and told him that, "If I am to share the cost of water, I will deduct it from rent!". Hearing this the owner took leave on loss of pay and rushed to solve the issue. Then they went to the apartments' secretary for solution. He told that the maintenance fund can't be spent for lorry water. When my friend finished the story, I was late for lunch!!!

3. One of my friend was so interested in vaastu. His vaastu consultant told him that the color of house should be ink blue and he should shift the toilet to some other place. Else he need to do some rituals for Rs. 80,000. He could neither paint the house with choice of his colors nor move the toilet! At last, he rented the house for Rs. 8,000 and saving the money to conduct the ritual. (Extra info: He is paying Rs. 26,000 as EMI every month!) In no way I am telling you should believe in vaastu. But you don't even have freedom to choose the color of your house.

4. I know a person, who lives in an exclusive (people belonging to a particular community only) apartments. One of the owner sold his property and the new owner rented it to a different community. Believe me, now the case is in court. The new owner is claiming the right to rent it to anyone he wishes, while the others in the apartment are siting a clause in the agreement that no other community people can live in that apartment! Again, in no way I am supporting caste/religion based apartments. But your freedom to rent it to anyone you like is not practical.

I can tell even more incidents, but I think the above incidents are enough to make you understand what I mean when I say you have no freedom.

Lack of Neighborhood

Apartment life is nothing but a prison with luxury. People live without knowing the names of each other. There is no co-operation at all in any aspect. The only time they see each other is when the garbage collector blows the whistle. The children are conditioned to play only inside the gates of apartments as the children outside are poor/dirty/indecent. People won't even ask you what happened when you are screaming for your life. But invitations to birthday parties will be prompt to show their stuff off to others and get the gifts in return. Awesome! Maids are the only channel through which news about one apartment travels to other, of course with some annotations!

Light, Air and Nature

Unless you live above 4th floor, you need electric lighting during days too. If you open the window, you are greeted with the nice view of your neighbor's wall. Sunlight has negative probability to enter in such homes. Nights are no better! You need air-conditioning to survive. But don't worry, everyone in the apartments using double-booster will ensure that you bathe in sweat all night! You can't allocate a space to grow a tree. Already the parking space is filled up, you know?

Swimming Pool, Shopping Mall and Lifts!

Very few apartments maintain these advertised "value adds" in long run. And the apartments that maintain them properly are out of reach for the upper middle class. They are only for CEOs and Delivery Managers. Anyway if you reach that level, you will have no time for shopping or swimming. Good luck with that!!! Some apartments raise the cost of maintenance on their wish. If few people refuse to pay, the services are stopped or the remaining people forced to share the expense. I heard one such cozy apartment dweller speaking like this. "Whenever my wife goes to swimming pool, that guy was watching from his balcony. I asked her not to go. What else can I do?"

Cyclic Reasoning

I asked my childhood friend why he bought apartments. His chain of reasoning is as follows.

1. It is difficult to shift house often. (So, why you are shifting house often?)

2. It is hard to travel to new office (Why you change company often?)

3. For onsite chance/ for higher pay. (Why you need onsite/higher pay?)

4. To repay the loan faster. (Why you took loan?)

5. To buy apartment. (Why you buy apartment?)

6. Go to answer 1

So What Can Be Done?

Try take a house on lease (even with loan) that is the cheapest means to live in a city. Else the next best option is to rent a house. Restrict your expenses imagining that you are paying EMI and save the money and buy a land or built individual house in sub-urban areas or even at your native. That will give you returns lot much compared to apartments. Also you can change the house whenever you want. If it is own house, you can modify it the way you want and you are the one who decides what need to be done in every aspect of the house!

Conclusion

Every time some one tells me that they are buying a new apartment, I pity them for their poor choice. They are going to lose their money, freedom and peace of mind due to the ad hype and peer pressure. "Every one is doing it! So it can't be wrong!" is their mindset. Well, that is the mindset of sheep. It is your money and your wish. But whatever you do, do it calculating all the risks and benefits in the long run. Finally, "Apartment", the name suits. Even though the people live closer, their hearts are apart!

Note: If you are a rabid apartment owner and want to vent your anger by commenting here, for your kind information, this blog is not a collective property as your apartment. I own this blog. So my rules apply here ;-)

May 1st

Everybody know that today is world labor day. And if you want to know the history and geography about this day, you can head to the Wikipedia article on the same by clicking here. But I am here with a different message. Especially to the younger generation of so called "professionals" working for corporates.

Who is a worker? Anyone who is not the owner of a business is a worker. Even owners of smaller business like salon shops, iron (laundry) shops etc are workers in proper sense. In that aspect, we are all workers. We are all labors. Don't let your 5 digit salary make you feel that you are different from those who collect garbage or lay down the roads in scorching sun. You are still a labor.

Most of the IT professionals, while interacting with a plumber or carpenter, don't think they are one of their own kind. They isolate themselves thinking they are uneducated, low class while themselves educated, high/upper-middle class. This is a very dangerous mindset. Your salaries won't define who you are. Your nature of work defines who you are.

Let us take a typical day...

You wake up from your bed made by carpenters.

Your bedsheets by textile mill workers.

You go to bathroom constructed by construction workers and plumbers.

You eat food produced by farmers.

You wear shoes made by cobblers.

You lock your door with locks made by blacksmiths.

You drive a car or take a bus manufactured by mechanics.

You travel on the road laid by labors.

Your office is maintained by housekeeping people.

Your office is guarded by security people.

Your network cables are laid by labors.

Electricity and air-condition maintained by electricians.

Your PC manufactured by technicians.

Your .NET code can't build this water tank!

Without all these, you can't work. You can't even live! And remember, you are not the owner of any of the above mentioned services. You are just getting benefited by the services.

You too are one of the labors making the world better.

You are the one who make people's life easy with ATMs.

Your applications make it easy for people to apply for exams.

Your work makes exam/election results readily available.

You create options to book tickets and pay bills from home.

You save nature by reducing paper works to mouse clicks.

You make it possible for people to connect with each other.

You work to trace cyber-criminals.

And the list goes on.

So be proud that you are also part of the work force like everyone around you. But you also need to learn from valuable lessons from the same people whom you despise.

1. Unity

You should stay united. When salaries are not paid properly for some new joinees, don't take it easy as market trend. Remember, the mill workers fighting for the benefits of temporary workers. When someone is fired for no good reason, don't console yourself saying "Thank God! It is not me!" Instead, stand united for his cause. Who knows, when your turn of getting fired will come? Learn these lessons from the workers around you. Nobody can mess with them and walk safely. Their fellow workers will gather like swarms of bees to make them repent and apologize. The same spirit should come to us. That will make us stronger. Corporate CEOs and HRs should know that we are not second to anybody when it comes to our rights.

2. Modesty

Don't allow your high salaries decide how you live. You should be the one who decide how your money is spent. Don't become dependent on too many luxuries of life. Imagine, if we all use public transport and stop using ACs and invertors, how much fuel and electricity can be saved! Invertors consume more power. While the rich are watching IPL with invertor, poor children are struggling with candles to study. Your cozy apartments, luxury cars, LCD TV etc won't bring you happiness. You are just a recession away from those people living modest life. For them it is the normal life. But when you fall, you can't tolerate the ground reality. So it is better to stay at ground than to fly like a plastic bag carried by wind.

3. Humility

Treat people not according to their economic status or educational qualification. Treat them according to what their character is. Treating a human with dignity and respect, we need to learn from them. For example, a construction worker respects teacher of his son more than us. A taxi-driver respects a doctor more than us. You may be an onsite return. You may have more degrees. You earn more money. But your behavior is not like that. Don't put yourself above everyone in everything.

So, this May 1st stuff is not for "them". It is for "us". We as workers, are the force that builds and sustains this world. So let us leave behind corporate fed "elite" mindset and embrace our fellow workers, united in thoughts and deeds.

Tamil Nadu Government Offices to Ditch XP for BOSS

I have already written in this blog about ending XP support and Free Operating Systems as a possible alternate. I have also written why to use a Free OS instead of proprietary OS like Windows 7/8 or OSX. Now, I am so happy to know that TN government is taking this initiative. This is a step in right direction to liberate our computers from corporate monopolies and those viruses/malwares/back-doors.

Image courtesy: http://distrowatch.com/

Though, the Government's order is a good one, it still has some gray areas. It didn't enforce the use of BOSS (Bharat Operating System Solution, a GNU/Linux distribution developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing). But it is given as a suggestion. The Government offices are asked to "consider" installing BOSS than purchasing proprietary operating systems.

BOSS is the operating system bundled with free laptops given by Tamil Nadu government. Earlier it was planned to ship only with BOSS, but later Windows 7 was given a place. Due to this, many students simple ignore BOSS. Here I place my request to ship free laptops with any free operating system ONLY. Now let us see the pros and cons of the BOSS

Pros:

1. BOSS has excellent Indic fonts support. So our people can use the computers in their own language.
2. BOSS is relatively robust, almost virus-free, free of cost, requires no hardware upgrade and easy to use.
3. As a free software, our Government data will not be under immediate threat of NSA(or NSA like) sponsored corporate back-doors.

Cons:

1. Its repositories are relatively old. So latest and wide varieties of software are not available easily.
2. It is bundled with proprietary codecs and freewares like Adobe flash, mp3 etc, which are not needed in context of Government offices.

My Two Cents:

The battle has just begun. But we need to do lot of things.

* Indian government can spend a little more and build a better OS suitable for Government office needs.

* If community supported distros can give latest and greatest software with rock solid stability, why can't one of the fastest developing nation develop and support one?

* Government should mandate that all PC/laptops sold in India must have a OS-less version available.

* All proprietary software should be kicked out from curriculum.

* Government should encourage/mandate universities to contribute to Free Software projects and also give generous donations to Free Software projects. They should not (ab)use free software as they are available for free of cost.

* Dangers of using proprietary software should be advertised as in the case of unprotected sex.

References:

1. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/state-departments-asked-to-switch-over-to-free-open-source-software/article5798429.ece
2. http://bosslinux.in/
3. http://cdac.in/
4. http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ws101011MICROSOFT.asp

When I Was a Kid...

When I was a kid, I used to play with kids next door. Suddenly a faint fluttering sound would appear. We would stop playing and listen carefully. When luck is by our side, the sound would steadily grow and grow. And one of the boys would cry "There!" Pointing his finger towards somewhere in the sky. A grey dot would appear. "Wow! Helicopter!” We would run behind it, street after street till the helicopter vanishes again with that faint fluttering sound in to the horizon. We used to stare at the sky for some time with the stray hope that it may return.

Sometimes the sound of a Bullet bike next street or some load-auto on road would cause me to run out and stare the sky and when the sound fades quickly, it was time to realize that it was not a helicopter and return home to face my mom awaiting to scold me for leaving the lunch behind. Rainy seasons were somewhat different. The moist air would make hearing the flying machines easy but clouds would make it tough to get a glimpse of them.

Jets and small planes used by forest department in nearby hills were like unicorns and mermaids. They were very rare, hard to spot and usually less visible due to distance and height. The smoke left behind by jets would remain for sometime and I used to stare at the sky with mouth open till the smoke dissolve in to the blue sky. Night time sightings were special due to those colorful blinking lights.

Me and my friends even believed that by climbing on a tree or roof of a tall building we can touch the helicopter or at least distract the people inside to drop us something. We tried that with my house's roof. Nothing happened! Then we thought my house was not tall enough. Some "big brothers" even told tales of hitting planes with stones, which we never believed but promptly nodded to them out of fear.

Then days rolled... I was an adolescent back then. I would be sitting with a book and reading or helping my dad with totalling corrected answer sheets when that familiar humming sound was heard. "Yes. It is a helicopter!" My heart would want to run out and look at the sky. But "grown up boys” won't be that silly right? That's what people say. So with a sigh, I used to continue what I was doing.

Now, after many years, I live near an airport. With hundreds of flights coming and going everyday. I work in upper floors of a very tall building and could see the flights even though it is bit far from the airport. Now I even earn enough to fly occasionally. But I have no time to stare at the sky, no interest left in watching them. I live/work in tall buildings but don't believe that i can touch the flights any more.

Last time I was bit excited about the sky was, when I accidentally clicked a photo of exploding space craft sent by ISRO. And dreams about reaching for the skies lasted seconds when I saw in news that NASA is looking for volunteers for a one way trip to Mars. Yup! We used to see beauty in petty things and longed for them to happen. Once grown up, things we thought boring when we were kids, like paying electricity bills or buying ration becomes priority. And this is the real beauty of our life!

February 23rd 2014 - Pulse Polio Immunisation Campaign

India is proudly Polio free for three years now. But the battle has just begun. With neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan still registering Polio cases, it is our duty to fight against Polio as Indian citizens. So, if you or anyone in your circle have a child below 5 years, please take them to nearest Polio vaccination centre set-up by government.

Vaccination @ a railway station

Points to note:

When? February 23rd, 2014. It is a Sunday, and no silly excuses!

Where? Nearby railway stations, bus stands, airports, primary health centers, Government hospitals, Government Schools and other places like places of worship, libraries, shopping malls. Check your local administrative office for more information.

Who? Children below age 5.

How? Take them to the center. Tell the medical staff/doctor there about your baby's current health, age, previous vaccination date and other details you feel important in this regards. They will decide whether to give vaccine or not (in some rare cases, it may be advised against giving, such as a very high fever or taking any other medication) The vaccine is offered free of cost by Indian government. So make use of it.

Trivia:

Jonas Salk - Inventor of Polio Vaccine

When Jonas Salk (inventor of Polio vaccine) was asked in a televised interview who owned the patent to the vaccine, Salk replied: "There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?"

Being a BE

Everyone of us are born unique. Our tastes differ. Our choices vary. But when it comes to education, everyone is pushing for BE. I am here to share you what I feel about the entire BE-mania.

My Case

When I was a kid, I always dreamt becoming an astronomer. I was very much interested in space. Before we even had our own TV at home, me and my parents used to sit at the steps of our house during nights and I used to watch the sky and ask a lot of questions. Days rolled. My dad took me to a computer center when I was 7. He told me that to become an astronomer, you need to learn computer (really he meant it, as there was no IT boom back then). I was very happy. Those were the days of QBASIC and Lotus 123. When I was 10 years old, my demand was a telescope if managed to get first rank. But I didn't make it that time. Hmm... But by that time, my dad bought me lot of books about space. Almost all of them were printed in Soviet Russia, the pioneer of space. So, they served as a paper telescope for me.

Night sky was my playground!

When I was 15, things changed. Everyone around me started to tell me that unless I get "good" marks in SSLC, I won't get "science group" in higher secondary school. OK, so what? Then I can't study engineering or medicine. But, what about my astronomer dreams? Then I realized that I myself had lost my interest somewhere in the middle. I was shaped by the education, society and lack of opportunities. The same parents who encouraged me when I was a kid, started to say, you first improve your handwriting or you memorize the poems, when I watched programs on space in Discovery channel.

I scored moderately good in SSLC, and landed in science group. By that time, my dad had some health issues, and I couldn't give lot of thoughts about space or anything else for that matter apart from school and family. But at the same time, I was blessed with great teachers. Back then, we had entrance exams for engineering. So I joined a coaching center like everyone else. My friends who were with me know how much I hated the entire engineering thing (even though I had interest in electronics and computers it was not up to the level I loved physics and space).

My first DIY FM radio, while at school

But the pressure on me as the only son to take up the family responsibility before my dad retired was so bad. I had only 5 years in hand to study, find a job and earn to support my family as my dad's health continued to have issues.


I was left without options. I didn't even apply for any other courses apart from BE "as everyone did". There was literally no one to tell me. No one to support me. If this is the case of the only son from a middle class, educated family, imagine what will happen to the rest. I joined BE, electronics and communication in a private college through merit (That is just a lie, I am coming there). Even at that time, I thought if I can study well, I can become anything I want. I did so. I envisioned lot of jobs. I thought, at least, I should become an electronics engineer in some space labs. But people told me that I will not be able to find a job with a decent salary as I am not studying in a "good" college. FUCK! Everyone is studying Anna University syllabus right? I was wrong.

Believe me! It is a trap! But you have no choice...

I was one among the first 4 who got selected in an IT company in our college. I didn't even know the name of that company when I was selected. I believed for sure that I will not work in that company. I was very much interested in circuits and micro-controller programming. But when I finished my education, even with a good streak from primary school to college, I couldn't find any job that I dreamt. I became, not an astronomer, not an engineer in a government or private space lab, not a circuit designer, not even a guitarist but a "software engineer" (I still hate that title). The company that recruited me took people in batches. It was not until you are called, that you know which technology you will work on. I was called in a batch. Until I went there and joined, I didn't know which technology or nature of job I am supposed to do. I didn't even know whether it was a development or support or testing or anything else. It was much like "Shut the fuck up and do what we say or else get the hell out of here!". There was so called "bond" too!

Yet another faceless person in the crowd! I feel that I have lost my identity :(

I thought that they would fire me within the training. But cleared it. I thought I will resign after the bond ends. But fortunately or unfortunately I was tied up to work and earn. People say, "if you don't get what you love, then love what you get." That happened to me. I slowly started to love what I got. Life as a programmer goes on. The only achievement I can boast till date is my resistance against onsite positions. I was offered to travel abroad to client location many times. I declined. I hate to follow crowd. Especially those who want to go to US on whatever cost. By ignoring their family. By playing dirty politics in office. Just to earn money and become inhuman. I don’t want and never wanted to become one of them. This is my life. Not only mine. Many of the BEs live like this.

Why parents are forcing their children to BE?

If I tell that the government policy is the main reason for all this mess, will you accept? I am not saying DMK/ADMK/BJP/Congress are the reason. No matter who rules, the policy is determined by corporates and rich elites. That is the reason. At least, that is what I believe to be the reason. The greed and culture of the society is having a minor impact too.

The government opened doors for corporates and multinational. The corporates need skilled labor for their air-conditioned sweat shops called IT companies. So the government increased engineering seats. As it can't afford cheap and quality education to everyone, they bargained with rich industrialists/movie stars/politicians to open colleges. The fees is rightly set so that not too low to make the parents and students feel that the education is cheap. Not too high that makes parents think this is not for us. It is rightly set to the level that every parent can pay after getting loan or with very tight economic planning. The students are preached day in and day out that they are risking their parents money and their future. So they should not talk with girls, involve in politics or social movements. Instead they should present paper in symposiums. Join IEEE and add weight to their resume.

Students should not talk with girls, involve in politics or social movements.

Hand picked students are sent to campus interviews to lift the college's image. The students are brainwashed to become mute and not even in their thoughts they rebel against authority. That is the corporate mindset. That will make them obey their PM unconditionally if he shouts at them and force them to work on weekends. That is how they shape the young generation to become aware of the world. "Keep quiet and live! Else, suffer.", "Cultured people won't fight for their rights, they just live calm", "Settling in life is more important than doing what you love." Good lessons indeed. These colleges are run by rich people who see it as yet another business. They exploit poor people and milk the middle class everything they have and force them to take loans and sell properties. They call it is merit seat, yet demand Rs. 60,000 every year! Is that the respect you pay for merit? Fuck off bastards!

Which parent will think, "let the kid next door become a doctor or engineer. My son will become a hockey player as he wishes."? Everyone wants to see their grandchildren. For that they want their children to marry. For that they need own house. For that they need money. For that they need a job which can give lot of money. For that they need to do MBBS (only few seats and need for MS/MD makes it hard for many) or MBA (only B schools or foreign universities makes it hard for many) or the last option BE, which can land you in an IT job with "onsite" option. For that they need to score well in 12th. For that they need to study in a "good" school. For that they need money. For that they need to earn more. And this cycle never ends.

The people who study other courses are forced to feel inferior to their BE counterparts. They have to force these BEs to take loans, drive their cabs, build their apartments, manage hotels, serve them as air hostess etc. We are just chickens from newly opened factory farms to meet the demand created by KFC and Mc Donalds. Other are just local chickens left with no food to eat and no water to drink. They have to eat the leftover of KFC and Mc Donalds and drink the water they wash their hands.

A typical parent's mindset:

I will join my child in a high class school even if it takes 1000 times more money compared to "normal" schools.

I will take up the interview to join my kid in LKG.

This will make sure that my kid will get seat in a good school for 6th.

For 6th admission, even if he doesn't get good marks, I will give donation and get seat in a good CBSE school as Matriculation follow the same syllabus as government schools after "samacheer kalvi". YUK!

If my son is interested in kabadi, who cares? I will join him in skating class. No matter there are no good roads to skate in my town.

I will start sending 10th tuition from 9th standard itself.

Even if he gets lesser mark in 10th I will get recommendation or pay donation and get seat in a strict school with good coaching.

There is no 11th. My kid will study 12th for two years.

After that I will join him in a engineering college with "campus interview" through merit by paying 60,000+ per year!. Even with donation.

If the company he got selected doesn't have good onsite option, I will send him to B School or MBA in foreign university.

My kid will pay the loan for first 4 years of job.

After that 2 years onsite.

After that an apartment with 20% down payment, rest EMI.

Marriage with 1 kg gold and 5 lakhs dowry, apart from car and all home appliances from soap box to AC.

Force his wife to work and have only one kid.

He will pay EMI for 20 years. Else go to onsite and reduce it to 18 years.

Join my grandchild LKG in a good school to start the cycle again.

I will close my eyes in peace!

Shit! You better eat shit, than living like this.


Frankly I Don't Know!

I don't have much idea to say what we need to do! I am not expert. All I have written is the emotional outburst I have everyday. I think we should diversify our education and allow young people to do what they love. Opportunities should be created equally across various sectors. Science and arts should be given importance. Agriculture should be given priority.

We are an agricultural nation. We need lot of research in crops and irrigation. We need to build dams and power plants. We need to explore the space. We need to build bridges. We need to establish food and social security for all. We have to afford free education. We have to invent and discover new things. That won't happen with the our young generation locked in BE/MBBS/MBA and forced in to slavery for corporates.

I know some may think that this guy is in IT, living a comfortable life and writing something to fool us. I am sorry for still working in IT. But I have no other option. I am still trying hard to switch to some other stream. But the harder I try, the more frustrated I get. Only thing I do is, I live cheaply. I try my best to keep luxuries like AC, microwave, LCD TVs etc at bay. I try not to join the crowd in traveling to onsite, killing time in malls and pubs, buying car and apartments on loan. I call on everyone to do the same. If you are in IT, just earn for your life like everyone else in other fields. Don't let the excess money entice you to get addicted to luxuries. Once you are addicted, you can't leave that IT hell for ever. You will demand for more and more and more money, until you forget all important things/people/joys in the life.

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