Blissful Life

Month: September 2009

  • Dare to Think Beyond just Google, Gmail, Facebook, Youtube and Wikipedia

    The internet is the best thing that human beings have invented (at least until 8 pm tonight). But still, millions of internet users all over the world do not visit more than 5 websites on an average day. (Those being google, gmail, facebook/orkut, youtube and rarely wikipedia too). Considering the fact that there is probably more than 182,226,259 sites out there, this is a pretty small number though certainly not negligible, because most people get whatever they need from those few sites.
    If you are someone who love to break out of the pack and venture into the internet, here’s what to do.
    First of all you must know that google is the answer to all your questions. If it hadn’t been for google or similar search engines, internet would have been a grand failure. And we should be grateful that google does exist because it is such a huge thing (the god of internet). Just think it without google. How would life in internet be? No mail, no scraps, no videos, no news, no search, not even me… Horrible life.

    So, google

    It’s analogous to human life. People are born into the internet knowing about a single site – google, then they learn everything about the web.

    With google there is gmail, orkut, youtube, blogger,  (and since you are reading this blog I know that you know about these already)
    But these are not the only services that google provides:
    There is even more
    News : An automatically updating database of news. Finds the latest news matching your query. Can even substitute your newspaper.
    Translate : You know what it is. Does an excellent work, you can even put in url and it does the rest. It can even detect language (so you needn’t know the language you don’t know in order to know what is being told)
    Groups : The best and easiest way to do something together with your friends, colleagues. Share files. Anything.
    Docs : Though I don’t use it for creating documents, it is great help for viewing attachments in my mails.
    Reader  : The best and easiest way to read and subscribe to feeds online. What are feeds?

    Now I shall start about sites that are meant to be read, and not used. And before that I must tell you what feeds are. Feeds are also called RSS feeds or Atom feeds (RSS and Atom are different types of feeds. But either can be used without much problems). They are usually seen as links under the title RSS or subscribe or Feed or in websites.  Now, what you must do is to copy the link and paste it in your feed reader (by the way feed reader is a software used to read feeds) But since there is google reader, you just need to go to google reader and add a new subscription. But nowadays, you needn’t do even that. There is feedburner that adds extra functionality to feeds. The feedburner feed links takes you to a page where you can select which online feedreader to use and you will be automatically subscribed to that feed. Just click on this link to test it

    So now that you are familiar with feeds, you can go to the sites I’m going to tell and subsribe to them one by one, or alternatively subsribe to a bundle of all those feeds in just one click, which is available at the end of this post.

    Now some personality development websites.
    zenhabits : my personal favourite. The biggest guide to simplicity available on net. Leo Babuta is bound to simplify your thoughts, likes and life after you start reading. (start here)
    PluginID : Another nice one from this niche. Written by Gen Allsopp who have firsthand experience in dropping out and freelancing and so on. (start from this post)

    Dumb Little Man: Tips about productivity, simplicity, etc and the real reason why it’s a cracker? The articles in it are submitted by great bloggers around the world trying to gain a bit more publicity, and therefore are bound to be top-notch.

    Now, a bit about technology:
    Lifehacker is a site that gives you tips, tricks and links to various great things out there. It’s written by a group of people and at least 20 posts are made a day. (start with these)

    After all, there are some sites you’ve heard of but haven’t started using.
    Twitter : From Barack Obama to Shashi Tharoor there is everyone in twitter tweeting about what they are doing.
    Entrecard : If you are a blogger you’ll find this a handy tool to gain traffic to your blog by advertising on other blogs in the network without money, but with credits that you can gain by displaying others’ ads on your blog.

    And wait a minute, did I tell you about stumbleupon? The basis of stumbleupon is simply a firefox toolbar. It has a few buttons called stumble, I like this, I don’t like this, etc. When you click stumble, after creating an account at stumbleupon, you will get to a website you haven’t heard of but you must hear of, based on the areas of interest you chose while signing up for an account. And if you like that site, you can click I like it. Then stumbleupon will see what other websites people who liked this website liked and brings you another website you may like on the next click of stumble. It’s fun when you start using it.

    If you are a google reader user, you can just subscribe to this bundle and subscribe to many sites I’m subscribed to in a single click.

  • The Golden Rule in Social Life

    The best thing about being a kid is that you can be frank in your opinions, blurt anything out to anyone and live a carefree life. But the moment you break out of the childhood shell, you gather a lot of cobwebs.
    Then you can no longer talk like you talked when you were a kid. You will have to consider and reconsider every word before you let it out. You will have to think twice before you talk.

    And since I learned it the hard way, I believe I’m experienced enough to share that golden rule of social life and communication.

    And that most unwelcome, most painful, most disgusting rule of life which everyone should remember before even thinking about talking is… [with bated breath]
    …that “No two persons think exactly alike“

    A bit familiar?
    Ever thought something and heard the exact opposite thought from someone else? Ever had a debate where people never seem to understand your way of thinking? Ever tried to appreciate someone and ended up gaining hatred? Ever tried to convince somebody and failed miserably?

    Yeah, you know what I’m speaking about.
    The reason why there are more debates in the world than constructive criticism, the reason why people are always in two sides on every topic of discussion, the reason heaven is not situated on earth, the reason for every extra word spoken…

    For if everyone were thinking alike there would be no doubt, no question, no answer, no debate, no question of who is right, no conflict, no war. Completely calm, quiet.

    No. The world has been designed for mutations and differences. Evolution is entirely dependent on differences. Should there be the fittest, there will also be the feeblest. And so, biologically, we are designed to think different, so that even if some of us do things that may be dangerous for the survival of life, others think different.

    Of course our parents or friends may think like us (though not exactly alike in all cases), but we must remember that our parents are the ones who define most of our thoughts, and that we find similar minded people first and friends next.

    Now leave that aside. Let us concentrate on how knowing this fact can save you out of a lot of trouble.

    I have had many occasions in life which I would very fondly like to undo, but alas! there is no Ctrl+Z shortcut for that in real life. I had made a controversial speech in my school about my life there, which I intended to be a joke packed thriller. But when it was delivered it slapped many people blunt on their faces. What happened here? What I thought to be harmless, where actually venom packed fangs (according to people who thought thus)

    Then there is a whole bunch of marriages where I tried to crack jokes to people whom I scarcely know (supposedly my relatives) and most of them backfired as insults and stupidity because some people think giving respect is the only way somebody younger than them can acknowledge their presence. (You know me, I just don’t like these adults being serious, life is supposed to be enjoyed)

    And what did I learn?
    Nobody thinks alike. So, though you are absolutely right when you talk with yourself, you range everything from exactly true to pure blasphemy. And what does that mean? If you don’t want yourself to be misheard, you’d either speak nothing, or don’t be frank in front of people whom you don’t know.

    When your honest opinion is sought, most probably your positive comments are what is being expected. So, if you don’t have something good to tell, you’d rather not let it out, unless you know the other person very well and are sure that they won’t take it personally.
    And when you are speaking to a crowd, never talk about a person. If at all you are, don’t talk anything (i said anything) about negatives.

    Come on, now tell me your frankest opinions about this post.

  • It is not about your age, it is about your inclination

    Fun and Fun Only sent me a thought provoking mail yesterday.

    3 stupid stages of life
    We have 3 stupid stages of life………..
    Teen age: Have Time + Energy …but No Money
    Working Age: Have Money + Energy …but No Time
    Old age: Have Time + Money …but no Energy

    This is an accurate description of the lives of the billions of people who took birth on this earth and left it without disturbing a leaf. They pass their childhood thinking about things they would do when they grow up. And when they grow up they have their jobs and family to take care of and they even forget what their dreams were. And after they have grown old, they remember their childhood dreams but they declare themselves unfit to pursue them and retire to a solitary life waiting death.

    While we could be just doing it (like Nike says), we waste time finding excuses for why we can’t be doing it. Is there nothing on this earth that a kid can do without money? Can’t time be bought and used if you have money and energy? Does the fact that you are weak prove a handicap?

    It is all about whether you want to do it or not? Whether you can do it or not is not a meaningful question, because you can do anything, but only if you will.

    So, some practical ways to make things happen, at all ages.

    If you are a kid:
    You know how to dream. You like to do things.
    But you don’t know where or how or what to do?
    This is where organisations come to your help.
    You can sign up for NCC, JCI, Scouting, etc. in your city.
    You can be a help for the librarian in the public library (and he will probably let you know about things that is happening)
    You can join the activities of organisations for elders like Rotary club or Lion’s club, (and inspire adults)
    You can form a group with your friends as members and collect money and donate it.

    Whatever you do there is one big advantage of being a kid. People don’t expect you to do these things, so when they see you do these, they will shower their blessings and cooperate seamlessly.

    If you are working:
    You’ve got a job. You’ve got a family to take care of. You’ve got just one holiday per week which you would rather spend relaxing. Where the hell do you have time?
    But think carefully. The childhood lasts only for about 25 years and of it 10 years you’re in absolute bliss.
    If you’re lucky you may live up to 80 years but your body will last only for about 65 years, i.e. 10 years after retirement.
    Your working age is the widest phase in your life. When you think week by week you might be having little or no time. But think of it as a whole. It’s the best part of your life. Where seconds can be hours.
    Why don’t you take leave for a week and do some social service? You might need to meet the same organisations I mentioned before.
    Why don’t you donate to somebody.
    Sponsor a child’s education, an athlete, someone’s eye surgery.
    Donate blood.

    If your vision has started blurring
    If you are old and if you do nothing, you will end up neglected in your home as if you were the dull picture hanging on the wall. If there’s something that can bring value to your existence it is only activity. Do something.
    Learn to use computer.
    SMS your grandson.
    Help your son in share market.
    Go for a morning walk with your walking stick.
    Teach children whatever you know. Share your experience.
    And why not write a book?

    The mind :
    Decide whether you want to do it. You probably would want to.
    Then think of yourself, in your death bed. Or after your death. How would you like people to remember you? Would you have them love you because you were a human or would you have them love and adore you because you were an extra-ordinary human?
    Do you want to live the ordinary life or the extra-ordinary.
    It’s easy to be ordinary. But at the same time it is not going to do anything for you.

    But when you are unlike others, when you are a kid who does what none of your friends dares to, when you are an officer who does what none of your colleagues never think of, when you are an old man with more energy and enthusiasm than anyone else, then you will really shine, and your light will last for ever.

    Do what no one else has done

  • A Glimpse Into What’s Been Keeping Me Busy

    This post comes after a really long break (almost 17 days. That’s huge!). And during these days blogger rolled out many new features, Onam was celebrated by Malayalis all over the world, and Federer reached the semi-final of US Open. Still I couldn’t make any post. Why?
    I had decided that I wouldn’t post until
    I create a new layout for my blog myself (of course using resources which I’m going to mention very soon)
    And now I’m glad to announce to you that I’ve succeeded in creating a brand new template that not only pleases my eyes but also proves to be extremely effective.

    And along with that there is another major change. Change has become ASD of INDIA. [update on next night: ASD of INDIA has become Blissful Life which means much more about this blog]
    Yeah, I do know Change is a much better name but due to many reasons I don’t want it to be my blog’s name. (Those reasons will make another post)

    All these changes and this particular post is dedicated to all of my friends and schoolmates at Chinmaya Kannur, who visited this blog, liked it and made it a point to tell me that they liked it. I can’t find words to thank Nishan, who not only found this blog but also spread the word inside his large circle. My sincere thanks also to Mithun, Anoop, Akash, Abhishek, Waqas, Fathima, Raysa, Ratan, Arjun, Thushar, two brothers in +2 (whose names I don’t remember) and all those whose names I’ve (unknowingly) omitted, for their unyielding support. I wish I could live upto their expectations.

    Now tell me your comments on the new look of my blog.