Shyam's Blog

Future computer will look like a TV. 1) It will not have any OS per say. 2) Switch it on - it starts off like a TV. 3) It will be connected to the net (just like a TV is connected to cable). What will be the first screen? Just a login screen which will open up your space on the web. Why all these ideas? Today's computer doesn't mean a lot without internet. We use email, communicate using IMs, pay bills online, follow news, shop online; we even watch movies/tv online. To extend to these things, we are able to write a document/presentation and store it online for easy access from anywhere. Don't forget the recent development of online storage - your music, movies, files, etc. With everything linked to internet, we don't need gigabytes of space and a dedicated OS. All we need is something which can replace 'browser'. The hardware might look similar to a cute Mac with USB ports (to attach your external disk). Just a thought.

On "Fresh Air", a radio talk show, there was a discussion about punishing kids - the question was, "Do you punish your kids? If so, how?" One said, "The easiest way to make a kid obey is to tell 'no cartoons for you' ." I can imagine kids without cartoons on tv. Another person mentioned that kids always love to eat desert than the main course of any meal. So, tell the kid, "No desert for you."

Facts have to be written out now. Many know them and there is no denial. Healthcare, especially Emergency care/Urgent care in the United States is worse compared to other countries around the globe. With lots of paperwork and procedures, Emergency Rooms (ER) are the places of waiting lounges similar to a bus or a train station. Last week was my turn again to be the victim of such a system which doesn't seem to improve in the near future. An ER patient is treated like an outpatient with no urge for urgency. My wife and I drove to the ER by 10:00am Sunday morning because of my abdominal pain. By the time I finished the paperwork, it was 11:30am. Up to 1pm, we two were sitting waiting to be called in for the first look by the nurse. One of the worst rules of ER - "Do not eat or drink anything till the doctor sees you." This is all it takes to make a patient become impatient ;). From 10am to 2pm, the period when I felt like lying down, I never had a chance to do that. When I ...

It was so full of sleep for me last Sunday-Monday that rest of this week has been mostly with no sleep. Those two days, doctor kept me on pain killers and narcotic drugs to relieve me from pain/infection/inflammation. Later, he sent me home and put me on steroids. Now I know what it does to an athlete if he/she takes them - full of energy all day and night which is very hard to drain out. I wouldn't recommend anyone to start any treatment on steroids. Just avoid it because of the effect it has on the body. If one starts taking it, its dosage has to be reduced gradually to avoid sudden fatigue and distress. Energy levels of the body will be high and if stopped at once will make the body wanting for it. Now, I am feeling better. But, no sleep is not good.

Picture (courtesy New York Times) - This is the venue for 2008 Olympics Canoe/Kayak events. People are working hard to remove the algae from the coastline and get it ready for the big Games. Read the article here

From today, California law does not allow use of cell phones while driving. Drivers must have a hands-free device to talk over phone. This is one of the multi-tasking the law looked into now. Not to forget, any task like "eating a burger", "doing make-up", "shaving", etc., which may obstruct the driver from driving normally may be considered an offense and is punishable with a citation/ticket.