An Overview of Gmail - A Comparison With Other Email Services

Google Gmail is a great service. With about 2.7 GB of storage and 20 MB of transmission at a time, I think this is the best facility available at this time.

Earlier, one could open an account by invitation only. Now it is open and anyone can have a Gmail account.

Gmail is free and loaded with many other features. Most important of these are the accessibility of Google Adsense and Google Adwords from the same account.

Greater storage and ad free interface make it superior to many other free email services.

However, I have noticed a few problems with Google Gmail.

At present I am using Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail. I have been the longest user of Hotmail. I think I never had any problems with Hotmail.

As compared to Hotmail, Gmail remained inaccessible to me many a times. I got the message that there were technical difficulties. Of course the service was restored after a few hours or overnight, but when I needed to see email, it was not accessible. I really felt bad at those times.

One major problem with Gmail is that it bundles all emails from the same email address together. Many times it becomes hard to find the latest email or to find some particular email. One has to go through all the emails and many times it is confusing.

I also lost my emails many times. When having emailed something, the other party reportedly did not receive it. I tested it by sending email from my Hotmail. I found out that at times it did not receive my email. I don't know who is at fault. I suspect Gmail.

I am not sure how long I can use this service, but the jumbling of emails is one major problem with me at present. Hope Google modifies and makes it easier.

Secrets of Long Life - Good Health

Life expectancy seems to have increased globally in different countries at varying rates. In many countries it is past 80 now.

It looks like that life expectancy is directly linked with the level of income. More the per capita income of a country, more the life expectancy.

Most important factors that affect the average length of life are diet and food habits, medical facilities, personal hygiene, culture, emotional well being, marital relations, family issues etc. Living standards constitute a prominent factor in the life span of a person.

Some simple food habits and caution can go a long way in promoting the life span of a person. Eating a lot of vegetables, avoiding artificially prepared food, avoiding too much of sugar and sweets, stopping drinking and smoking, exercising etc. are some of these simple steps. These don't cost much.

An important key to good health is eating a lot of food in its raw state. These include green vegetables, salad, fruits, natural juices, natural water, dairy products, fish etc.

One should take plenty of drinks like water and juice. This is a sure way of keeping a body healthy.

Another major factor that I have found useful is to give stomach some rest after every few days. By this I mean to do fasting or very minimal eating for one full day after intervals. This will help in cleaning the inner system.

If I remember correctly there is a fable from Aesop on eating. According to it, one should never eat unless one is hungry. And one should not eat to one's full. One should always eat a little less than full stomach.

Exercise is good. This refreshes and strengthens body muscles. This also improves digestive system. If one is short of time, one can do a little bit of exercise even during one's normal activities. It is only a question of will power and change of life habits. On need not to join a health club.

By following some simple steps, one can maintain enviable health and beauty. I am sure one can maintain a youthful look and energy till sixties. I know people in fifties easily looking 10-20 years younger because they cared for their life and have been living a simple and worry free life. One should also pay special attention to mental health as well.

A Review of DayTipper.com

Formerly known as Vitamin T, DayTipper.com is a site which pays for sharing tips with others. If you have got a great tip, you can share it with others. Anyone who has a tip, can submit it to daytipper.com. If they approve and publish it, they promise to pay $3 for each tip.

The business model under this site seems quite attractive. This can not only get bright original ideas to light, thereby benefiting the community at large, but it can also earn cash for its contributors.

One can see hundreds of tips on different subjects on this site anytime.

The policy of daytipper.com is that once it accepts a post or tip and publishes it on its website, the tip becomes its property or copyright. In other words, they are buying each tip for $3.

Not many people have shared their experiences on this site. Whatever little information is available, it appears they have been rejecting a lot of tips. Secondly, one person is reported not to have been paid for his tips that were accepted.

So at present, there is not much to say about the payment record of daytipper.com. But judging from the number of available tips on this site, it seems people have been contributing.

If one is writing one's own ideas just for sharing with others, then there is no payment problem involved. However, if one is contributing purely for making money, then one has to be cautious. One can always give it a try for some time and find out.

How I Fixed My Used Car

I recently bought a used car. It had many problems. The three major problems were i) the driver side door lock was not working, ii) the speedometer was out of order, and iii) break was not working properly.

I know many mechanics. The first mechanic took 2 days to fix the break. I asked him to fix the other things. But he seemed to be taking his own time. In fact he could not understand how to fix other problems especially the speedometer and the door lock.

I was told that fixing the above two problems is hard. The door may not be fixed at all without replacing the entire locking system for all the doors. That was scary.

I went to an electric mechanic to talk to him about the speedometer. He refused to be of any help. While driving around, my wife saw one sign board of a Honda mechanic. And we made a dash to him. He immediately agreed to fix the speedometer.

We were lucky that he had just got a used sensor from somewhere. He replaced the sensor and lo the speedometer got working at $70. Had I believed the first mechanic, I would have been in trouble.

Impressed by his work, I asked this Honda mechanic to fix my other problems. He changed one pipe which was easy. He expressed his inability to fix the door lock. He suggested to change all cylinders or put on a remote access system on the door. Both were expensive and disheartening. The door lock itself was irreparable, he reported.

Without any hope I asked some other mechanics. Everyone was of the same opinion. Finally I landed up with one mechanic whom I knew for long and I was avoiding him as he was a little expensive.

I called this mechanic on phone and asked him if he could fix my door lock, but with least hope. He suggested to take the car to him. Anyway I went to him. On arrival, he told me that he will fix the lock at $80. Finally he agreed at $60. I did not believe he will be able to repair it. I was really surprised when after 20 minutes of work, my lock was working.

Then I had to change the tires. This mechanic was not having used tires of my size. So I went to another place and got two tires changed. I was surprised that I had 2 different tire sizes on my car. He put on 2 used tires.

When I went to my earlier mechanic, He asked me why I had put on winter tires? Oh gosh how I missed to see that? I called the tire guy. He refused and said that I was at fault and he can do nothing except to charge me extra.

The moral of the story is that if you got a problem with your car, do not rely on the opinion of just one mechanic. Visit as many of them as possible. Some one will fix your problem. Also be careful while changing the parts like tires. Put on all season tires.

How To Sort Out Issues With A Used Car

Past two weeks have been very tough for me because of a used car that I happened to buy. My ordeal started when I got rid of my old Carola. It served me well and faithfully.

After Carola I bought Chrysler Intrepid. I do not know much about cars. When my mechanic saw my new car, he just got angry. His outright remark was that Intrepid is the worst car in North America.

I shortly found it out. My steering was not working properly and with a 3.5 L engine, it was drinking expensive gas. Just after three weeks I sold it at a loss.

Not having much money and having remained without a car for about 2 weeks, I decided to buy a very inexpensive car for the time being and then go far a newer one when my finances improved.

The lady who sold me this inexpensive car (Honda Accord), told me all good stories about it. My troubles started when I brought it home.

First, the door key on the driver side did not work. So I had to use the other door. Battery was dead. Engine and some other lights were blinking. Exhaust started making noise. I found lot of dirt underneath seats. Breaks were loose. Front tires were almost dead. Engine rubber pipe had thinned out.

Radio was not working. Air conditioning was dead. I trusted the lady and I had to pay for it. Now for the last two weeks I have been trying to fix one thing or the other at great cost and expense of time. What I believed to be an inexpensive car has become quite the opposite.

I accept my fault. My ignorance about cars and credulousness put me in great trouble. Moral. Don't trust others easily. Take time to examine in detail if you are buying a used car. Take the help of a mechanic. Be prepared for surprises.

Freedom of Speech

I love all types of freedoms. Freedom of speech is the foremost of them. I want the same type of freedom for everyone.

If someone criticizes me, I will feel upset with myself. I feel disappointed because of my own shortcomings. While I try to avoid criticizing others, I feel if other people criticize, they have some reason.

I will take any type of criticism positively and try to improve.

If I think I am good, I should demonstrate it. How can I or my culture or my beliefs be good, if I am least tolerant, am ready to fight out any type of least criticism and have no respect for debate, discussion and accommodation.

I expect others to vouch for my good nature. I wish people listen to others. We should encourage others to express their views freely. If people are gagged, how can we know how they feel?

May be others have to say something good. May be they are right. May be they are not right. By knowing their views, one can get a chance of removing any misunderstandings.

If we believe that a flower is good, it will be good no matter what ever somebody says against it. Why to fight?

The main thing is that there should be freedom of speech and expression. We should welcome others' point of view. This is the only way we can know about the feelings of others.

There should be free and open debate and discussion on anything. Any sort of misconceptions should be removed by proper arguments. If one is wrong, one should accept it and correct oneself.

In this world we see numerous instances of intolerance and muzzling of open talk and speech. The best thing will be to avoid and shun these elements. The more we try to force reason on them, the more obstinate they are likely to be.

Can Oriental And Occidental Meet?

My best advice will be not to force it. How do I maintain relations. If I find I cannot change the nature of anyone, I leave him alone. I would prefer not to insist on maintaining relations with him.

What can one do if the other party harps on its own views and has no respect for tolerance and accommodation? It is best to leave him alone. If we still insist on continuing relations with that party, we will be harming our cause only.

Is there a meeting place between eastern and western cultures. The best thing is that if one does not like any other culture, it is alright. Let everyone follow one's own practices and believes so long as they are within the confines of that person. One should not cross the limits and invade the privacy of others.

If two cultures do not see eye to eye each other, why it should be a cause of conflict? Live and let live.

Many times, eastern and western cultures do not seem to be in harmony. It is alright. Why it should be a cause of trouble? Let people follow their own way of life.

It is hard to tackle obstinacy, lack of logic, superstition, blind beliefs, intolerance and the like. There are vast numbers of people who do not want to see reason and seem to be quite irrational. Let us not waste time in molding them as there are remote chances of their correction.

Is Canada Really A Mediocre Country?

According to a recent report of Conference Board of Canada, Canada's recent performance has been miserable in innovation and environment. Its ranking has come out to be 14th out of a total of 17 industrialized countries in the category of innovation.

Amongst a total of six factors, Canada has got an "A" only in the field of Education. However, even here the country has been protecting its highly educated professionals. Otherwise, its low levels of literacy are shocking.

Its performance has been lacking in economy, environmental protection, health care and poverty eradication.

There has been low foreign direct investment. There is reported to be little value to growth and shortage of skilled labor.

Some areas where it has been doing well are inflation, growth, labor productivity and unemployment.

Because of less progress in creative thinking, Canada's scientists don't keep up. Canada is known for large natural resources. But there is shortage of skilled labor and graduates in science, engineering and technological fields. In a way Canada is not able to take advantage of high technology.

In order to grow in future, it is essential that it improves its position in innovation, science and technology. The country has to be creative and grow in this age of technology based development.

Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox - A Comparison

I have been experimenting with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox for a long time now. I find certain benefits with the latter as compared to the former.

One main benefit of Firefox is that it remembers my login information for many websites and I don’t have to type them again and again. The only problem with this is that one is apt to forget this information over time. And if sometimes, one is required to submit this afresh, one will have to dig it from other places. However, this may happen once a while.

The other major benefit of using Firefox is that one need not to open several windows. It opens several tabs within the same window which makes it easy to manage many websites from one place.

One more positive factor about it is that if there is some problem on the internet and the window gets unexpectedly closed, the sessions one had been previously working with are restored when restarting Firefox.

The above are the three main benefits of Firefox which cannot be found on Internet Explorer. I don’t find any better feature of IE over Firefox. With this and with new constant upgrades, Firefox has emerged as a clear winner as compared to IE.

I have been using both of these internet tools. Though Firefox is my major web browser now, I use IE as well. Sometimes Firefox gets stalled while loading a website. At that time I immediately turn to IE and open the website.

Moreover, many websites still use only IE. Where a site cannot be loaded in Firefox, the same can be opened with IE. Therefore, one should keep both of them handy.

Buying a Used Car -II

One has to be careful while buying an old car. One should know a little bit of mechanics also. The usual things that one should check are the type of transmission, the engine size, mileage, condition of the body, tires, exhaust system, alignment, condition of seats, availability of air conditioning, air bags, power locks, power seats etc.

It is hard to find a vehicle that matches all the desired features. And when there is a tight budget as well, there is usually a chance of give and take.

Obviously, price is one of the main factors. One has to compare prices of the same vehicle at different places. Generally cars offered for sale by owners will be cheaper than those being sold by car dealers.

The sources of used autos are newspapers, auto magazines, EBay, other online websites, posters, used car dealers, friends and colleagues, TV, radio, liquidators, car mechanics etc.

While buying, one should also be careful because this is an unregulated market, with no warranties, lack of full details about a car, blind spots etc. One may find a gem some time and may also get a junk.

Many times it may be better to buy a car through a used auto dealer because the dealer may take the responsibility, may be more open and professional, may reveal more, may be more cautious, and provide complete service. All this depends upon the level of comfort that one will have while buying an older vehicle.

Buying a Used Car - I

It can be a nightmare, especially if one has a budget.

Why one should buy a used car? Obviously because one cannot afford to buy a new car. Buying either a used or a new car is complicated because of the wide variety of automobiles and models in the market. If one has a fixed budget, it may be hard to get a car of one’s choice.

Generally the factors that should be considered while buying a car are the price, the make and model of the car, the condition, the mileage, repairs required, safety and emission testing etc. There could be many other factors that one has to consider while purchasing a car.

A used car can be purchased from a used car dealer, directly from car owners, from brokers or from government sources. There are many seized cars available from public agencies as well.

There are some varieties of cars which are in high demand. This is especially so with some Japanese cars. These cars are in high demand and have a good resale value.

In fact resale value should have a higher weight age while buying a second car. This is because if one does not like a previously owned car, one should be able to resell it without much loss of value.

How to Stop Laptop Crash and Prolong Laptop Life

Leaving a notebook PC running endlessly can be an invitation to trouble. Hard disk crashes result from many reasons. Individuals, small and big companies are equally vulnerable. After about three years, hard disk failures in laptops is almost common.

No one would like a full HD replacement. By following some simple steps one can save one’s expensive computing equipment.

One simple strategy is to close the cover of the laptop when not in use. This will put the notebook to hibernate, sleep or shutdown mode depending on how one has set up those options on one’s computer. Closing the cover will stop the disk from spinning continuously.

This activity if done even for a few hours a day can prolong the life of a notebook at least by one to two years if not more. If the laptop is inactive and the hard drive is not spinning, the life of a hard disk can go up by several years.

Basic point behind a prolonged and efficient life of a PC is that if not active for a few hours, and then shut it down.

Another simple rule is to set a hard drive to turn off mode after a certain amount of time if the computer is idle. One can customize the time out of our hard drives and display, saving both from burn out. The good thing about shutting down the hard drives is that they wake up as soon as one hits any key.

How to Increase The Life Of a Laptop’s Battery

The following computer components consume a lot of power when in use.

• Hard Drive
• CD/DVD Drive
• Floppy Drive
• Modem
• Network Interface
• The Display

When the computer is not being used, there is obviously scope for reducing power usage by partially turning them off.

We can do the above by choosing appropriate time outs in the power options properties dialog box. For this, we open the Control Panel and then the power options. We can also disable certain laptop features.

After the power options dialog box opens, we can select “Turn Off” option for the monitor and hard disk, so as to send them into the desired mode. This will stop the spinning of Hard drive after a few minutes and also put off the monitor.

This action will result in constant savings of laptop battery. The devices will go in sleep mode and can easily be brought back to life simply by pressing any key or moving the mouse.

We can also choose other hibernation or sleep options from the dialog box. Whatever scheme one chooses, it can be saved under an appropriate name which can be applied again latter on if the scheme somehow gets disturbed.

Laughter – The Best Medicine

Is it easy to laugh? It seems. We have to distinguish between true laughter and forced one. It is only when one laughs spontaneously that one feels the joy of laughter. There is no price that can be fixed for genuine laughter.

World seems to be slowly awakening to the bounties and joys of laughter. We see concerted efforts being made to make people laugh. In many countries laughter is held as part of regular exercise. Laughter sessions are being organized and people made to laugh purposely.

People have realized that laughter has so many physical and psychological benefits. It is believed that people should laugh in order to provide exercise to lungs, jaws, facial muscles and open the valves of heart. Laughter strengthens and gives shape to those muscles which otherwise would not have been exercised.

It is not certain how far this type of forced laughter has the beneficial affects as desired. When laughter is abrupt and spontaneous, one can feel the relaxation of muscles. Purposeful laughter may not be as effective as natural laughter.

There are certain programs run by many voluntary and community bodies aimed at making people laugh. When people see or hear some real pleasing activities or conversation, they tend to burst in laughter.

For example, there is a TV program in Canada by the name of “Just for Laughs”. In this, the actors do certain unusual and absurd acts. Since these bizarre acts are done without the knowledge of people, the ultimate result is sudden laughter and joy. People have been watching this TV series and have really been enjoying. This is a real program which does a real job of making people to laugh.

In this age of high tensions, busy schedules and reduced leisure, any amount of free time is welcome. This has to be accompanied by lighter things of life like laughter. Let everyone make this life lighter and tune do genuine joy and laughter. That is the real medicine for a good and healthy life.

Friend in Auto Mechanic

I think auto mechanics have not got the level of recognition that they deserve. If we think about it closely, we can see how vital they are for our comforts and safety. A little attention from them can save one a lot of trouble.

We suspect auto mechanics more than respecting them. Although they are indispensable, many people do not have positive feelings about them. Reason being a sort of doubt and suspicion about their work.

So may people have the notion that a car mechanic inflates repair charges in various ways and is not truthful. Car mechanics are believed to unnecessarily replace auto parts and do not take pains to repair damaged parts. Mechanics are said mostly to insist on replacing broken parts rather than repairing them.

Some of them are not supposed to be sufficiently qualified to repair most types of cars. Many times different mechanics have varying points of view on the same problem. Of course there are mechanical aids now available, even then human judgment cannot be altogether ruled away.

Despite the above, we cannot afford without an auto mechanic. He takes the role of a friend, an adviser and a person of the last resort. He makes our travel safe and easy. Whenever we have a car problem, we think of him. If we want to buy a new automobile, we take his advice.

Many times we are caught up in very complicated situations. A car mechanic comes to our rescue at that time. Being a specialist in his field, he provides us with so many tips which help us to escape from many troubles. He educates about the condition of our autos and so we are forewarned.

I think one should always find a good mechanic and stick with him. In my case I had to try many mechanics till finally I reached the one I have now. It was not easy. There was a lot of heartburn. But now I have developed some sort of understanding with my mechanic and this gives me some mental peace.

How to Save On Rising Gasoline Prices

Gasoline is going up and up. Just over the last two years, they have risen by about 50 percent. It is taking out a bigger portion out of a person’s pocket now. People have no choice but to buy whatever the price. After all they have to go on their jobs, for shopping, picnics, functions and running around for other necessities of life.

While one can manage without a vehicle in a big city like Toronto or New York because of easy transport facilities, the availability of one’s own transport in other places is necessary. Possession of a vehicle has become a necessity for a large number of people.

Whatever the reason, people have to keep on buying gasoline prices. However, while maintaining driving habits, one can follow certain practices in order to mitigate the harmful affects of pinching gasoline prices.

One major factor can be the car engine. The size of a car engine can affect the gasoline bill more than 50 percent either way. For example, till recently I had been driving Toyota Corolla with an engine of less than 2 L. When I replaced it by a Chrysler Intrepid, my gasoline consumption almost doubled. The reason – my new car engine was 3.5 L.

So one should pay close attention to the engine size of a car. Toyota cars have smaller engine sizes and so they consume less gas.

The weight of the car also matters. Less the weight that a car has to carry, less the gas consumption. Less weight can also be the result of smaller and well inflated tires, removal of all unnecessary things from the car and also by removing heavy seats.

Other factors for consideration are controlling the speed, less application of breaks, using more of neutral, avoiding rapid pushing of gas pedal, reducing idling time and putting the vehicle off etc. There are also times like Sunday and Thursday nights when gas prices are cheap. Some gas stations, like no brand ones, also sell at less prices. One should look out for these.

Recreation Camping

Very few things can refresh and rejuvenate a person than camping outdoors. It is fun to go on camping with family and friends. In fact one should make a rule of going on camping at least twice a year.

Camping affords an opportunity to people to be one with nature, to enjoy greenery, to breathe fresh air, to enjoy extra bright light, exercise, become carefree and do a host of other activities.

One major benefit of camping is that it can be the least form of entertainment. All one needs is a little bit of camping gear, a little car and some camping site admission fees. One need go a long distance for camping; In fact, one can locate very attractive camping grounds nearer to one’s own place. Generally, traveling 100-200 km for camping is highly possible and easy to manage.

There are hundreds of places where one can go for camping. In almost all the countries, there are camping sites and resorts. One can select a site according to one’s preferences and circumstances.

Whatever the venue of camping, one can enjoy considerably if accompanying a like minded group of people. Though there are agencies also which organize camping, but it is preferable to organize and execute one’s own camping.

Another big advantage of camping is that camping involves least amount of time amongst other forms of vacationing. One can go on camping just overnight, although at least two night’s camping is advisable.

One will always feel a refreshed and newer self after each camping.

Towards Becoming An Interested Reader

Is oral education stressful? One effective approach to learning is believed to be following a graduated approach. Under this a teacher adopts certain strategies to the achievement of a predetermined objective.

Main objective of education is to learn and to develop reading and writing skills in a way that one is attracted to self study and self motivation. Learning should be as interesting as possible. It should be fun and attractive to everyone.

Education teaching basically starts from a young age. Basic skills of learning and independent studies are effective when started at about 8-12 years of age. That is the perfect age for molding the thinking and motivation of a student.

Basic purpose of education is to enrich the lives of a person intellectually, physically and spiritually. It has to transform a person into effective human beings. Literature refines a human being, makes him a better person and to live an enriched life.

Therefore, it is very important that the habit of reading good books and first class literature is inculcated in every human being. Reading has to be made fun and interesting. Educators, policy makers and teachers have been striving for a long time to evolve ways of effective teaching and to make students interested readers.

New approach to developing an atmosphere of effective reading involves modeled reading, shared reading, guided reading and finally independent reading. This approach is more relevant at a very young age. If a reading habit is developed in the early stages of a person’s life, ultimately he can develop a love of reading which can be beneficial not only for him but for the entire society as well.

Books are the best friend of a person. One should love great books and literature. They teach a person every aspect of a life. A person learns more from great books. So it is important that teachers, parents, educators and policy makers generate interest in reading from an early age and develop in them a love of learning