Extras in Plants vs Zombies

Plants vs Zombies is one of the really nice games to play on your mobiles phones. Below is some of the interesting and funny extras that I spotted in the game. Images are both from the PvZ 1 and 2.

Charlie Charlie Pencil Game Explained

A recent viral video on the internet is the 'Charlie Charlie Challenge'. It's a game that apparently summons the demon 'Charlie' to answer questions.

To play the game, draw a cross (like X-Y axis) on a sheet of paper. Put a “yes” on two squares and a “no” in the remaining two.Place a pencil on the vertical line and then balance another pencil sitting crosswise atop of it.

To summon the demon, ask “Charlie, Charlie, can we play?” After a while the pencil will move to answer 'yes' or 'no'.

Below is the video of me trying it out

 

The reason behind this is gravity. As mentioned in the Independent , The awkward positioning of the pencil means that the slightest disturbance will cause it to move to a equilibrium position. The game's pencil arrangement means that the top pencil will always move irrespective of whether you summon the spirit or not.

The pencil sometimes does not move because it might not have been balanced properly in the first place. So there is it folks, there are no demons or spirits behind this game and is perfectly safe.

Difference between Indian and UK Elections

Having exercised my right to vote in the 2014 Indian general elections as a Indian citizen and in 2015 UK general election as a commonwealth citizen, this post aims to bring out the difference in elections between the two countries.

India having been ruled by the British not so long ago, follows the same electoral system of 'First Past the Post' or 'Winner-takes-all', where the election is won by the candidate receiving more votes than any others.[1]

India used to have a ballot system but has now moved on to Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). The British still use ballot papers. India does not have postal votes.

Registering to vote is really quick in the UK. It took me less that 2 weeks to get my name on the register list. Whereas in India, it takes months requiring a lot of documents. Only citizens of India are allowed to vote in any elections held in India whereas commonwealth citizens staying in UK at the time of elections can vote. The minimum age of voting is 18 in both countries.

Another important difference is, Indian elections have the option of "None of the above (NOTA)". It is a voting option that allows voters who support none of the candidates available to them to register an official vote of "none of the above"[2]. The sad part is even if the 'NOTA' count is the highest, the candidate with the next highest vote wins the election.

References

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_India

Is thermal comfort more important than low carbon emissions when designing workplaces?

Synopsis:

Office spaces are major emitters of carbon dioxide due to their high energy needs for heating, cooling, lightning and office-equipment use. Energy efficient practices are being employed to reduce emissions. In some cases, the thermal comfort needs of the occupants are being compromised to achieve low emissions. Thermal discomfort can have adverse effects on the occupant’s well-being and can distract them from their work. This essay will explain why thermal comfort is important when designing workspaces than achieving low carbon emissions. Firstly, an introduction into thermal comfort and its effect on human health is given. Followed by a look into a typical office space and its energy consumption. The argument made in the essay is, sacrificing thermal comfort will affect the productivity of the workforce. The link between carbon emissions, thermal comfort and employee productivity is established. Case studies conducted in workspaces are given to show their relationship. Finally, the gains that can be achieved through increased productivity as opposed to energy savings is shown to prove the point that thermal comfort is indeed more important when designing workplaces

Check out the rest of the essay by clicking the link below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwMmCovFqgqzSUZuR2NjTkxpZzg/view?usp=sharing

Topics covered in the essay include the link between productivity and thermal comfort , economically benefits to a company because of increased productivity and the carbon emissions of maintaining the desired comfort standards.Also included is the perception of work forces to thermal comfort and green buildings in general.


Please comment your views!

How to get the best out of Google?

Hi guys,

Here is a nice info-graphic on the various features of google.
It will teach you how to get the most out if your searches in Google and also the things you could do with. Shortcuts and tricks included.
To save the image  left click --> save image as

How to get broadband in UK?

Hey all, here is a step by step guide on how to get broadband connection in the UK. It is not possible to live with being connected to the world so it is essential to get your broadband up and running quickly.

Step 1 :
See if you already have a landline connection installed at your place. If it is installed , it speeds up the process.

Step 2 :
Decide between cable broadband or fibre optic.
Broadband connections come along your telephone wire so if you have a landline connection setting up broadband is easy.Fibre optic require special fibre optic cables and getting fibre connection depends on the area you live in.

Step 3:
Once you have made the choice on the type of connection, its time to decide your provider
This involves a fair bit of research and depends on your preferences and needs.
Please note that whatever provider you choose, the speed of your broadband depends on the line installed by the telephone company. Even if they say 10-15 Mbps speed in their ad's, if your telephone line can carry only 2Mbps you will get 2Mbps only.

Step 4 :
Choose your plan and provider online and oder online or at their store.
It will take ten days for you to be connected if you already have a telephone connection. Even more if a engineer visit is required.

How to get a Power of Attorney from the Indian Embassy?

Hey all, here is a step by step guide on how to get a PoA from the Indian embassy/consulate if your staying abroad. This is from my own personal experience when I got mine from the embassy in Edinburgh.

Step 1 :
Prepare the power of attorney document. You can get the template from your bank or you can draft one yourself.
If you do prepare your own PoA make sure it as all the details the bank needs.

Step 2:
Print out the PoA in a A4 paper. Since the registration is done in India, you don't need to have it in legal paper or stamp paper. The embassy will only authentic your signature and no actually registration takes place.

Step 3:
Locate your nearest Indian embassy. You can google search it. If it is close by,  you can go there yourself or there is a option to post the documents.

Step 4:
Documents needed
1) PoA document.(Do not sign the document, it has to be done in front of the officer)
2) Passport Xerox copy.
3) Visa Xerox copy.
4) Two passport photographs.
5) Address proof. (utility bill or bank statement)
6) Fees in cash only. (Check embassy website)

Please note that the documents needed may change depending on the embassy.
You don't need to take anyone along with you to sign as witnesses. It is not needed for getting a PoA at the embassy.

Step 5:
Go to embassy or post the documents depending on your convenience.
If you do decided to go there, it will take a day. You submit your documents in the morning and you can pick it up in the afternoon. No speed up service offered.
On the final page of your PoA, you will see the embassy seal and wordings saying that the embassy is not responsible for the content. This is standard and nothing to be worried about. You will also have the embassy seal on every page.

Step 6:
Post the authenticated PoA to your attorney in India. They have to register it in the registrar office within three months from the date of authentication for it to be valid.

Hope you find it useful! If you have any questions please fell free to leave a comment.