human machine efficiency

Was on a bus to work today and was struck by these thoughts.
I saw a construction area, where a few people were working, a mixer was mixing cement, sand and stone another big machine was holding a building chasis and bulldozer digging and clearing earth. I started comparing that to my experience in India, how the same scene would have a lot more people, people holding the chasis, people mixing the cement, people digging, somebody screaming orders etc and that set me thinking.

Is there is a lot more energy going into the same construction with the machines versus one with humans. Account for the machine burning petrol, the energy that went into building that machine (ofcourse divided by the buildings it will build, its repair etc), electric power consumed in the factory, factory for that factory etc, compare that to the energy that went into the man doing the same job, how much he eats and drinks, energy to create what he eats etc. Is it more or less, who is more efficient in the end, it will be an interesting calculation. My hypothesis is that for a machine to do the same job a man was doing it consumes more energy than what the man would, biological bodies are far more efficient at using energy than mechanical bodies. Ofcourse machines do it quicker, we might want to bring time into the equation.

This brings up lots of ideas, machines might be faster, but are less efficient. So is it better to use more people to do something or should we come up with machines that work like us to make them more efficient.

Things that piss me off

SPAM: Spam seems to innundate my mail box, where do these people get my address from, I get everything from breast enlargement, viagra, penis enlarger, home loans to that gregarious nigerian guy who wants to make me a billionaire. I have never bought anything from such emails nor will I ever, is there some way to escape this trauma.

The use of the word LIKE: This has spread like an epidemic, like has its correct uses, but just listen carefully to people talking, every sentence has LIKE peppered all over it, I am not a purist in terms of language, but this LIKE word has to go, every word has its meaning and place to be used, grammar was created for a reason. Its ridiculous hearing people talk, come on get a grip, talk right. Another senseless sentense is "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN", come on, if I knew what you meant without you telling me, that would be called telepathy, we woundt need to communicate using this arcane language and talk system, again that sentence has its uses, but its use has far outstripped its capacity to convey. Speak correctly people.

Insurance companies: They take my money every month, and I still have to co-pay, there is still a deductible and also an upper ceiling as to how much they will cover. Why the *&^% do I need them for then, bastards! I cant even go where I want, it has to be a doctor in their network, even the surgery needs to be in a place they approve. Whats that for, other doctors are quacks, will they perform something their doctor woudnt. My doctor tells me that they dont even pay the doctors completely, taking a cut from the money owed to them. This is completly messed up.

Electronic goods manufacturers and sellers: what do you mean when you say I will sell you this laptop, but warranty is only for 90 days, you cant even garuntee what you make for a time period greater than 3 months. I have to pay for repair, or bend down and take the shaft if the product I bought from you shorts a circuit on the 91st day. What if I took financing from you and told you that my promise to pay it back is only good for 3 months, after which if something went wrong, I didnt pay or payed with phony bills I am not responsible for it. There should be a defined life of product and product should be valid for repair during that period.

Terrorists: Terrorists piss me off big time, I wish I could strangle one of them someday with my own bare hands, every time I hear about a terrorist incident, especially when they take out innocent people I wish I could round them all up and cut of their hands and legs and let them bleed to death, killing them would be doing them a favour.

Mail in rebates: what the #$%! is this mail in rebate thing, if all I have to send to get the rebate is proof of purchase why dont you just ^%$!ing give me the rebate when I am buying it. This is just a scam to get people to buy something and rely on them forgetting to mail the form, or making a miniscule mistake in the million small requirements for obtaining the rebate. Instead of investing in rebate claim centers, postage, CSR's etc just give the god damn rebate on purchase and stop this tamasha. even when I mail them everything there is always some small detail they bring up to refuse me the rebate, and usually I am busy or too fed up to even fight with them and they company pockets the rebate, bloody conniving lynchers.

Thieves: I hate thieves, here I am working hard to earn my daily bread, buy the things I want, sacrificing something just to have something else and this thief comes along and just takes. He is making an easy buck at my expense, its as if all my hard work was just so that he could have that thing. My blood boils, and the fact that I am powerless agaisnt him makes it even more frustrating, I can even imagine him laughing at me for having so easily taken me for a ride. Some day, some day I am going to get my hands on one of these guys in the act, and I request somebody to come bail me out.