Beetle Bailey Turned Sixty!

On this Sept. 4th, Beetle Bailey, one of the most loved comic strip characters and my idol turned sixty. The brainchild of cartoon artist Mort Walker, was first published on Sept. 4th , 1950. The story is set in a fictional US army camp 'Swampy' where Beetle joined after he left his college and got enrolled with the Army during the Korean War. In these sixty years, Beetle had not for once been in a war.
King Features, the syndicating service for Beetle Bailey is celebrating the 60 years of Beetle Bailey by running Sunday cartoons that feature Beetle in re-enactment of various events of US military history like end of World War-II, crossing of Delaware with George Washington. About Beetle, Walker says - "He is still pretty much lazy. . . He represents the little man in all of us". And this is so true. . Don't we just love this lazy fellow!!

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Get your Address Proof from Post Office

The Indian Postal Department is now issuing address cum identity proofs. To get the postal identity cards you have to make an application on prescribed form for Rs. 10/- and submit it with a fee of Rs. 240/- in the nearby Head Post office, as not all the post offices are providing this service. Once you have submitted the application form for Postal Address cum Identity Proof, a postman will visit your place to verify your address. Once the verification is complete, you will get the Postal Address cum Identity card. However the whole process may take upto a maximum of 2 months. The ID once issued will be valid for 3 years after which it has to be renewed for a fee of Rs. 140/-. In case you lose the Postal Address cum Residence Proof, the postal department will issue you a duplicate proof for a fee of Rs. 190/-.
Though the initiative by the Indian Postal Department is appreciable, i have noticed a few downsides -
1.) In some places like Bangalore, the postal department is demanding the Voter ID to issue the residence cum identity proof. At this moment i can not find a single reason as to why a person with Voter ID will need a Postal ID.
2.) The maximum time duration for the entire process is 2 months, which is kinda too much stretched in my opinion.
3.) Are these ids recognized by other Govt. Departments? Are these valid for opening a bank a/c, etc.
So did you apply for you Postal Residence cum Identity Proof? Did you face any problem? Share your thoughts with me.

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