The woman in your life. Must read.

Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry her with these facts as well.



Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;

Who is earning almost as much as you do;



One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as human as you are;


One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements.

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family ,name.
 One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen.
 One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to; and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;



One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;



Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply Because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise.


One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;



One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important, relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her;



One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.



But not many guys understand this......



Please appreciate "HER".

Respect Her.
Forward this to as many women as possible... they'll love you for it!

Forward this to as many men as you can so that they'll know why women are so special :-)


Have a wonderful day!!

Cheers!

A Train Conversation!! Real-Life Story!!

A real story!! Worthwhile to share...


A gossip between a passenger and Software Engineer in Shatabdi Express!!


An interesting and a must read!

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man.. Even the comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do!!


He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

'Are you from the software industry sir?' the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.

'You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir.  Today everything is getting computerized.'

'Thanks,' smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily built like a sportsman..... He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town
boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

'You people always amaze me,' the man continued, 'You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside.'

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naiveness demanded reasoning not anger.


'It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it.'


For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement.

'It is complex, very complex.'

'It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid,' came the reply.



This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone.


'Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing.'


He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point.

'Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country.


Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?'


The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination.

'You design and code such things?'


'I used to,' Vivek paused for effect, 'but now I am the Project Manager.'



'Oh!' sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, 'so your life is easy now.'

This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, 'Oh come on, does ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality.


To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday.'


Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.


'My friend,' he concluded triumphantly, 'you don't know what it is to be in the Line of Fire'.


The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization.


When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.



'I know sir,..... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......'



He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

'There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night.


The enemy was firing from the top.


There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom.


In the morning when we finally hoisted the tri-colour at the top only 4 of us were alive.'



'You are a...?'



'I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment.


But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier?


On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker.


It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain Sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself.


He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded... ....his own personal safety came last, always and every time.'

'He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker.. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me.  I know sir....I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire.'

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop.


It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.


The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight. 

'It was nice meeting you sir.'

Vivek fumbled with the handshake.



This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tri-colour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute....


It was the least he felt he could do for the country.




PS: The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award.


Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!



BE POLITE… EVERYONE U MEET IS FIGHTING A HARD BATTLE !

LOLZ - If Columbus had been married :)

If Columbus had been married, he might never have discovered America, because he would have had to answer all the following questions:


• Where are you going?

• With whom?

• Why?

• How are you going?

• To discover what?

• Why only you?

• What do I do when you are not here?

• Can I come with you?

• When will you be back?

• Would you have dinner at home?

• What would you bring for me?

• You deliberately made this plan without me, didnt you?

• You seem to be making a lot of these programs lately...

• Answer me why?

• I want to go to my mothers house.

• I want you to drop me there.

• I dont want to come back ever!

• What do you mean, OK?

• Why arent you stopping me?

• I dont understand what this whole discovery thing is about.

• You always do things like this.

• Last time you also did the same thing!

• Nowadays you always seem to do this kind of stuff.

• I still dont understand what else is left to be discovered!

Bright students financial help from Infosys Foundation

If you have come across any bright students coming from poor financial background who have finished their 10th standard this year (April 2009) and scored more than 80%, please ask them to contact the NGO-Prerana (supported by Infosys foundation). The NGO is conducting a written test and those who clear the test will be eligible for financial help for their further studies. Please ask the students to contact the people mentioned below to get the form:

580,Shubhakar,
44th cross, 1st A main road, Jayanagar 7th block,
Bangalore

Contact numbers:
1. Saraswati - 9900906338
2. Mr. Shivkumar - 9986630301
3. Ms. Bindu- 9964534667

Even if you don't know anyone, please pass on this info, someone might be in need of this help desperately!

Stroke - Brain blood clot - Safety measures and tips

You could save a life. 

Remember the first 3 letters of STROKE (STR)...

 

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance)

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party . Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions :

S * Ask the individual to SMILE ..
T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg 'It is sunny out today').
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

 

Top 10 comedy questions and answers

Top 10 most comedy questions people usually ask in obvious situations


1. At the movies: When you meet acquaintances/ friends...


Question: - Hey, what are you doing here?
Answer: - Don’t u know, I sell tickets in black over here...




2. In the bus: A heavy lady wearing pointed high-heeled shoes steps on your feet...


Question: - Sorry, did that hurt?
Answer: - No, not at all, I'm on local anesthesia... ... why don't you try again?




3. At a funeral: One of the teary-eyed people ask...


Question: - Why, why him, of all people.
Answer: - Why? Would it rather have been you?




4. At a restaurant: When you ask the waiter


Question: - Is the "Butter Paneer Masala" good??
Answer: - No, it’s terrible and made of adulterated cement. We occasionally also spit in it.




5. At a family get-together: When some distant aunt meets you after years


Question: - Munna, Chickoo, you've become so big.
Answer: - Well you haven't particularly shrunk yourself.




6. When a friend announces her wedding, and you ask...


Question: - Is the guy you're marrying good?
Answer: - No, he’s a miserable wife-beating, insensitive lout...it's just the money.




7. When you get woken up at midnight by a phone call...


Question: - Sorry. Were you sleeping?
Answer: - No. I was doing research on whether the Zulu tribes in Africa marry or not. You thought I was sleeping.... you dumb witted moron.




8. When you see a friend/colleague with evidently shorter hair...


Question: - Hey have you had a haircut?
Answer: - No, its autumn and I'm shedding.... ..




9. At the dentist when he's sticking pointed objects in your mouth...


Question: - Tell me if it hurts?
Answer: - No it won’t. It will just bleed.




10. You are smoking a cigarette and a cute woman in your office asks.. .


Question: - Oh, so you smoke.
Answer: - Gosh, it's a miracle ...... it was a piece of chalk and now it's in flames!!!

Salaries likely to increase by up to 20% in 2010

Source from Yahoo news.


Hiring activities in India Inc have gone up by 15-20% in the last four months compared with 2008, an indication that the job market is opening up and companies are loosening controls imposed on recruitment, training expenses and salary hikes.


HR consulting firms FE spoke to said the calendar year 2010 looks hopeful not only on the hiring front, but for salaries and bonuses as well. However, companies will continue to remain conservative on salary hikes across the board.


The exorbitant salaries and huge bonuses for people at the top management level, which saw a dip of about 25-30% in their cost to company (CTC) during the slowdown, could go up by 15-20% in 2010. This will include managing directors, chief executives, chief financial officers, senior vice-presidents and executive directors.


"In percentage terms, the total package might not move up significantly, but other benefits like perks and variable pay are expected to increase," said Arunima Sharma, principal consultant at Execuzen. Moreover, huge bonuses of about 80-100% will now shrink to 30-50%.


The top-level salary in the BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) sector at present is more than Rs 1 crore per annum compared with more than Rs 2-3 crore in the beginning of 2008.


In the manufacturing and engineering sectors, it is still lower at around Rs 80 lakh, compared with Rs 1 crore earlier. IT/ITeS, which took the maximum hit during the downturn, is ready to give salaries in the range of Rs 1.5 to Rs 5 crore. Pharma is still lower by 10-15% against the 2008 levels. Salary at the top level in this sector is between Rs 75 and 80 lakh per annum.


In the media sector, current salaries at the top level are more than Rs 1 crore, whereas, for retail and real estate sector, salaries might go up from Rs 75 lakhs and Rs 1 crore, respectively, per annum .


Said Shiv Agrawal, CEO of ABC Consultants, "Salaries at the top level are expected to increase in the range of 8-15%. The 15-20% hike will be exceptional for very good performers. The 2010 salaries will see more variable pay component, which will be performance driven."


According to Sharma, more and more expats from Europe and Japan are also looking to come back to India, especially in the financial services and advertising sectors. "I expect that by March 2010, we will see a turnaround and things will be back to normal in terms of salaries," she said.


Meanwhile, experts say hiring will continue, albeit to meet pent up demand (where hiring was frozen in the downturn and is now opening up).


According to Naukri JobSpeak index for November 2009, hiring activities saw a significant push across all sectors with auto, insurance and telecom sectors seeing a double-digit percentage growth.
Smita Joshi Saha
Source : http://in.news.yahoo.com/241/20091231/1257/tnl-salaries-likely-to-increase-by-up-to.html

Latest update Swiss Bank agreed - Disclose

Our Indians' Money - 70,00,000 Crores Rupees in Swiss Bank.
Equivalent to the funds we can repay 13 times of our country's foreign debt.
Interest alone can take care of the Center’s yearly budget.
People need not pay any taxes.
Can pay Rs.1 lakh to each of 45 crore poor families.

For more refer Swiss bank accounts as black money

1) Yes, 70 lakhs crores rupees of India are lying in Switzerland banks. This is the highest amount lying outside any country, from amongst 180 countries of the world, as if India is the champion of Black Money.

2) Swiss Government has officially written to Indian Government that they are willing to inform the details of holders of 70 lakh crore rupees in their Banks, if Indian Government officially asks them.

3) On 22-5-08, this news has already been published in The Times of India and other Newspapers based on Swiss Government's official letter to Indian Government.

4) But the Indian Government has not sent any official enquiry to Switzerland for details of money which has been sent outside India between 1947 to 2008.. The opposition party is also equally not interested in doing so because most of the amount is owned by politicians and it is every Indian's money.

5) As said above, this money belongs to our country. From these funds we can repay 13 times of our country's foreign debt. The interest alone can take care of the Center’s yearly budget. People need not pay any taxes and we can pay Rs. 1 lakh to each of 45 crore poor families.

6) Let us imagine, if Swiss Bank is holding Rs. 70 lakh Crores, then how much money is lying in other 69 Banks? How much they have deprived the Indian people? Just think, if the Account holder dies, the bank becomes the owner of the funds in his account.

7) Are these people totally ignorant about the philosophy of Karma? What will this ill-gotten wealth do to them and their families when they own/use such money, generated out of corruption and exploitation?

8) Indian people have read and have known about these facts. But the helpless people have neither time nor inclination to do anything in the matter. This is like "a new freedom struggle" and we will have to fight this.

9) This money is the result of our sweat and blood.. The wealth generated and earned after putting in lots of mental and physical efforts by Indian people must be brought back to our country.

10) As a service to our motherland and your contribution to this struggle, please circulate at least 10 copies of this note amongst your friends and relatives and convert it into a mass movement.

Hope this link would also help you regarding Swiss bank accounts as black money

Want to know, learn and earn something in terms of life and knowledge?

Swiss Bank Accounts (as black money)

Revelation on Swiss Bank Accounts - India has $1,456 billion (as black money)

This is so shocking... wish black money deposits was an Olympics event... India would have won a gold medal hands down. The second best Russia has 4 times lesser deposit. US is not even there in the counting in top five!!

India has more money in Swiss banks than all the other countries combined!!!!

Latest update about Swiss bank account - black money.

Recently, due to international pressure, Swiss govt. agreed to disclose the names of the account holders only if the respective governments formally asked for it. Indian government is not asking for the details... no marks for guessing. Why???? We need to start a movement to pressurize the government to do so!!! This is perhaps the only way, and a golden opportunity, to expose the high and mighty and weed out corruption!!

Is India poor, who says? Ask Swiss banks With personal account deposit bank of $1500 billion in foreign reserve which have been misappropriated, an amount 13 times larger than the country's foreign debt, one needs to rethink if India is a poor country?

DISHONEST INDUSTRIALISTS, scandalous politicians and corrupt IAS, IRS, IPS officers have deposited in foreign banks in their illegal personal accounts a sum of about $1500 billion, which have been misappropriated by them. This amount is about 13 times larger than the country's foreign debt. With this amount 45 Crores poor people can get Rs.1,00,000 each.This huge amount has been appropriated from the people of India by exploiting and betraying them.

---

Some interesting links (from this website):
How to improve positive attitude - tips and information

Mathematical love letter :)

Be careful about ATM thieves!

Cooking Eggs with Mobile phones - a true one

---

Once this huge amount of black money & property comes back to India, the entire foreign debt can be repaid in 24 hours. After paying the entire foreign debt, we will have surplus amount, almost 12 times larger than the foreign debt. If this surplus amount is invested in earning interest, the amount of interest will be more than the annual budget of the Central government. So even if all the taxes are abolished, then also the Central government will be able to maintain the country very comfortably.

Some 80,000 people travel to Switzerland every year, of which 25,000 travel very frequently. 'Obviously, these people won't be tourists. They must be traveling there for some other reason,' believes an official involved in tracking illegal money. And, clearly, he isn't referring to the commerce ministry bureaucrats who've been flitting in and out of Geneva ever since the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations went into a tailspin!

Just read the following details and note how these dishonest industrialists, scandalous politicians, corrupt officers, cricketers, film actors, illegal sex trade and protected wildlife operators, to name just a few, sucked this country's wealth and prosperity. This may be the picture of deposits in Swiss banks only. What about other international banks?Black money in Swiss banks -- Swiss Banking Association report, 2006 details bank deposits in the territory of Switzerland by nationals of following countries:

Top Five:
1. India - $1,456 billion ($1.4 trillion)
2. Russia - $ 470 billion
3. UK - $390 billion
4. Ukraine - $100 billion
5. China - $ 96 billion

Now do the maths - India with $1456 billion or $1.4 trillion has more money in Swiss banks than rest of the world combined.

---

Some interesting links (from this website):
3D pictures - How to draw and how drawn?

Iman Maleki - Excellent pictures - You won't believe whether the picture is original or drawn.

Have you seen Barack Obama in Kenya?

Do you know how Tsunami occurs? (picture - image)

---

Public loot since 1947: Can we bring back our money? It is one of the biggest loots witnessed by mankind -- the loot of the Aam Aadmi (common man) since 1947, by his Brethren occupying public office. It has been orchestrated by politicians, bureaucrats and some businessmen. The list is almost all-encompassing. No wonder, everyone in India loots with impunity and without any fear. What is even more depressing in that this illgotten wealth of ours has been stashed away abroad into secret bank accounts located in some of the world's best known tax havens? And to that extent the Indian economy has been stripped of its wealth.

Ordinary Indians may not be exactly aware of how such secret accountsoperate and what are the rules and regulations that go on to govern such tax havens. However, one may well be aware of 'Swiss bank accounts,' the shorthand for murky dealings, secrecy and of course pilferage from developing countries into rich developed ones.

In fact, some finance experts and economists believe tax havens to be a conspiracy of the western world against the poor countries. By allowing the proliferation of tax havens in the twentieth century, the western world explicitly encourages the movement of scarce capital from the developing countries to the rich.

In March 2005, the Tax Justice Network (TJN) published a research finding demonstrating that $11.5 trillion of personal wealth was held offshore by rich individuals across the globe. The findings estimated that a large proportion of this wealth was managed from some 70 tax havens.

Further, augmenting these studies of TJN, Raymond Baker -- in his widelycelebrated book titled ‘Capitalism’s Achilles Heel: Dirty Money and How to Renew the Free Market System' -- estimates that at least $5 trillion have been shifted out of poorer countries to the West since the mid-1970.

It is further estimated by experts that 1% of the world's population holds more than 57% of total global wealth, routing it invariably through these tax havens. How much of this is from India is anybody's guess. What is to be noted here is that most of the wealth of Indians parked in these tax havens is illegitimate money acquired through corrupt means.

Naturally, the secrecy associated with the bank accounts in such places is central to the issue, not their low tax rates as the term 'tax havens' suggests. Remember Bofors and how India could not trace the ultimate beneficiary of those transactions because of the secrecy associated with these bank accounts?

IS THERE ANY ONE WHO CAN SAVE INDIA?

Some interesting links:
How to improve positive attitude - tips and information

Mathematical love letter :)

Be careful about ATM thieves!

Cooking Eggs with Mobile phones - a true one

3D pictures - How to draw and how drawn?

Iman Maleki - Excellent pictures - You won't believe whether the picture is original or drawn.

Have you seen Barack Obama in Kenya?

Do you know how Tsunami occurs? (picture - image)

Best - Excellent pictures of Iman Maleki painter

Iman was born on 1976 in Tehran. He has been fascinated by the art of Painting since he was a child. At the age of 15, he started to learn painting under the mastery of his first and only teacher - Morteza Katouzian - who is the greatest realist painter of Iran. Meanwhile, he began to paint professionally. In 1999 he graduated in Graphic Design from the Art University of Tehran. Since 1998, he has participated in several exhibitions. In the year 2000, he got married and in the following year he established ARA Painting Studio and started to teach painting, considering classical and traditional values.



The most important exhibitions he has participated in, are: The Exhibition of Realist painters of Iran at Tehran Contemporary Museum of Art(1999) and The Group Exhibition of KARA Studio Painters at SABZ Gallery(1998) and at SA'AD ABAD Palace(2003). In 2005, Iman received the William Bouguereau award and the Chairman's Choice award in the second international ARC salon competition.

Microsoft Windows crash - 49.7 days message

Do you know about this? 
 
Will Windows work continuously for more than 49.7 days?
  
Here is a bit of information, which may surprise you all.  Windows crashes automatically if you don't switch off the machine for 49.7 Days. Microsoft accepts this. Do you know why?
  
In Windows the Virtual Machine Manager (here after referred as VMM) is responsible for creation, execution, monitoring and termination of virtual machines. This VMM, which is a 32 bit, protected mode operating system entity, provides a number of system services at chip level. One of these services is "Get_System_ Time". This particular service loads the EAX register with the time in milliseconds since Windows started on that machine. This service is accurate to 1 ms. EAX is a 32 bit register in Intel 386 Processor onwards. 
  
So the maximum number of milliseconds it can hold is 
(232)-1 = 4294967295 milliseconds = 4294967.295 seconds = 71582.79 minutes = 1193 hours = 49.7 days.

So after 49.7 days the EAX resets to zero. Most of the Drivers use this Time Service to keep track of the Timeout of various services they provide. So after 49.7 days the drivers cannot use the Get_System_Time function of VMM and they crash taking the OS along with. 
 
Please check this knowledge base article  (216641) :
http://support. microsoft. com/kb/216641/ EN-US/

Creative picture - Creativity speaks heare

Weight-lifter 

Rooster

Pianist 

Peacock 

Goalkeeper 

Footballers

Conductor

Canoeist 

Athletes

Obama in Kenya - Unseen - Rare photo of Obama

If God says it's you, Who can stop it? 

Undated picture of  Barack Obama somewhere in Kenya.   

Couple of days back, no-one was aware of him, but today the whole world is looking for him.  That's why he said 'The change we need'.

How to Quit smoking now and remedies

How to Quit Smoking Now

 “Quitting Smoking is not difficult. It is only a question of attitude,” says E Vidhubala, Psycho Oncologist, at the Tobacco Cessation Clinic at the Cancer Institute, Chennai.

Read on to know how you can quit smoking NOW.

What are the most common arguments that smokers offer against quitting?

The arguments are many. The Foremost argument is the feeling that “Nothing will happen to me”. Here are some of the myths they hold on to and clarifications:

“Oh come on, don’t get preachy… You can get knocked down by a bus on the road tomorrow.” 
A: Yes you can. But you can minimise your chances of that not happening by not dashing out in the middle of the road amidst traffic. Likewise, you can minimise the chances of your cells turning cancerous by quitting.

My Grandfather smoked till he was eighty. He did not get cancer! 
A: If you look hard enough you will find that he would have suffered from some tobacco related illness such as: Heart Disease, Chronic Bronchitis, Emphysema, Stroke, Cataract etc. Besides we live in an environment that is more polluted, our food has more chemical/carcinogen ic elements than that was consumed by our grandparents and our susceptibilities are higher.

Smoking helps me relax 
A: Your body's used to nicotine, so you feel good when you give your body a substance it's come to depend on. But nicotine is a stimulant - it raises your heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline level. Most ex-smokers feel much less nervous just a few weeks after quitting.

Smoking makes me more effective in my work; It helps concentration. 
A: Smoking actually deprives your brain of oxygen. Smoking is not an aid to concentration in the long run.

What is wrong with a small vice? It is boring to be perfect… 
A: Take a look at patients who have had surgeries and smoking related cancers. Listen to the distress they have undergone physically, monetarily and psychologically. Decide on whether the high from smoking is worth it.

What kind of mental make up is necessary for quitting?
It is all a question of attitude. Information about the impact of smoking and the contents of a cigarette can create a feeling of aversion that can wean a smoker away from cigarettes. It is not actually a trial for a person’s will power. Talking to a counselor will help the smoker to realise how he has conditioned himself to smoking and why he has a block to quitting. Once the smoker is able to isolate these reasons, the smoker can work his/her way to quitting. Thousands of people are doing it and succeeding.

Are there any specific techniques for quitting?
Several techniques are being tried.

• Increasing aversion by switching brands
• Cutting down the number of cigarettes.
• Postponing the smoke; avoiding buying in cartons
• Reconditioning by substituting associations.

We recommend quitting at a go as the best. No other technique has given results comparable as these. We feel 'gradual' quitting does not work.

What are the common withdrawal symptoms smokers experience?
The most common withdrawal symptoms smokers who try to quit experience are the following:

• A dry feeling mouth in the mouth. (Drink plenty of fluid, have salads and fruit).
• Headaches (Take a warm bath. Try meditation)
• Difficulty sleeping. (Get into exercise routines/ relaxation techniques).
• Trouble passing motion.(Add more fibre and fluids to diet).
• Anger, irritability. (Try breathing techniques)
• Coughing (Take warm water/ fluids)
• Hunger and increase in weight. (This too can be handled by increased fluid and fruit/vegetables intake)
• Craving: there is almost an irresistible impulse to reach out for a cigarette. (This will last a few minutes. Wait it out.)

It is important to know that these symptoms last only for a week or so. Simple lifestyle changes can reduce the impact of these. Remembering the effects of tobacco related diseases and the anguish that they cause reduces the annoyances caused by quitting to insignificance.

How long do withdrawal symptoms last?
Withdrawal symptoms last for a week or so. The first few days after stopping are the worst. Then the effect is reduced. After a week to 10 days all withdrawal symptoms should be gone.

What about smoking substitutes?
Different types of smoking substitutes are available. These include nicotine patches, chewing gum and medication. But there is a catch to all of these.

Nicotine patches also deliver nicotine and feed the craving. Gum is banned in India. Medication has its own set of problems. In some it creates sleeplessness. Medication is contra indicated in may cases: that is, it does not agree with many people. A thorough examination is required before such medication can be prescribed.

We have not found a satisfactory quit rate in any smoker who has tried substitutes.

Is there a pattern to successful quitting: age, education, economic status or any other?
It is a question of attitude and awareness. We find that education and economic status are not significant parameters.

More young people try to quit, but they are also more prone to relapses.

Older people are forced to quit, often because they are detected to have conditions that may be made worse by tobacco. Therefore there is a better success rate.

What is the method you adopt/advise?
As smoking is part of attitudinal behavior, I feel this is problem that psychologists can handle best. We offer counseling and follow up.

Listening 
We do not offer advice. We listen to the smoker. Each smoker has a different reason for smoking:

Rebellion 
A sign of protest against someone who is trying to decry it.

Various imagined benefits.

Association with other pleasurable activities: peer interaction, release of tension etc.

A block against rationalising the ill effects of tobacco.

Accepting the smoker’s needs but isolating these from the act of smoking is the main challenge. I feel this can be handled best by someone who is trained.

Meeting those who have not done it in time 
This is the most powerful device we employ. Meeting people who have been through chemo, laryngectomy (partial removal of the voice box, rendering the person speechless) and other agonies caused by tobacco related diseases brings home the point forcefully.

Images of these people and their experiences are real and haunt the smoker, while advice only annoys them.

Reconditioning 
A psychologist is able to understand the activity that is associated with smoking: hanging out with friends, dinner, work related tensions, toilet routines, driving, waiting for someone, or just about anything.

The psychologist works with the quitter and finds substitutes that can be linked to these activities instead of smoking. This process is called reconditioning.

Dealing with withdrawal symptoms 
Most quitters need support during this phase.

Do you think observances like the “No Tobacco Day” have any impact?
Definitely. This gives us an opportunity to reach the masses through media. The choice of a theme each year brings into focus various dimensions of the issue. For instance, this year’s theme is “Tobacco and Poverty – A Vicious Circle” This brings to light the fact that the farmers are not benefited by growing tobacco. In fact, they are pushed into penury and ill health. It is a myth that governments gain economically from tobacco and tobacco product production, as the state spending on tobacco related diseases outstrips the earnings.

Every year thousands of youngsters start smoking. With these observances at least some of them can be dissuaded.

What are the initiatives that the government has to adopt to reduce/ eradicate tobacco usage?

The government has banned advertisements completely on all media as well as sponsorships. For instance, banning advertisements, but having Sachin Tendulkar wear a T Shirt with a cigarette brand displayed on it, hardly served the purpose. Now even endorsements are out. Low visibility will kill the demand slowly. The ban on smoking in public places will also greatly help.

Besides, social unacceptability and awareness that passive smoking is damaging to children, are catalysts to quitting. If you cannot smoke in comfort, but have to do it in bathrooms or crowded smoke filled spaces outside buildings etc, it becomes a low brow activity. This should also discourage smoking.