The Carrot, Coffee Beans & Egg

The Carrot,Coffee beans & Egg
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity -- boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another, to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those
whose friendships you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life. If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone's day with this message! It's easier to build a child than repair an adult. This is so true -- may we all be COFFEE!!

Rgds
Smitha

The Teacup

There was a couple who used to go to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke.

"You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay." My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "let me alone", but he only smiled, "Not yet."

"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!" I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet."

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, "Not yet."

Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. "There, that's better," I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Stop it, stop it!" I cried. He only nodded, "Not yet."

Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, "Not yet."

Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, "Look at yourself." And I did. I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful."

"I want you to remember, then," he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you."

God knows what He's doing (for all of us).He is the Potter, and we are His clay.
He will mold us and make us, So that we may be made into a flawless piece of work
To fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Rgds

Smitha

The Result of Intiative

The Result of Intiative

Some years ago, three brothers left the farm to work in the city. They were all hired by the same company at the same pay. Three years later, Jim was being paid $500 a month, Frank was receiving $1,000, but George was now making $1,500.

Their father decided to visit the employer. He listened to the confused father and said, "I will let the boys explain for themselves."

Jim was summoned to the supervisor's office and was told, "Jim, I understand the Far East Importers has just brought in a large transport plane loaded with Japanese import goods. Will you please go over to the airport and get a cargo inventory?"

Three minutes later, Jim returned to the office. "The cargo was one thousand bolts of Japanese silk," Jim reported. "I got the information over the telephone from a member of the crew."

When Jim left, Frank, the $1,000 a month brother, was called. "Frank," said the supervisor, "I wish you'd go out to the airport and get an inventory of the cargo plane which was just brought in by Far East Importers."

An hour later, Frank was back in the office with a list showing that the plane carried 1,000 bolts of Japanese silk, 500 transistor radios, and 1,000 hand painted bamboo trays. George, the $1,500 a month brother, was given identical instructions. Working hours were over when he finally returned.

"The transport plane carried one thousand bolts of Japanese silk," he began. "It was on sale at sixty dollars a bolt, so I took a two-day option on the whole lot. I have wired a designer in New York offering the silk at seventy-five dollars a bolt. I expect to have the order tomorrow. I also found five hundred transistor radios, which I sold over the telephone at a profit of $2.30 each. There were a thousand bamboo trays, but they were of poor quality, so I didn't try to do anything with them."

When George left the office, the employer smiled. "You probably noticed," he said, "that Jim doesn't do what he's told, Frank does only what he'd told, but George does without being told."

The future is full of promise for one who shows initiative.
Rgds
Smitha

Cricket World cup 2007 : Stars to watch : John Michael Davison

Full name: John Michael Davison
Born: May 9, 1970, Campbell River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Current age: 36 years 287 days
Major teams: Canada, South Australia, Victoria
Also known as Davo
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak

Batting

Records (ODI)	Mat	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	0
	20	20	1	597	111	31.42	1	4	3
Records (WCs)	Mat	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	0
ICC World Cup (2003)	6	6	0	226	111	37.66	1	1	1

Bowling

Records (ODI)	Mat	O	R	W	BB	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w
	20	152.1	644	28	3/15	23.00	4.23	32.6	0	0
Records (WCs)	Mat	O	R	W	BB	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w
	ICC World Cup (2003)	6	42	187	10	3/15	18.70	4.45	25.2	0	0

Strengths

One of the very few stars from minnows that have made a mark on the international scene or atleast made there presence felt at this highest level. John Davison is the player who took world by surprise when he smashed West Indian fast bowling attack to all corners of the ground. 111 off just 76 balls, can make even a top batsman proud. He was looking unstoppable but a fine catch in the deep ended his blitzering knock. It was not the end. In the final league match against NZL, he scored 75 runs with SR of more than 100. Again taking the attack to the opposition. He showed lots of promise. But as he belonged to Canada, not known for cricket, his career limited to just 20 ODIs.

As the World Cup 2007 is about to begin and all the stars gathering for the big party, this guy is also expected to rise to the occasion again. If he can play atleast one such innings then his contribution would be enough to ignite the spark.

Apart from his batting he can bowl a bit. 28 wickets from 20 ODIs take him to the so called class of allrounders. Yes just 20 matches, but the guy has proved himself in this short span, which is a significant thing.

Oppurtunities

Canada is in group 3 with NewZealand, England and Kenya. As all the teams have reached the semifinals atleaset once, the path to super 8's is probably impossible. So only 3 matches at the most in store for Davison.

Expectations in cricket world cup 2007

Not many eyes on him, not many hearts praying for him and not much pens writting about him. So less pressure on him. We expect that he blasts the opposition with his clean hitting and play some unimaginable innings. So that, when he returns, atleast his pen remains busy.. For what? Yes right!! for signing autographs. Good Luck John Davison!!!!

And the OSCAR Goes To

Complete list of winners at the 79th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

OSCAR for Best Motion Picture: "The Departed"

OSCAR for Lead Actor: Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland"

OSCAR for Lead Actress: Helen Mirren, "The Queen"

OSCAR for Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"

OSCAR for Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"

OSCAR for Directing: Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"

OSCAR for Foreign Language Film: "The Lives of Others," Germany

OSCAR for Adapted Screenplay: William Monahan, "The Departed"

OSCAR for Original Screenplay: Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"

OSCAR for Animated Feature Film: "Happy Feet"

OSCAR for Art Direction: "Pan's Labyrinth"

OSCAR for Cinematography: "Pan's Labyrinth"

OSCAR for Sound Mixing: "Dreamgirls"

OSCAR for Sound Editing: "Letters From Iwo Jima"

OSCAR for Original Score: "Babel," Gustavo Santaolalla

OSCAR for Original Song: "I Need to Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth," Melissa Etheridge

OSCAR for Costume: "Marie Antoinette"

OSCAR for Documentary Feature: "An Inconvenient Truth"

OSCAR for Documentary Short Subject: "The Blood of Yingzhou District"

OSCAR for Film Editing: "The Departed"

OSCAR for Makeup: "Pan's Labyrinth"

OSCAR for Animated Short Film: "The Danish Poet"

OSCAR for Live Action Short Film: " West Bank Story"

OSCAR for Visual Effects: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

OSCAR for Jean Hersholt Award (Oscar statuette): Sherry Lansing.

OSCAR for Honorary Academy Award (Oscar statuette): Ennio Morricone

Cricket world cup 2007: Stars Watch : Ricky pointing

Ricky Pointing Captain of Australia who is carrying enormous amount of expectation in this world cup 2007. Ricky Pointing started his career at 17 with Tasmania and With Australia at age 20. When on ground Ricky pointing can play any kind of shots with full flourish of the bat which knows only to attack the bowler.

Ricky Pointing carries the hope of Australia with a belief of winning the world cup and set a new record in cricketing history. The captain of country which hailed World cup three sucessive times. Till Jaunary 2007 the hope of World cup was on cards and Pointing's team was in on cards of favorites. The destruction of the hope was started by England during the tri series against Australia and New zealand. It was sucessfully follwed by tour to New Zealand which showed that the world champions can be brought down to earth.

It is this series where Ricky pointing haven't played and his major guns haven't fired. Ricky Pointing strengths lies in his batting attack which can divert the ball to any squres of the field. combined with his fielding skills Ricky pointing becomes a combo of Australia. His field placement methods are mostly unorthodox and attacking field. With a thoughtful mind in ground Ricky pointing needs to be watched during the game.

He was aclaimed as the best Player and Best captain for past few years and He scored around 8 centuries last year which was not done by any current cricketers.

Recent fitness is providing little threats to australia but it had a little light of hope about his fitness. Ricky pointing is recovering fast and are expected to be ready for world cup before the team leaves to carribean.

Ricky pointing is a threat to other teams once he got settled in the game. He is one of the cricketing minds which can turn the game to his favor at any point during the match. But recent form of Cricket Australia provides a lot of threat to the hope of Winning cricket world cup 2007.

Ricky Pointing with tremendous experience as a captain and also as a player who has 42.48 as his batting average and can also able to bowl at some crucial matches. Though he is not a regular bowler, he can contain the game towards Australia with his bowling.

Batting and fielding averages

class	mat	inns	no	runs	hs	ave	bf	sr	100	50	4s	6s	ct	st
Tests	110	183	25	9368	257	59.29	15890	58.95	33	36	1059	57	124	0
ODIs	269	263	31	9856	164	42.48	12385	79.58	22	58	845	121	117	0

For Australia this cricket world cup 2007 will set a new history if it is winning the game, being the Driver of the train from Australian team Ricky Pointing is expected to deliver the hope of World cup to his team and country men. With the analysis of current form of Australian cricket if Ricky pointing takes the team to a cricket world cup win then it will be a great achievement and might be placed in the cricketing legends of Australia.

Statistics Source : CricInfo

World Cup Cricket : Stars to Watch : All Rounders: Sachin Tendulkar

Country & Record

Full Name: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Born: April 24, 1973, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Team: India

Batting Style: Right Hand Bat

Bowling Style: Legbreak googly

ODI Debut: Pakistan v India at Gujranwala - Dec 18, 1989

ODI Statistics:

One Day Internationals: Batting and Fielding

M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St

381 371 36 14783 186* 44.12 85.65 41 76 115 0

One Day Internationals: Bowling

O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ

381 7685 6472 147 44.02 5/32 4 2 52.27 5.05

WC Statistics :

Mat  Runs  HS   BatAv  100   50   W    BB  BowlAv  5w  Ct St

33  1732  152   59.72   4  12   6   2/28   78.16  0  10  0

Profile:

A Right-hand bat and a part-time spinner, came into limelight in his early teens and started to represent his country in his late teens. Holds the records for most ODI appearances, runs, hundreds, man of the matches etc….More than 24,000 international runs nearly 75 centuries, more than 100 half centuries, about 200 wickets and above 100 catches. There doesn't seem any need for someone to talk about what he is capable of. 17 years of serving Indian cricket, he has been awarded with Arjuna Award, PadmaShri, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (The Highest recognition for a sportsman in India).He was named the Wisden Cricketer of the year in 1997. These events and comments reflect Sachin ....the nearest to the definition of perfection in cricket. When he became the first batsman to score 50 hundreds in international cricket, Sachin Tendulkar established himself as the greatest of all Indian cricketers. Recognized by Sir Donald Bradman as his modern incarnation, Tendulkar has a skill - a genius - which only a handful have possessed. It was not a skill that he was simply born with, but one which was developed by his intelligence and an infinite capacity for taking pains. If there is a secret, it is that Tendulkar has the keenest of cricket minds. The awe of opponents was as great as that of crowds. But the finest compliment must be that bookmakers would not fix the odds - or a game - until Tendulkar was out.

Strengths:

His major strength is Experience. This man can play all the shots in the books and on his day can tear off any attack in the World. His running between the wickets is really quick and can score runs at his will. When it comes to bowling, the variety in his army is his strength.

Weakness:

Though any team is yet to point out a potential weakness in him, drying him up of runs, or frustrating him could be one way to force Sachin to make mistakes. When Sachin bowls, the major weakness is he might be a bit expensive at times.

Threats:

Batting lower down the order might cause a little problem, as it will all boil down to the amount of pressure, wickets fallen etc. With his amount of experience Sachin should be able to manage it.

Expectation of him in World Cup:

At almost 34, the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup is perhaps his last shot at the big prize. And if any ODI player has ever deserved this prize more than a team, it is Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest ever one-day international player. Going by his past WC records, he is expected to be the leading run scorer yet again. This World Cup, we might even see Sachin bowling more than the previous World Cups. With his role as a mentor, and at the hint that he might be batting down the order, Sachin would be expected to unofficially lead his team to Victory with the help of the other Indian players.

Recipe for Cricket World Cup Success

There have been differing strategies for each of the Cricket World Cup, followed by the winning teams in the earlier versions. These have enabled their side to defeat the other teams and grab the Cup. A look at the history will reveal the secrets.

The 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cup were won by the West Indies team, which was strong in all departments - batting, bowling and fielding. The wins coincided with the team's dominance in test cricket as well. Clive Lloyd, armed with his battery of fast bowlers, sharp fielders and attacking batsmen had no team able to answer the questions that they posed. While Viv Richards impressed with his fielding skills in the 1975 version, it was his batting skills that shone in the next edition.

Even though the 1983 West Indies team also had a similar set of players, it was felt that they were a bit over-confident in the finals against the Indians, that led to the downfall. The Indians, on the other hand, had a team that had the bits-and-pieces players like Mohinder Amarnath, Roger Binny, Madan Lal, Kirti Azad, Sandeep Patil who could contribute in more than one area. Sharp fielders like Srikkanth, Yashpal Sharma added to the team's strength. One can see that we have come around a circle in terms of the demands of personnel in a playing eleven. Greg Chappell's stance that he wanted players who could contribute in multiple areas (like fielding and batting/bowling) only emphasizes the reasons why India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup. This contributed to the Indian team's winning exploits for the next 2 years, where they won the World Championship in Australia.

In 1987, the Australians had a good allround team - David Boon and Geoff Marsh providing the team with solid starts, Dean Jones and Allan Border at the middle-order who could consolidate, Craig Mcdermott and Bruce Reid to do the bowling honors. The side also had Steve Waugh and Simon O'Donnell, who could turn their arm over in crucial spells while also adding precious runs to the team total. In fact, the 1987 Cricket World Cup was famous for Steve Waugh's exploits in the final overs of the match.

In 1992, the Pakistan team again had a strong team that came into their best form by the finals. The team was boosted by strong individual performances that boosted the team's hopes.Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan provided the batting strength while the bowling department was taken care by Wasim Akram and Mushtaq Ahmed mainly.

The 1996 version was won by the Sri Lankans, who by their clever planning had a similar team as the 1983 Indians. The bits-and-pieces players in this time included Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Gurusinha, Arjuna Ranatunga - who could contribute with their batting and useful bowling at crucial junctures.

Australia won the 1999 and 2003 versions of the Cricket World Cup on strength of their all-round skills. The team's victories, just like the West Indies teams of 1975 and 1979, was a reflection of the team's dominance in test cricket. Glen Mcgrath, Ricky Ponting were some of the players who have played in both the versions of the tournament. No team has come even close to the Australian team, in breaking their stranglehold on World Cricket. No wonder the 2 teams who won 2 Cricket World Cups in a row are ranked by cricket pundits all round the world as the 2 Best Cricket teams ever to have played.

The West Indies couldnt repeat their wins third time in a row in 1983. Will the Aussies be able to break the jinx this time?

Indian IT Industry

Written by Harshad Oak

Before I started working for myself, I spent some years in some of the top IT companies in India and still have many friends working in various software companies

I wrote a blow recruiting like crazy, about the same time last year about how Indian companies are recruiting like there's no tomorrow and the possible consequences. However I was avoiding writing this particular piece as it seems like an unpatriotic thing to do, to tell the world how bad the working conditions in software companies in India have become. And there's always the risk of excerpts being used out of context to bash up IT in India .

I am now writing this because I just keep hearing horror tales from the industry and it doesn't seem like anything is being done in the matter, so I thought I will do my bit and write.

First and foremost, before stereotypes about India kick in, I would like to clarify that I am not saying that Indian software companies are sweat shops where employees aren't being paid and made to work in cramped uncomfortable places. The pay in software companies is very good as compared to other industries in India and the work places are generally well furnished and plush offices India being a strong democracy, freedom of expression is alive and well and Indians are free to express their opinions and voice their concerns.

Yet, I say that the software industry is exploiting its employees.

IT work culture in India is totally messed up and has now started harming the work culture of the nation as a whole. Working 12+ hours a day and 6 or even 7 days a week is more the rule than the exception.

Consequences:

*A majority of IT people suffer from health problems. As most of the IT workforce is still very young, the problem isn't very obvious today but it will hit with unbearable ferocity when these youngsters get to their 40s.

* Stress levels are unbelievable high. Stress management is a cover topic in magazines and newspapers and workshops on the subject are regularly overbooked.

* Most IT people have hardly any social / family life to talk of.

* As IT folk are rich by Indian standards, they try to buy their way out of their troubles and have incurred huge debts by buying expensive houses, gizmos and fancy cars.

Plush offices, fat salaries and latest gizmos can give you happiness only if you have a life in the first place.

The reason I feel this culture has emerged, is the servile attitude of the companies. Here's a tip for any company in the west planning to outsource to India. If you feel that a project can be completed in 6 weeks by 4 people, always demand that it be completed in 2 weeks by 3 people.

Guess what, most Indian companies will agree. The project will then be hyped up as an "extremely critical" one and the 3 unfortunate souls allocated to it will get very close to meeting the almighty by the time they deliver the project in 2 weeks. Surprisingly, they will deliver in
2-3 weeks, get bashed up for any delays and the company will soon boast about how they deliver good quality in reasonable time and cost. Has anyone in India ever worked on a project that wasn't "extremely critical"?

I was once at a session where a top boss of one of India's biggest IT firms was asked a question about what was so special about their company and his answer was that we are the "Yes" people with the "We Can Do It"
attitude. It is all very well for the top boss to say "We Can Do It "...
What about the project teams who wish to say "Please....We Can't Do It" to the unreasonable timelines...I was tempted to ask "What death benefits does your company offer to the teams that get killed in the process?". I sure was ashamed to see that a fellow Indian was openly boasting about the fact that he and his company had no backbone. The art of saying No or negotiating reasonable time frames for the team is very conspicuous by its absence. Outsourcing customers more often than not simply walk all over Indian software companies. The outsourcer surely cannot be blamed as it is right for him to demand good quality in the least cost and time.

Exhaustion = Zero Innovation

* How many Indians in India are thought leaders in their software segment?
- Very few

* How much software innovation happens in India? - Minimal

* Considering that thousands of Indians in India use Open Source software, how many actually contribute? - Very few

Surprisingly, put the same Indian in a company "in" the US and he suddenly becomes innovative and a thought leader in his field. The reason is simple, the only thing an exhausted body and mind can do well, is sleep.

I can pretty much bet on it that we will never see innovation from any of
10000+ person code factories in India.

If you are someone sitting in the US, UK ... and wondering why the employees can't stand up, that's the most interesting part of the story.
Read on...

The Problem

The software professional Indian is today making more money in a month than what his parents might have made in an year. Very often a 21 year old newbie software developer makes more money than his/her 55 year old father working in an old world business Most of these youngsters are well aware of this gap and so work under an impression that they are being paid an unreasonable amount of money.
They naturally equate unreasonable money with unreasonable amount of work.

Another important factor is this whole bubble that an IT person lives in..
An IT professional walks with a halo around his or her head. They are the Cool, Rich Gen Next .. the Intelligentsia of the New World... they travel all over the world, vacation at exotic locations abroad, talk "American", are more familiar of the geography of the USA than that of India and yes of course, they are the hottest things in the Wedding Market!!!

This I feel is the core problem because if employees felt they were being exploited, things would change.

I speak about this to some of my friends and the answer is generally "Hey Harshad, what you say is correct and we sure are suffering, but why do you think we are being paid this much money? It's not for 40 hoursbut for 80 hours a week. And anyway what choice do we have? It's the same everywhere."

So can we make things change? Is there a way to try and stop an entire generation of educated Indians from ending up with "no life".

Solutions

1) Never complement someone for staying till midnight or working 7 days a week.

Recently, in an awards ceremony at a software company, the manager handing over the "employee of the month" award said something like "It's unbelievable how hard he works. When I come to office early, I see him working, when I leave office late, I still see him working".. These sort of comments can kill the morale of every employee trying to do good work in an 8hr day.

Companies need to stop hiding behind the excuse that the time difference between India and the west is the reason why people need to stay in office for 14 hours a day. Staying late should be a negative thing that should work against an employee in his appraisals. Never complement someone for staying till midnight or working 7 days a week .

2) Estimates:

If time estimates go wrong, the company should be willing to take a hit and not force the employee to work crazy hours to bail projects out of trouble. This will ensure that the estimates made for the next project are more real and not just what the customer has asked for.

3) Employee organizations / forums

NASSCOM (National Association for Software and Services Companies) and CSI (Computer Society Of India) are perhaps the only two well known software associations in India and both I feel have failed the software employee. I do not recall any action from these organizations to try and improve the working conditions of software employees. This has to change.

I am not in favor of forming trade unions for software people, as trade unions in India have traditionally been more effective at ruining businesses and making employees inefficient than getting employees their rights and helping business do well. So existing bodies like NASSCOM should create and popularize employee welfare cells at a state / regional level and these cells should work only for employee welfare and not be puppets in the hands of the companies.

If the industry does not itself create proper forums for employee welfare, it's likely that the government / trade unions will interfere and mess up India 's sunshine industry.

4) Narayan Murthy, please stand up

Top bosses of companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro, etc. need to send the message loud and clear to their company and to other companies listening at national IT events that employee welfare is really their top concern and having good working culture and conditions is a priority. Employee welfare here does not mean giving the employee the salary he/she dreams of.

Last word

I am sure some of my thoughts come from the fact that I too worked in such an environment for a few years and perhaps I haven't got over the frustrations I experienced back then. So think about my views with a pinch of salt but do think about it.

--Harshad Oak

Cricket world cup only for Test playing nations - Michael Holding

Michael Holding, the legendary player of yesteryears slammed ICC for allowing associate players to participate cricket world cup. Michael Holding says, the cricket world cup will be devalued by the number of non test playing nations which are taking part in the event.

Michael Holding suggested that the top ranking non test playing nation must be allowed to play in world cup as opposed to top six non test playing nations which is playing now. Michael Holding also not interested in the length of the event (two months) and believes that the event (cricket world cup) must not go on for as long as it does and that is partly because there are far too many teams in the competition who are not good enough to be there.

Holding also not impressed with the qualifying methods for the cricket world cup. he said "I simply do not believe that if you come fourth in the ICC Trophy that you should be entitled to play in the World Cup. It doesn't make sense to me. What is gained by a team playing in the World Cup and getting absolutely hammered? In my opinion it is counter-productive. What I believe should happen is that all the non-Test playing nations should continue to play amongst themselves, to have their own competition where only the top-ranked country goes through to the World Cup. "

World Cup Cricket : Stars to Watch : Fresh Blood : Shariyar

Country & Record

Full Name: Shahriar Nafees Ahmed

Born: January 25, 1986, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Team: Bangladesh

Batting Style: Left-hand bat

ODI Debut: England v Bangladesh, Nottingham, Jun 21, 2005

ODI Statistics:

One Day Internationals: Batting and Fielding

M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St

39 39 3 1391 123* 38.63 69.41 3 7 6 0

Profile:

As a left-hand opening batsman, Shahriar Nafees is a rarity among Bangladesh cricketers. He has the right mixture of talent and temperament. In April 2006 he exploded in sensational fashion against the might of Australia, stroking his way to a brilliant hundred, his maiden first-class ton as well as his first in Tests, at Fatullah. Nafees was appointed vice-captain for the Champions Trophy in India in October with the view of grooming a successor for Habibul Bashar. He also won the Bangladesh's cricketer-of-the-year award for 2006. He proved that the accolade wasn't wasted on him by scoring a hundred against Zimbabwe but failed against tougher opposition in the Champions Trophy. His batting was instrumental in Bangladesh's 5-0 rout over Zimbabwe in December 2006.

Expectation of him in World Cup:

A first timer, this world cup would be a real test to Nafees. With the responbility of an batsman and Vice – Captain,the Bangladesh tem would be hoping that he would be able to put up some heroic performances and steer his team into the ROUND 2 of the World Cup.

World Cup Cricket : Stars to Watch : Fresh Blood : Sreesanth

Country & Record

Full Name: Shanthakumaran Sreesanth

Born: February 6, 1983, Kothamangalam, Kerala

Team: India

Batting Style: Right Hand Bat

Bowling Style: Left Arm Fast Medium

ODI Debut: India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur - Oct 25, 2005

ODI Statistics:

One Day Internationals: Batting and Fielding

M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St

27 9 4 7 3 1.40 25.00 0 0 3 0

One Day Internationals: Bowling

O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ

27 1317 1264 35 36.11 6/55 1 1 37.62 5.75

Profile:

Sreesanth, came into the national squad in 2005 for the Sri Lanka series. In the last game of his impressive debut season, he snapped up 6 for 55 against England, the best figures by an Indian fast bowler at home. Idiosyncratic, with an aggressive approach - to the stumps and the game - he can be expensive in one-dayers, but is also a wicket-taking bowler. Known more for his Dancing skills, Sree is one of the few in India whom you would see giving it back to the opposition. Denis Lillee had very early on marked Sreesanth as the next best thing after Zaheer Khan to come out of the MRF Pace Academy. The pace prodigy has not let the Australian bowling guru down. He has effortlessly taken to international cricket and his performances in South Africa a testimony to it!

Expectation of him in World Cup:

This is his first World Cup, with three senior seamers in the team it would be a fight for Sree to get a place in the playing XI. If he gets a chance to play, the team would expect him to maintain his lie and not to give away a lot of runs. A controlled aggression in short!

World Cup 2007 - Review of Cricket Teams - India

Cricket World Cup 2007 - Review of Cricket Teams - India

About Indian Cricket

The British brought cricket to India in the early 1700s, with the first cricket match being played in 1721.In 1848, the Parsi community in Mumbai formed the Oriental Cricket Club, the first cricket club to be established by Indians. After slow beginnings, the Parsis were eventually invited by the Europeans to play a match in 1877. By 1912, the Parsis, Hindus, and Muslims of Bombay played a quadrangular tournament with the Europeans every year.Debuting in Test cricket at Lord's, England on 25 June 1932, the Indian cricket team became the sixth Test playing team. For nearly fifty years, India was weaker than most of the other Test cricket teams, such as Australia and England, winning only 35 of the 196 matches it played during this period.The Indian cricket team is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the cricket governing body in India. The Indian Cricket Team is currently the highest paid sports team in the world (in terms of sponsorship). The current Indian Cricket Team is one of the strongest and most challenging cricket teams in the world, rated at par with teams like Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan

Cricket is the de facto national sport of India and has a very wide following among the population of India. Due to large Indian diaspora, a large Indian fan turnout is expected whenever and wherever India plays. There have been a number of official fan groups that have been formed over the years, including the Swami Army or Bharat Army, the Indian equivalent of the Barmy Army, that were very active in their support when India toured Australia in 2003/2004. They are known to attribute a number of popular Indian songs to the cricket team. The downsides to having such a cricket-loving population is people hold cricket very close to their hearts and losses are not received well by the Indian population.

Indian Cricket team Records

	P	W	L	T	NR	%	HS	LS	MC	LC	BatAv	BowAv	R/6b	C/6b
ODIs	643	303	310	3	27	49%	376	54	359	65	31.0	30.2	4.77	4.75
WC	55	31	23	0	1	57%	373	125	359	109	33.0	27.6	4.73	4.37

Indian Cricket team Squad

Batsmen: Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar (vice-captain), Sourav Ganguly, Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh.
All-rounders: Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan.
Wicketkeepers: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik.
Bowlers: Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.

The Indian team for 2007 World Cup has the right mixture of experience and fresh blood. The famed Indian batting will come for stern test this World Cup, with the three big guns in their full flow. The West Indian pitches will also be a bit difficult for Indians. With Sehwag not in great form, Utthappa being a fresh blood, Sachin,Sourav and Dravid along with Yuvaraj will hve to take the responsibility of the batting. Their greatest strength lies in their ability to push them to their best if they want to.The chances though would depend on how the Indian bowlers will be able to contain the opposition teams, keep their line and length and be consistent. With the team having the advantage of 3 part time spinners, the team always the luxury to pick an extra batsman. The Indian fielding is the biggest threat which the team faces. With one exceptional fielder and a few good ones, they would be hoping that the others also come up to scratch. With Bermuda and Bangladesh in their group and just beating Sri Lanka at home should giving them a huge boost to their confidence.

India at World Cup

The India Cricket Team has participated in all the ICC Cricket World Cups since 1975. India won the 1983 World Cup, beating the then World Champions West Indies in a low socring final match. The team reached to the World Cup semi-finals in 1987 and 1996, and were runners-up in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa. The India cricket team has been rated as one of the favorite contenders to lift the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies. If the players can perform to their potential, there can be nothing which can stop the Indian team to lift the cup again.

Other teams
Test playing Nations : India | Pakistan | West Indies | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | South Africa | England | Australia
Non test playing Nations : Canada | Bermuda | Scotland | Zimbabwe | Kenya | The Netherlands | Ireland | Bangladesh
Who will win Cricket world cup 2007?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie collect another one

One more boy is going to add in Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie's Family. Both Brad Pitt and Angelina Joile planned to adopt another vietnamese and have already filed the papers for adoptation. During november Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt visited an orphanage and selected the Boy too.

Inside sources says that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed papers with immegration services department to adopt a boy from Vietnam.

Australia's Lee ruled out of World Cup

Australia fast bowler Brett Lee was ruled out of the World Cup with an ankle injury on Friday to continue the defending champions' troubled buildup to the tournament.

Lee tore ligaments in his left ankle during fielding practice in New Zealand last week. He was hoping to recover in time for the World Cup, starting in the West Indies on March 13, but was officially withdrawn after visiting a specialist.

"Brett has injured the ligaments in his left ankle and after further review by orthopaedic surgeon Kim Slater, Kim has today advised me that the injury has not improved over the last week," Australian team doctor Trefor James said in a statement.

"On that basis I have advised Cricket Australia that Brett will not be fit to resume bowling for two to three months."

Australia's chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch Australia had written to the International Cricket Council asking for Stuart Clark to replace Lee in the squad.

The request is expected to be little more than a formality with Clark certain to join the squad when they fly out to the Caribbean next Wednesday.

"It is a great disappointment for Brett Lee that he is unable to take place in the Cricket World Cup and is a significant blow for the planning and preparation in place for the tournament," Hilditch said in a statement.

"However, it does give a tremendous opportunity for Stuart Clark to join the 15-man squad."

Lee is Australia's main strike bowler and his withdrawal is a big blow to the team's chances of winning the World Cup for the third time in a row.

The world champions have lost their last five matches -- their longest losing streak in a decade -- and are facing a mounting injury list.

All-rounder Andrew Symonds underwent surgery this month to repair a torn bicep tendon in his right shoulder and opening batsman Matthew Hayden broke his toe while scoring an unbeaten century against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting is recovering from a back problem and middle-order batsman Michael Clarke has a hip complaint.

Source : yahoo.co in

The Salt

The Salt

Once an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he was very sad and asked for a solution.

The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. "How does it taste?" the Master asked. "Awful," spat the apprentice. The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the Master asked, "How does it taste?" "Good!" remarked the apprentice. "Do you taste the salt?" asked the Master. "No," said the young man. The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said,

"The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the 'pain' depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things ..... Stop being a glass. Become a lake!"

Rgds
Smitha