Cigarette and Smoking Facts

1. The first users of Tobacco were thought to have been the Mayan civilizations of Central America. But tobaccos were in America from 6000BC.
2. Initially they were used for smoking and chewing also.
3. Rodrigo de Jerez became the first European smoker in history( 1493 AD ) And he was also the world's first victim of the anti-smoking lobby!
4. Sir John Hawkins: brought the cigars to England.
5. Sir Walter Raleigh: popularized it in the Queen Elizabeth’s Court. (In 1552-1618)
6. First paper rolled cigarette were found in around 1832 by Egyptian soldiers during Turkish- Egyptian war
7. 1856 First cigarette factory opened. It was in Walworth, England, and owned by Robert Golag, a veteran of the Crimean War.
8. 1858 Fears about the effects on smoking on health first raised in The Lancet.
9. Mrs. Richard Benson and William Hedges open a tobacconist shop near Philip Morris in London.
10. 1970 Broadcast ads for cigarettes are banned in America.
11. 1992 Nicotine patches introduced.
12. And to till date, many countries have banned the smoking in public or enclosed public places.
13. Lower intelligence has been related to smoking.
14. One puff lowers the temperature in the fingertips 1ºF to 3ºF in 3 minutes.
15. There is a direct link between parents' smoking and children's respiratory disease.
16. Maternal smoking has been linked to asthma in infants and young children.
17. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, including 60 that can cause cancer.
18. 100,000 doctors stop smoking every year.
19. Cigarette smoke collects with lint and is known to gum up delicate mechanisms such as aircraft controls.
20. Smokers have difficulty running and exercising.
21. Smoking destroys vitamins, particularly vitamin C and the B's.
22. Smoking has also been shown to increase the risk of osteoporosis.
23. At least 40 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are proven to cause cancers of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder and kidneys and the smoke also causes a number of other cancers.
24. The nicotine in cigarette smoke also acts as a stimulant, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, and decreasing the flow of blood through the blood vessels.
25. Two-thirds of cigarette smokes are not inhaled by the smoker, it goes into the surrounding air.
26. Smoking is directly related to fat level in our body!
27. 2 to 4 cigarettes smoked continuously would increase blood fats 200 to 400%.
28. One who smokes will not be physically or mentally able to cope with life's challenges.
29. When a pregnant lady smokes, baby’s weighs less and its pulse would be 30% faster than a non-smoker's baby.
30. Premature birth has been related to smoking habits of pregnant mother.
31. Children's respiratory disease are directly linked to Parents smoking habits
32. Air pollution (auto exhausts, industry wastes, etc.) increases the lung cancer rate of the smoker, but not of the non-smoker.
33. The smoker is sick more often, explaining why he misses an average of 7½ working days per year, usually with a loss of pay, while the non-smoker will miss only 4½ days.
34. The overall bad health of the smoker results, on average, of about 12 to 14 minutes per cigarette.
35. The smoker's body requires more sleep every night
36. Foods will taste much better to non-smokers.
37. If u are not smoking for 12 months Your increased risk of dying from heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker. And for not smoking for 12 hrs, all the Nicotine contents comes out of your body.
38. Smoking has been related to brain damage and premature senility.

In short, "Smoking is injurious to Health"

Blood and blood Donation Facts

1. Dr. Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups – A, B, AB and O – in 1901.
2. Four main red blood cell types: A, B, AB and O. Each can be positive or negative for the Rh factor. AB is the universal recipient; O negative is the universal donor of red blood cells.
3. White cells are the body's primary defense against infection.
4. Red blood cells usually carries the oxygen.
5. Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets.
6. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
7. About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.
8. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
9. Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate about a pint of blood—the most common form of donation—every 56 days, or every two months. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.
10. One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.
11. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.
12. Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
13. Platelets promote blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
14. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.
15. Plasma, which is 90 percent water, makes up 55 percent of blood volume.
16. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.
17. 43,000 pints: amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.
18. Blood or plasma that comes from people who have been paid for it cannot be used to human transfusion. Instead they are mostly used for research purposes.
19. Granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, roll along blood vessel walls in search of bacteria to engulf and destroy.
20. Platelets can be stored for 5 days
21. Plasma can be stored for 1 year.
22. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.
23. Anemic patients need blood transfusions to increase their red blood cell levels.
24. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.
25. Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.
26. 17 percent of non-donors cite "never thought about it" as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they're too busy.
27. The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they "want to help others."
28. Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays.
29. Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.
30. The rare blood type is the one not on the shelf when it’s needed by a patient.
31. There is no substitute for human blood.
32. If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event (The current average is about two.).
33. If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.
34. Blood donations are always easy with four steps: medical history, quick physical, donation and snacks.
35. 10 pints: amount of blood in the body of an average adult.
36. One unit of whole blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.
37. Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.
38. A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his body.
39. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
40. People who donate blood are volunteers and are not paid for their donation.
41. 500,000: the number of Americans who donated blood in the days following the September 11 attacks.
42. Only 5 percent of eligible donors across the nation donate blood, but the number of transfusions nationwide increases by 9 percent every year.
43. Blood donors can donate as frequently as every 56 days. A benefit from donating this often is that you receive a mini-physical once every two months.
44. Each whole blood donation can help as many as three people. One unit is divided into three parts: red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
45. Some clinics offer childcare during your donation.
46. On average, a hip replacement typically uses one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass 2 units, a heart transplant 2 units, and a liver transplant 10 units!
47. Blood cannot be manufactured. It can only come as a gift from people.
48. The need for blood increases during holidays and summer months. People are more apt to be traveling and active during these times and thus are at an increased risk for accidents.
49. Statistics show that 25 percent or more of us will require blood at least once in our lifetime.
50. You burn about 650 calories by donating one pint of blood.
51. People with AB+ type blood are universal donors of plasma, the liquid portion of blood.
52. AB+ plasma is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.
53. The American Red Cross accepts blood donations only from voluntary donors
54. Among Red Cross donors in a given year, 18% donate occasionally, 38% are first time donors, and 43% are repeat and loyal donors
55. People with O- type blood are universal donors. Their blood can be given to people of all blood types. Only 7% of people in the U.S. have O- blood type.
56. Type O- blood is often used in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known, and with newborns who need blood.
57. One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood.
58. Try to have a good whole night sleep before giving blood.
59. Don’t forget to eat before u donate.
60. Everything used in the donation process is sterile, disposable and used only once. You cannot contract any disease by giving blood.
61. Since a pint is pound, you lose a pound every time you donate blood.
62. Platelets are small blood cells that initiate blood clotting, controlling bleeding.
63. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, salts and proteins, including solvable clotting factors; plasma is 90 percent water and constitutes 55 percent of blood volume.
64. Type II diabetics (non-insulin dependent) are eligible to donate blood provided the diabetes is controlled by diet and/or oral ant diabetic drugs. Diabetics taking injectable insulin may donate blood.
If they are stabilized and have not changed their insulin dosage within 2 weeks of donating.
66. On most occasions, person who had body piercing cannot donate blood. Those who have, please check up with your doctor.
67. To reduce medical risks, blood donations are not accepted for a women who are pregnant or gave birth before 6 weeks. Blood given to babies cannot be more than five days old. This creates a continual, ongoing need for fresh blood.

Necessary Toll free numbers

Airways
Indian Airlines - 1600 180 1407
Jet Airways - 1600 22 5522
SpiceJet - 1600 180 3333
Automobiles
Mahindra Scorpio - 1600 22 6006
Maruti - 1600 111 515
Tata Motors - 1600 22 5552
Windshield Experts - 1600 11 3636

Banks
ABN AMRO - 1600 11 2224
Canara Bank - 1600 44 6000
Citibank - 1600 44 2265
Corporatin Bank - 1600 443 555
Development Credit Bank - 1600 22 5769
HDFC Bank - 1600 227 227
ICICI Bank - 1600 333 499
ICICI Bank NRI - 1600 22 4848
IDBI Bank - 1600 11 6999
Indian Bank - 1600 425 1400
ING Vysya - 1600 44 9900
Kotak Mahindra Bank - 1600 22 6022
Lord Krishna Bank - 1600 11 2300
Punjab National Bank - 1600 122 222
State Bank of India - 1600 44 1955
Syndicate Bank - 1600 44 6655

Cell Phones
BenQ - 1600 22 08 08
Bird CellPhones - 1600 11 7700
Motorola MotoAssist - 1600 11 1211
Nokia - 3030 3838
Sony Ericsson - 3901 1111

Computers/IT
Adrenalin - 1600 444 445
AMD - 1600 425 6664
Apple Computers - 1600 444 683
Canon - 1600 333 366
Cisco Systems - 1600 221 777
Compaq - HP - 1600 444 999
Data One Broadband - 1600 424 1600
Dell - 1600 444 026
Epson - 1600 44 0011
eSys - 3970 0011
Genesis Tally Academy - 1600 444 888
HCL - 1600 180 8080
IBM - 1600 443 333
Lexmark - 1600 22 4477
Marshal's Point - 1600 33 4488
Microsoft - 1600 111 100
Microsoft Virus Update - 1901 333 334
Seagate - 1600 180 1104
Symantec - 1600 44 5533
TVS Electronics - 1600 444 566
WeP Peripherals - 1600 44 6446
Wipro - 1600 333 312
xerox - 1600 180 1225
Zenith - 1600 222 004

Couriers/Packers & Movers
ABT Courier - 1600 44 8585
AFL Wizz - 1600 22 9696
Agarwal Packers & Movers - 1600 11 4321
Associated Packers P Ltd - 1600 21 4560
DHL - 1600 111 345
FedEx - 1600 22 6161
Goel Packers & Movers - 1600 11 3456
UPS - 1600 22 7171

Education
Edu Plus - 1600 444 000
Hindustan College - 1600 33 4438
NCERT - 1600 11 1265
Vellore Institute of Technology - 1600 441 555

Healthcare
Best on Health - 1600 11 8899
Dr Batras - 1600 11 6767
GlaxoSmithKline - 1600 22 8797
Johnson & Johnson - 1600 22 8111
Kaya Skin Clinic - 1600 22 5292
LifeCell - 1600 44 5323
Manmar Technologies - 1600 33 4420
Pfizer - 1600 442 442
Roche Accu-Chek - 1600 11 45 46
Rudraksha - 1600 21 4708
Varilux Lenses - 1600 44 8383
VLCC - 1600 33 1262

Home Appliances
Aiwa/Sony - 1600 11 1188
Anchor Switches - 1600 22 7979
Blue Star - 1600 22 2200
Bose Audio - 1600 11 2673
Bru Coffee Vending Machines - 1600 44 7171
Daikin Air Conditioners - 1600 444 222
DishTV - 1600 12 3474
Faber Chimneys - 1600 21 4595
Godrej - 1600 22 5511
Grundfos Pumps - 1600 33 4555
LG - 1901 180 9999
Philips - 1600 22 4422
Samsung - 1600 113 444
Sanyo - 1600 11 0101
Voltas - 1600 33 4546
WorldSpace Satellite Radio - 1600 44 5432

Hotel Reservations
GRT Grand - 1600 44 5500
InterContinental Hotels Group - 1600 111 000
Marriott - 1600 22 0044
Sarovar Park Plaza - 1600 111 222
Taj Holidays - 1600 111 825

Insurance
AMP Sanmar - 1600 44 2200
Aviva - 1600 33 2244
Bajaj Allianz - 1600 22 5858
Chola MS General Insurance - 1600 44 5544
HDFC Standard Life - 1600 227 227
LIC - 1600 33 4433
Max New York Life - 1600 33 5577
Royal Sundaram - 1600 33 8899
SBI Life Insurance - 1600 22 9090

Mattresses
Kurl-on - 1600 44 0404
Sleepwell - 1600 11 2266

Investments/ Finance
CAMS - 1600 44 2267
Chola Mutual Fund - 1600 22 2300
Easy IPO's - 3030 5757
Fidelity Investments - 1600 180 8000
Franklin Templeton Fund - 1600 425 4255
J M Morgan Stanley - 1600 22 0004
Kotak Mutual Fund - 1600 222 626
LIC Housing Finance - 1600 44 0005
SBI Mutual Fund - 1600 22 3040
Sharekhan - 1600 22 7500
Tata Mutual Fund - 1600 22 0101

Paints
Asian Paints Home Solutions - 1600 22 5678
Berger Paints Home Decor - 1600 33 8800

Teleshopping
Asian Sky Shop - 1600 22 1600
Jaipan Teleshoppe - 1600 11 5225
Tele Brands - 1600 11 8000
VMI Teleshopping - 1600 447 777
WWS Teleshopping - 1600 220 777

Travel
Club Mahindra Holidays - 1600 33 4539
Cox & Kings - 1600 22 1235
God TV Tours - 1600 442 777
Kerala Tourism - 1600 444 747
Kumarakom Lake Resort - 1600 44 5030
Raj Travels & Tours - 1600 22 9900
Sita Tours - 1600 111 911
SOTC Tours - 1600 22 3344

UPS
APC - 1600 44 4272
Numeric - 1600 44 3266

Others
Consumer Helpline - 1600 11 4000
L'Or?al, GARNIeR - 1600 223 000
KONE Elevator - 1600 444 666
Indane - 1600 44 51 15
Aavin - 1600 44 3300
Pedigree - 1600 11 2121
Kodak India - 1600 22 8877
Domino's Pizza - 1600 111 123
World Vision India - 1600 444 550
Telecom Monitoring Cell - 1600 110 420

Bill Gates to Letter to Hobbyists on Feb 3, 1976

[Source: blinkenlights.com
By William Henry Gates III on February 3, 1976

An Open Letter to Hobbyists

To me, the most critical thing in the hobby market right now is the lack of good software courses, books and software itself. Without good software and an owner who understands programming, a hobby computer is wasted. Will quality software be written for the hobby market?
Almost a year ago, Paul Allen and myself, expecting the hobby market to expand, hired Monte Davidoff and developed Altair BASIC. Though the initial work took only two months, the three of us have spent most of the last year documenting, improving and adding features to BASIC. Now we have 4K, 8K, EXTENDED, ROM and DISK BASIC. The value of the computer time we have used exceeds $40,000.
The feedback we have gotten from the hundreds of people who say they are using BASIC has all been positive. Two surprising things are apparent, however, 1) Most of these "users" never bought BASIC (less than 10% of all Altair owners have bought BASIC), and 2) The amount of royalties we have received from sales to hobbyists makes the time spent on Altair BASIC worth less than $2 an hour.
Why is this? As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software. Hardware must be paid for, but software is something to share. Who cares if the people who worked on it get paid?
Is this fair? One thing you don't do by stealing software is get back at MITS for some problem you may have had. MITS doesn't make money selling software. The royalty paid to us, the manual, the tape and the overhead make it a break-even operation. One thing you do do is prevent good software from being written. Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free? The fact is, no one besides us has invested a lot of money in hobby software. We have written 6800 BASIC, and are writing 8080 APL and 6800 APL, but there is very little incentive to make this software available to hobbyists. Most directly, the thing you do is theft.
What about the guys who re-sell Altair BASIC, aren't they making money on hobby software? Yes, but those who have been reported to us may lose in the end. They are the ones who give hobbyists a bad name, and should be kicked out of any club meeting they show up at.
I would appreciate letters from any one who wants to pay up, or has a suggestion or comment. Just write to me at 1180 Alvarado SE, #114, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87108. Nothing would please me more than being able to hire ten programmers and deluge the hobby market with good software.
Bill Gates
General Partner, Micro-Soft

Accident Information [ For Chennai alone ]

At Chennai...

If you happen to see/witness/involve in an accident, you have two OPTIONS;

Option 1:
If you have time & Intention you can;
1.Take the victims to nearby hospital.
2.Provide first aid to the victims.
3.Help the victim to recover conscious - if the injury is minor /negligible

Option 2:
If you have NO time, but have the intention, you can;
Just dial 28150700 and inform them about the accident and place, REST THEY WILL TAKE CARE.
The above number belongs to Trauma care consortium, a non-profitable organization and they help people who need medical facilities because of a ROAD accident.

Sidhuisms.... At their Best

[Source : Unknown mail]
Here are Some Siddhuisms' to keep you laughing ??? or Thinking ???

1. As you grow older u get better unless you are a banana.
2. Flowing like a rampaging river
3. As sleek as a Gazelle
4. Falling like Cycles in a cycle stand
5. Moving like a meter of an Indian Taxi
6. If 'ifs and buts' were 'pots and pants' there would be no tinkers!
7. MAY BE is not a Honey Bee
8. It is very difficult to kill a man who is hell-bent on committing suicide
9. as dead as a dodo
10. a desperate man drinks coffee with a fork
11. If my aunty had been a man she would have been my uncle.
12. As straight as a ram-rod.
13. As innocent as freshly laid eggs.
14. All that comes from a cow is not milk..
15. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald
16. You cannot make Omelets without breaking the eggs.
17. When you are dining with the demon you've got to have a long spoon!
18. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.
19. Its not all over till the fat lady sings
20. As cool as a cucumber, as wily as a fox
21. A fallen lighthouse is more dangerous than a reef.
22. You cannot ride a seat less bicycle without getting blisters on your bums
23. Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.
24. If the heavens throw you dates, you got to keep your mouth open.
25. As crisp as a cracker
26. Beauty even when silent is eloquent.
27. You got to choose between tightening your belt and losing your pants.
28. The cat with gloves catches no mice
29. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.
30. Beauty bewitches both the holder and the beholder
31. Even a turtle won't move until he sticks his neck out.
32. Keep still and have thy will
33. He who wants a full farm must have old cocks with young bulls
34. The world is a large fruit cake you will always find some nuts in it.
35. What cannot be cured must be endured
36. Liquor talks mighty loud when it's let loose from the jug.
37. Character is not made in a crisis, it is exhibited.
38. In times of prosperity, remember it's the fattest pig that goes to the butcher.
39. Like a Tuk-Tuk he is having ignition problems
40. As sweet as tooti frooti
41. A good lather is half the shave…
42. Cats on a hot tin roof
43. Wickets are like wives - you never know which way they will turn!
44. A revolutionary idea is usually the one with its sleeves rolled up
45. After marriage, the other man's wife looks more beautiful.
46. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming youth.
47. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.
48. Beware of the naked man who offers you his shirt.
49. Even a cock crows before his own dung hill
50. I have seen many ladies displaying different styles and different styles displaying ladies.
51. It's like the brooding hen sitting over a china egg.
52. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And venture belongs to the adventurous.
53. One who doesn't throw the dice can never expect to score a six.
54. The ball whizzes past like a bumblebee and the Indians are in the sea.
55. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin in a haystack.
56. The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies and for the same reason.
57. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an oncoming train which will run them over.
58. We are all Adam's children - it's just the skin that makes all the difference.
59. We'll take the cake with the red cherry on top.
60. You can't play a symphony alone, it takes an orchestra to play it
61. In the Orchard of opportunity, you cant wait for the fruit to drop
62. Money is like manure. Its no good unless you spread it!
63. They are so timid, they wouldn't say Boo to a goose
64. Good intentions die unless utilized
65. Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide.
66. Statistics are like bikinis, what they reveal is suggestive, what they hide is essential!
67. He played that like a dwarf at a urinal.
68. I lean on statistics like a drunken man leans on a lamppost, only for support, not illumination
69. To catch a trout, you must be prepared to lose a fly.
70. He has a back lift like an octopus falling out of a tree, all over the place!
71. There is always free cheese in a mousetrap
72. Come to my parlor said the spider to the fly
73. A dog kennel is no place to hide a sausage
74. You can never unscramble eggs.
75. Call the bear uncle until you cross his bridge.
76. Wallowing in foolishness like a rhinoceros in an African bog.
77. Gamblers they Are like Toilets BROKE one Day Flush The Next
78. The only thing you get in life without effort is dandruff.
79. You may have 40 million reasons for failure, not a single excuse
80. The real bone of contention is that there cannot be any fruit without a root
81. I grow daily to honour facts more and more and theory less and less, and facts will not cease to exist just because they are ignored.
82. It was like an "umbrella without ribs" and "sleeping" on the issue for the last one year.
83. It was the general proposing and the captain disposing.
84. Spit on your hands! Take the black flag! And start slitting throats!
85. The ball went so high it could have got an airhostess on its way down!
86. This team is like bicycles in a cycle stand… one falls and the entire row falls!
87. The scoreboard is running faster than an Indian Taximeter!
88. The batsman is like a three-wheeler. Sucks a lot of fuel, but cannot go beyond 30!
89. The wily fox is back… it is an ill omen when a fox licks the lambs!
90. A big outcry but no outcome!
91. Just because a rose smells sweet, you do not use it in the soup!
92. Bad habits are like comfy beds - easy to get into, very difficult to get out off.
93. You aren't rewarded for having brains, you're rewarded for using them.
94. A lemon squeezed too hard yields a bitter juice.
95. Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier.
96. Curry is a worry.
97. To achieve, you have to believe
98. Success is the fruit of concentration.
99. Strike when the iron is hot, and make the iron hot by striking.
100. Strength grows in the garden of patience
101. Your originality is your strength.
102. If you enjoy a particular thing, you will always succeed at it
103. Winning is not important, but wanting to win is.
104. When you are submerged up to your ears in trouble, try using the part that isn't submerged.
105. Faith in your abilities will help you face the music, even if you don't like the tune.
106. Penny and penny will make many.
107. Every dog is a lion at his own door.
108. Disappointments need to be cremated, not embalmed.
109. Those openers are like nappies, and changed for the same reason.
110. A tree is always known by its fruit.
111. The blood of the soldier gives glory to the general.
112. Troubles are like babies - the more you nurse them, the bigger they grow.
113. The first blow is half the battle.
114. A recession is where you have to tighten your belt. A depression is where you have no belt to tighten. When you have no pants to hold up, it is time to panic.
115. Next to good judgement, diamonds and pearls are the next rarest thing.
116. When everything is coming your way, you might just be in the wrong lane of traffic.
117. It is choice, not chance that determines destiny.
118. Fine feathers make a fine bird.
119. Flattery is like chewing gum, you chew it for a while, don't swallow it - and after a while, spit it out!
120. Every time a lamb bleats, it loses a mouthful of hay
121. Judge people by their performance, not by their intentions.
122. A true professional is like a chameleon - he will change colour to suit his surroundings.
123. Easy to criticise an egg, difficult to lay one.
124. Keep feeding your faith until your doubts starves to death.
125. Experience is the thing you get right after you need it.
126. When you're running with the big dogs, you can't piddle like a puppy.
127. It is better to pluck the fruit from the tree than wait for it to fall.
128. You've got to put the saddle on the right horse.
129. Success is a matter of luck and pluck.
130. Big boast, small roast
131. The light at the end of the tunnel is nothing but an oncoming train.
132. The whole world is not cleaned by soft soap.
133. Good deeds speak for themselves, the tongue only speaks of their eloquence.
134. Speed has little to do with your progress - it is more to do with direction.
135. If fate gives you a lemon, make lemonade.
136. There is a devil in every berry of the grape.
137. Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.
138. The only thing you can get in a hurry is trouble.
139. Hope is the elixir of life.
140. A man who is heading nowhere is sure to reach his destination.
141. He's like a tornado - he can really blow you off your feet.
142. Commonsense is the knack of seeing things as they are and doing things as they need to be done.
143. A pessimist is one who burns bridges before the enemy gets to them.
144. He who ceases to praise ceases to prosper.
145. This is a batsman who is as erratic as the electricity supply in most parts of India.
146. You can take the tiger out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the tiger.
147. It's not the early bird that gets the worm, it's the smart one.
148. Don't die until you're dead.
149. Patience is the greatest of all shock-absorbers.
150. Ideas are funny things - they don't work unless you do.
151. Some students will drink from the fountain of knowledge - others will simply gargle.
152. To err is human - but not too often.
153. If you want your hen to lay, you have to bear the cackling.
154. You can't prevent the consequences of your mistakes.
155. It is tiny droplets of water that make a shower. He's believing his doubt and doubting his belief.
156. You always make your own luck.
157. In life, as in chess, it is foresight which will win.
158. A small leak can sink a big ship.
159. His mind is on the boisterous sea of doubt.
160. A good example is the best sermon you can ever preach.
161. Talent is nothing if it's not controlled, harnessed and disciplined.
162. Failure is a better teacher than success, but it will seldom get an apple.
163. The weakness of your opposition is your strength.
164. When you are an anvil, hold yourself still, When you're a hammer, strike your fill.
165. They're trying to make a whistle sound like a trumpet.
166. The darker the berry, the sweeter the juice, the longer the rope, the tighter the noose.
167. The world is all about mind and matter; I don't mind and you don't matter.
168. If one-day cricket was pyjama cricket, then Twenty20 is underwear cricket.
169. He's shredded that into smithereens
170. A fifty is like kissing a virgin, you just have to go on!
171. Comments should be like skirts. Short enough to keep your attention, butlong enough to cover the subject
172. The Sri Lankans are running between the wickets as if their wives are chasing them with a belan.
173. He is like a fighter plane with the speed of an auto rickshaw.
174. Indian Cricket is like an Indian Monsoon, When it Rains it Pours, else there is a drought.
175. Cricket is the game of glorious uncertainties! Glorious-when Sri Lankans play, uncertain-when India plays
176. In London they drive on the left, in India we drive on what is left
177. Indians should now be on their toes like midgets at a urinal.
178. For the Indians now it's 'fight back' or 'flight back'
179. He flew like a bird and plucked it out of thin air.
180. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a goal keeper. He must be given a free transfer to Manchester United.
181. The Indians are jelling together as a cohesive unit.
182. Dravid has hit this shot as straight as a candle.
183. Ajit Agarkar is as fresh as a daisy.
184. Sourav Ganguly is "The Burden of Calamity"
185. Indians have certainly erased the tag of tigers at home, pussy cats abroad!
186. Indian team without Sachin is like giving a Kiss without a Squeeze
187. New Zealanders have their limits, The kiwis are the birds that cannot fly!
188. He is a dibbly dobbly bowler
189. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites too.
190. If only he could learn how to play, he would make a great player!
191. They will not only come back home with their cup, but with the opposition's cherries as well
192. Eddie Nichols is a man who cannot find his own buttocks with his two hands.
193. He has thrown him to the wolves
194. He opened him like a can of beans
195. We are all Adam's children — it's just the silk that makes all the difference!
196. Right now he's looking like a Cheshire cat that's had loads of cream!
197. He is flowing like a river - simply unstoppable!
198. Great feathers make great birds!
199. My idea of a bird is 36-24-36.
200. A girl born beautiful is half married
201. A fly in the soup's better than no meat at all.
202. Flaming youth cooks its own goose.
203. Strong men and waterfalls channel their own paths.
204. No one reads a book to reach the middle. Ending is the most important part of the story.
205. There is no point in aiming at the target if you are loaded with blanks.
206. God is always on the side of the heavier battalion.
207. It is always difficult to dance on a crooked floor.
208. Small leaks can sink large ships.
209. They are like a "golden drum" which makes a lot of noise but was hollow inside.
210. Ganguly has thrown a drowning man both ends of the rope
211. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a topless bar!
212. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.
213. Kumble's bowling at the moment is flat as a Dosa
214. I am a sepoy and will follow the guidance of my leaders.
215. As a rule man is a fool, when it's hot he wants it cool, and when it's cool he wants it hot, Always wants what is not!
216. Warne is a victim of his own success. He has taken to women the way an ostrich takes to the skies.
217. This bowler bowls so slow that the batsmen have enough time to call home and talk to their wives between every delivery
218. Pitches are like husband!!! They keep slowing down!!!
219. His slower ball was so slow that my mama can run faster than that
220. His footwork is like a car in a traffic jam
221. The ball missed the bat like a kiss in a hindi movie
222. He is a constipated batsman/bowler, puts in a lot of effort and has verylittle results to show for in the end.
223. Sachin Tendular drives the ball faster than Michael Schumacher's Ferrari.
224. Ever since he started endorsing for Ferrari, his batting has gone into 7thgear
225. A dead man is no good to the Society. A dead man's family is also nogood to the society
226. When you fall on your back side the only place you can look is up
227. I don't trust the Indian batting, they can snatch defeat from the jaws ofvictory.
228. The trouble with Father Time is that it did not even wait for a woman
229. One Day Cricket is like a pyjama; every one fits into it.
230. If you sow the wind you reap the whirlwind.
231. Rusty brains don't squeak
232. Don't open your old umbrella and run it over your shoulder.
233. Only one man in a thousand is the leader of men, rest 999 follow thewomen
234. Blondes read OIL as 710
235. You don't judge the Horse-power of a vehicle by the size of its exhaust.
236. Kenya in South Africa was like a mountain having labor pains.
237. India looks like a crippled cobra whose fangs are clipped.
238. He is racing with me, in my spanking new car, on his old bike which has lost its chain.(He ain't going any where).He started at the bottom and is still there.
239. Give them a long rope and they will hang themselves from it.
240. If there is no difference of opinion, there will be no horse race
241. When you can kiss the mistress, never kiss the maid!!!!
242. Mad dogs keep barking at the elephant, but the king elephant does not bother about them at all.
243. New burdens are always heavy when everybody lifts
244. You are your own doctor in curing your cold feet.
245. Thoughts are the real interpreters of your actions.
246. Faith in your abilities, that's got to do wonders for you.
247. There are 2 things to which you've got 2 surrender; one is the weather and the other your wife.
248. The hands that carry the wound should also carry its cure.
249. Fear is the dark-room where negatives develop.
250. It does not take much 2 do things,but it takes a lot 2 decide what 2 do.
251. We must prove that it's skill and not strength that governs its ship
252. It is better 2 have talent and use it well rather than 2 have it in abundance and squander it.
253. Honour is the spur that pricks the princely mind.
254. Past is bucket full of ashes
255. Washing coal with a soap will do nothing for u.
256. Take pride out of man and he is like an umbrella without the ribs.
257. Calamity is the touchstone 2 a brave mind.
258. Experience is a hard teacher, it gives u the test first and then the lesson.
259. It takes very little strength to do things, but it takes a lot 2 decide what 2 do.
260. Nothing great was ever achieved without an act of decision.
261. The past is the best prophet for the future.
262. A Sailor has a wife on every port.
263. Defeats need to be cremated and not embalmed.
264. An optimist is a person who calls bullshit a fertilizer.

Country skill Rankings (NASSCOM)

[Source : Unknown mail]
The following are the Country skill Rankings (NASSCOM)

IT Database Development and Administration

RDBMS Concepts
India 48%
United States 22%
Romania 4%
Russian Federation 3%
Ukraine 3%

SQL (ANSI) Fundamentals
India 60%
United States 14%
Russian Federation 5%
Ukraine 5%
Romania 3%

MS SQL Server 2000 Programming
India 33%
United States 32%
Romania 7%
Russian Federation 5%
Ukraine 4%

DB2 Programming
India 71%
United States 18%
Philippines 1%
Romania 1%
United Kingdom
(Great Britain) 1%

Oracle PL/SQL
India 50%
United States 20%
Russian Federation 5%
Romania 3%
United Kingdom
(Great Britain) 3%

IT programming and Development

C#

United States 29%
India 22%
Russian Federation 9%
Ukraine 8%
United Kingdom
(Great Britain) 6%

Software Testing *****
India 71%
United States 11%
Ukraine 4%
Belarus 2%
Pakistan 1%

C++
India 22%
United States 20%
Russian Federation 17%
Ukraine 10%
United Kingdom
(Great Britain) 6%

Java 2 Fundamentals
India 58%
United States 14%
Russian Federation 5%
Ukraine 4%
Romania 3%

.Net Framework
India 47%
United States 19%
Russian Federation 6%
Ukraine 6%
Romania 5%

IT systems and Network Administration

Linux Administration (General)
United States 22%
India 16%
Russian Federation 9%
Ukraine 7%
Romania 6%

MS Windows Server 2003 Administration
United States 37%
India 19%
Russian Federation 6%
Ukraine 4%
Romania 3%

Networking Concepts
United States 34%
India 17%
Ukraine 6%
Russian Federation 5%
United Kingdom
(Great Britain) 4%

Unix Administration (Solaris 9)
India 37%
United States 27%
Russian Federation 5%
Canada 3%
United Kingdom
(Great Britain) 3%

Information Technology Security Fundamentals
United States 33%
India 12%
Ukraine 6%
Poland 5%
Russian Federation 4%

20 Great Achievements of 20th Century

[Source:unknown Mail]
1. Electrification
Widespread electrification gave us power for our cities, factories, farms, and homes, and forever changed our lives. Thousands of engineers made it happen, with innovative work in fuel sources, power-generating techniques, and transmission grids. From street lights to supercomputers, electric power makes our lives safer, healthier, and more convenient.
2. Automobiles
Even after Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz introduced their improved fourstroke internal combustion engine, automobiles were still poking along at a few miles an hour (a sizeable proportion of them still running on electricity or steam). They could boast no battery starter, roof, nor windows and were priced only for the rich. Then Henry Ford fine-tuned mass production and the world drove off into the age of affordable transportation—forever altering our notions of place, distance, and community.
3. Airplanes
Modern air travel transports goods and people quickly around the globe, facilitating our personal, cultural, and commercial interaction. Engineering innovations—from the Wright brothers to supersonic jets—have made it all possible.
4. Water Supply and Distribution
Today a simple turn of the tap provides clean water—a precious resource. Engineering advances in managing this resource—with water treatment, supply, and distribution systems—changed life profoundly, virtually eliminating waterborne diseases in developed nations and providing clean and abundant water for communities, farms, and industries.
5. Electronics
Electronics provide the basis for countless innovations. From vacuum tubes to transistors to integrated circuits, engineers have made electronics smaller, more powerful, and more efficient, paving the way for products that have improved the quality and convenience of modern life.
6. Radio and Television
Radio and television were major agents of social change, opening windows to other lives, to remote areas of the world, and to history in the making. From the wireless telegraph to today's advanced satellite systems, engineers have developed remarkable technologies that inform and entertain millions every day.
7. Agricultural Mechanization
The machinery of farms, such as tractors, cultivators, combines, and hundreds of others, dramatically increased farm efficiency and productivity. At the start of the century, four U.S. farmers could feed about 10 people. By the end of the century, with the help of engineering innovation, a single farmer could feed more than 100 people.
8. Computers
The computer is a defining symbol of 20th century technology—a tool that has transformed businesses and lives around the world, increased productivity, and opened access to vast amounts of knowledge. Computers relieved the drudgery of simple tasks and brought new capabilities to complex ones. Engineering ingenuity fueled this revolution and continues to make computers faster, more powerful, and more affordable.
9. Telephones
The telephone is a cornerstone of modern life. Nearly instant connections—between friends, families, businesses, and nations—enable communications that enhance our lives, industries, and economies. With remarkable innovations, engineers have brought us from copper wire to fiber optics, from switchboards to satellites, and from party lines to the Internet.
10. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Air conditioning and refrigeration changed life immensely in the 20th century. Dozens of engineering innovations made it possible to transport and store fresh foods and to adapt the environment to human needs. Once luxuries, air conditioning and refrigeration are now common necessities that greatly enhance our quality of life.
11. Highways
Highways provide one of our most cherished assets—the freedom of personal mobility. Thousands of engineers built the roads, bridges, and tunnels that connect our communities, enable goods and services to reach remote areas, encourage growth, and facilitate commerce.
12. Spacecraft
From early test rockets to sophisticated satellites, the human expansion into space is perhaps the most amazing engineering feat. The development of the spacecraft has thrilled the world, expanded our knowledge base, and improved our capabilities. Thousands of useful products and services have resulted from the space program, including medical devices, improved weather forecasting, and wireless communications.
13. Internet
Initially a tool to link research center computers, the Internet has become a vital instrument of social change. Created through a series of engineering innovations, the Internet is changing business practices, educational pursuits, and personal communications. By providing global access to news, commerce, and vast stores of information, the Internet brings us together and adds convenience and efficiency to our lives.
14. Imaging
From tiny atoms to distant galaxies, imaging technologies have expanded the reach of our vision. Probing the human body, mapping ocean floors, tracking weather patterns—all are the result of engineering advances. Coupled with the computer, imaging gives us incredible new views, both within and beyond the human body and environment.
15. Household Appliances
Household appliances dramatically changed the 20th century lifestyle by eliminating much of the labor of everyday tasks. Engineering innovation produced a variety of devices, including ranges, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, and dryers. These and other products give us more free time, enable more people to work outside the home, and contribute significantly to our economy.
16. Health Technologies
Advances in medical technology have been astounding. Armed with only a few instruments in 1900, medical professionals now have an arsenal of diagnostic and treatment equipment at their disposal. Artificial organs, replacement joints, imaging technologies, and biomaterials are a few of the engineered products that improve the quality of life for millions.
17. Petroleum and Petrochemical Technologies
Petroleum has been a critical component of, providing fuel for cars, homes, and industries. Also critical, petrochemicals are used in products ranging from aspirin to zippers. Spurred on by engineering advances in oil exploration and processing, petroleum products have had an enormous effect on world economies, peoples, and politics.
18. Laser and Fiber Optics
Pulses of light from lasers are used in industrial tools, surgical devices, satellites, and other products. In communications, highly pure glass fibers now provide the infrastructure to carry information via laser-produced light—a revolutionary technical achievement. Today, a single fiber-optic cable can transmit tens of millions of phone calls, data files, and video images.
19. Nuclear Technologies
The harnessing of the atom changed the nature of war forever and astounded the world with its awesome power. Nuclear technologies also gave us a new source of electric power and new capabilities in medical research and imaging. Though controversial, the engineering achievements related to nuclear technologies remain among the most important.
20. High-Performance Materials
From the building blocks of iron and steel to the latest advances in polymers, ceramics, and composites, the 20th century has seen a revolution in materials. Engineers have tailored and enhanced material properties for uses in thousands of applications. In aircraft, medical devices, computers, and other products, high-performance materials have a great effect on our quality of life.

White House Facts

[Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/facts.html]
For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the nation’s capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre L’Enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design.
Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.
The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President. Throughout much of Harry S. Truman’s presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the Trumans lived at Blair House, right across Pennsylvania Avenue. Nonetheless, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the White House was constructed two centuries ago.
Presidents can express their individual style in how they decorate some parts of the house and in how they receive the public during their stay. Thomas Jefferson held the first Inaugural open house in 1805. Many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol simply followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. President Jefferson also opened the house for public tours, and it has remained open, except during wartime, ever since. In addition, he welcomed visitors to annual receptions on New Year’s Day and on the Fourth of July. In 1829, a horde of 20,000 Inaugural callers forced President Andrew Jackson to flee to the safety of a hotel while, on the lawn, aides filled washtubs with orange juice and whiskey to lure the mob out of the mud-tracked White House.
After Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover Cleveland’s first presidency did this unsafe practice change. He held a presidential review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the White House. This procession evolved into the official Inaugural parade we know today. Receptions on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July continued to be held until the early 1930s.
There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
Presidential Firsts while in office... President James Polk (1845-49) was the first President to have his photograph taken... President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) was not only the first President to ride in an automobile, but also the first President to travel outside the country when he visited Panama... President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45) was the first President to ride in an airplane.
With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000.
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its residents, including a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling lane.

Fact List 1

• Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.
• Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
• The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
• The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
• The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to Squirt blood 30 feet.
• Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear By 700 times.
• Ants don't sleep .
• Owls have eyeballs that are tubular in shape, because of this, they cannot move their eyes.
• A bird requires more food in proportion to its size than a baby or a cat.
• The mouse is the most common mammal in the US.
• A newborn kangaroo is about 1 inch in length.
• A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
• The Canary Islands were not named for a bird called a canary. They
  were named after a breed of large dogs. The Latin name was Canariae
  insulae - "Island of Dogs."
• There are 701 types of pure breed dogs.
• A polecat is not a cat. It is a nocturnal European weasel.
• The animal responsible for the most human deaths world-wide is the mosquito.
• The biggest pig in recorded history was Big Boy of Black Mountain,
  North Carolina, who was weighed at 1,904 pounds in 1939.
• Cats respond most readily to names that end in an "ee" sound.
• A cat cannot see directly under its nose. This is why the cat cannot seem to find tidbits on the floor.
• Pigs, walruses and light-colored horses can be sunburned.
• Snakes are immune to their own poison.
• An iguana can stay under water for 28 minutes.
• Cats have more than one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
• The biggest member of the cat family is the male lion, which weighs 528 pounds (240 kilograms).
• Most lipstick contains fish scales.
• Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.
• Each day in the US, animal shelters are forced to destroy 30,000 dogs and cats.
• A shrimp's heart is in their head.
• A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.
• A cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
• The cat lover is an ailurophile, while a cat hater is an ailurophobe.
• A woodpecker can peck twenty times a second.
• It may take longer than two days for a chick to break out of its shell.
• Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.
• Despite man's fear and hatred of the wolf, it has not ever been proved that a non-rabid wolf ever attacked a human.
• There are more than 100 million dogs and cats in the United States.
• Americans spend more than 5.4 billion dollars on their pets each year.
• Cat's urine glows under a black light .
• The largest cockroach on record is one measured at 3.81 inches in length.
• It is estimated that a single toad may catch and eat as many as 10,000 insects in the course of a summer.
• Amphibians eyes come in a variety shapes and sizes. Some even have square or heart-shaped pupils.
• It would require an average of 18 hummingbirds to weigh in at 1 ounce.
• Dogs that do not tolerate small children well are the St. Bernard, the Old English sheep dog, the Alaskan malamute, the bull terrier, and the toy poodle.
• Moles are able to tunnel through 300 feet of earth in a day.
• Howler monkeys are the noisiest land animals. Their calls can be heard over 2 miles away.
• A quarter of the horses in the US died of a vast virus epidemic in 1872.
• The fastest bird is the Spine-tailed swift, clocked at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour.

................... to be continued