IN THE LINE OF FIRE… REALLY WORTH READING!!! ~ Rich Personality.blogspot.com

Thursday 30 June 2011

IN THE LINE OF FIRE… REALLY WORTH READING!!!

03:15 Rich Personality No comments

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel.
"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop.

Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.

"You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today everything is getting computerized."

"Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look.He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

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

Vivek smiled "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."

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

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought."Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in.Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office does not mean our brows do not sweat."

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

"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centres across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrency; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand
the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"

The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination. "You design and code such things."

"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the Project Manager,"

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

It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had to be given a feel of the heat.
"To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer
at one end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday. My friend, you don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of us were alive."

"You are a..."

"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil.

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; a valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.

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

"It was nice meeting you sir."

Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This hand had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly as if by impulse,he stood at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute. It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

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

                                            sent to us by
                                                      Col Pramod Tembe(India)

Posted in: Motivation

Heart Disease-No 1 Killer In Women

When you hear the term 'Heart Disease,' what is your first reaction? Like many women, you may think, “That’s a man’s disease” or “Not my problem.”

But here is The Heart Truth: Heart disease is the number one killer of women . Most women don’t know this. But it is vital that you know it—and know what it means for you.

One woman dies almost every minute from Heart Disease.Yet Studies Show that only 21%One woman view Heart Disease as Health Threat.

Worldwide 8.6 million women die of heart disease each year, accounting for a third of all deaths in women. With all the risk factors common to men additionally use of Oral Contraceptive pills is there in women. So women should be educated about everything they need to know about their heart.

According to statistics, the mortality rate among women suffering from cardiovascular diseases is also higher than that of men across the world, including India. The main reason behind the increased mortality rate in women is the changes in lifestyle in metropolitan cities. In big cities women are working late shifts and more and more women are taking help of smoking and drinking to deal with the stress of personal and professional life.

'Risk Factors'

1) Non Modifiable : Age , Family history and sex.

2) Modifiable :
High blood pressure, High cholesterol, Obesity , smoking, Alcohol, Unhealthy Diet, Stress and depression, Sedentary lifestyle.

Following are the Risk Factors That Play a Bigger Role in Women.
These factors affect both men and women, but doctors are finding that they may have a bigger impact on women:

a) Diabetes. This in particular is a more potent risk factor for women. Women who have diabetes have a four to five times more elevated risk for heart disease.

b) Birth Control Pills : Studies show that women who use high-dose birth control pills are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke because blood clots are more likely to form in the blood vessels.
Much of this information comes from studies of birth control pills containing higher doses of hormones than those commonly used today. Still, the risks of using low-dose pills are not fully known.
Therefore, if you are now taking any kind of birth control pill or are considering using one, keep these guidelines in mind: Don’t mix smoking and “the pill.” If you smoke cigarettes, make a serious effort to quit. If you cannot quit, choose a different form of birth control.

SYMPTOMS
Unusual fatigue, Sleep disturbance , shortness of breath ,Indigestion , anxiety.

'You and Your Doctor: A Heart Healthy Partnership'

"ASK AND YOU GET!" Tell your doctor you want to keep your heart healthy and would like help in achieving that goal. Ask questions about your chances of developing heart disease and how you can lower your risk.
A wholistic approach combining Allopathy, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy , Naturopathy, Yoga , and Lifestyle modifications can save your heart.

If you eat a nutritious diet, engage in regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight, and stop smoking, you will improve your heart health. No matter what heart disease risk factors you have—or how many—you will greatly benefit from taking action in these four areas. If you already have heart disease, you can lessen its severity by following this plan.

True, you may need to take other steps to prevent or control heart disease. For example, if you have diabetes, you also will need to keep your blood sugar levels under control. But following a heart healthy eating plan, controlling your weight ,and engaging in more physical activity will help you keep your blood sugar at healthy levels. These steps will also help reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol.

So Women , lets respond with one voice to the health crises of womens heart disease by creating awareness amongst ourselves.

NEWS-"Actress Elizabeth Banks promotes American Heart Association campaigns to spread awareness of Heart Disease in Women, Their No-1 Killer".