Picture this: Vikram Mehra is a suave young man, bright as a button and a smooth talker. He's good at his job and is always coming up with innovative ideas. But in the office, whenever he passes by a colleague's cubicle or enters someone's cabin, those around him squirm uncomfortably, scrunching up their noses, holding their breath and leaning back in their seats. They're just waiting for him to leave, but no one tells Vikram the reason behind this behaviour.
You know why they behave like this, though, don't you? Yes, it's as you suspected -- Vikram exudes terrible body odour (there isn't any other kind!).
If you've ever worked with someone who has poor oral hygiene -- whether it's bad breath, smelly feet, or body odour -- you know how distracting and unbearable it can get, up to the point that it becomes difficult to function when that individual is around.
Here's another scenario:
At the airport, Sanjay Dhawan, a traveller, has the option of using one of two available counters to check himself in.
The first counter is manned by a staffer who has greasy hair, stubble and is wearing a wrinkled white shirt, the colour of which is now bordering between off-white and grey. He also has oily skin, paan-stained teeth and dirty fingernails. He is, however, a senior staffer and efficient at his job.
The second counter is manned by a staffer who is wearing ironed clothes, has a neat hairstyle, a nice bright smile, clean hands and smells great. He has been around for only six months and is therefore not very conversant with his job.
Whose counter do you think Sanjay Dhawan will check in from and why?
My guess is he will head straight for the second counter -- who wouldn't prefer a pleasant, clean-looking person?
Body odour
Remember, most folks are too embarrassed to tell you that you have body odour. Even your best friend will probably not mention it. And managers, too, are happy to steer well clear of the issue, often feeling unable to broach the subject until forced to do so by complaining subordinates. Even then, they are often unprepared to deal with what is a very delicate situation.
The human nose suffers from olfactory fatigue and you probably can't smell yourself at times, but others can. Therefore, evaluate yourself.
Now we live in a very hot country and as human beings, we have sweat glands that help regulate our body temperature. It is therefore quite natural for us to perspire. When perspiration is allowed to stay on our bodies for an extended period of time, however, the bacteria that feeds off it cause an offensive body odour.
Perspiration can be a serious problem if you do not take the right measures to keep clean. Fortunately, today there are many over-the-counter products available that can help you to maintain stringent standards of personal hygiene.
Most people do not acquire these good habits because of poor planning and thoughtlessness rather than lack of money. Most measures to remain hygienic and clean either do not cost anything at all or then very little. It is worth spending a little on basic toiletries to remain clean and hygienic.
So here is how you can prevent or get rid of body odour:
Bathe daily, preferably twice a day. A morning bath helps to eliminate overnight perspiration and body odour. And an evening bath washes away the odours of the day. A bath can also help make a difference to how you feel. A lazy, warm bath is excellent therapy to soothe tired muscles and relax, while a quick and cool bath buoys you up for a burst of energy.
Gone are the days when soaps were all you needed because the rest of the world has moved on to bodywash. Just a pea-sized bit of shower gel on a loofah or sponge instantly transforms into an explosion of rich, creamy, cleansing lather. When applied to the skin, it penetrates deep enough to clean thoroughly, while enveloping it in a fresh aromatic fragrance.
Use a loofah once a day on your elbows, knees, outer thighs, back, feet and hips. Exfoliated skin is healthy skin.
During the cold, dry months use a hand and body lotion / body oil after a bath to keep the skin smooth and soft. Do this while the body is still wet and then pat dry with a soft towel.
Now comes the time to use a good, strong, heavy-duty, anti-perspiration deodorant in the underarm area (roll-ons are more effective than sprays). Ladies, I highly recommend that you use men's deodorants too! Always apply to dry skin. The anti-perspirant controls the actual flow of sweat by contracting your pores, while the deodorant prevents body odour by destroying skin bacteria. These also have chemicals that convert moisture into solids (you might want to wait for it your deo to dry before you wear your clothes, as it can lead to staining, especially on dark-coloured fabrics).
Ladies should now use a good perfume or body spray. For men, after-shave or cologne should be used for a sense of lingering freshness. Too much perfume or after-shave is a bad idea -- you don't want to give your co-workers a migraine!
You should have access to a can of deo at any given time -- keep it in your purse, briefcase, drawer, cabinet, locker, glove compartment or any other convenient place. When the effectiveness of the roll-on wears off, which could be anywhere between three to eight hours and you start feeling sticky again, slip into a rest room and freshen up (please use only on your skin -- your shirt is incapable of perspiring!). Oh by the way, sprays work better at such times -- you would look rather strange standing with your hands up in the office rest room, waiting for the roll-on to dry!
Don't re-wear clothes without washing them, especially if you have a tendency to perspire excessively. Wash your clothes in warm water with a good detergent.
If body odour persists in spite of all these measures, please see a doctor. Your co-workers will bless you!
Oral hygiene
Taking good care of one's teeth is one of the smartest health investments one can make, helping to ensure that they will remain strong, healthy and white for a lifetime. Taking good care of your mouth and teeth will give you pleasant breath, a nice smile and fewer cavities.
Brush your teeth twice a day, clean your tongue and use a mouthwash or floss to avoid offensive bad breath.
Avoid chewing paan, tobacco or smoking -- they not only stain your teeth and give you bad breath, but they cause cancer.
In case your teeth are stained, use toothpaste with whiteners and bleach. Or you can just brush with household baking soda -- that's not very pleasant, but it is quite effective!
Hydrate your mouth by drinking water regularly, as a dry mouth causes bad breath. Drink a glass of water after consuming tea/ coffee or anything else that has sugar or milk in it. Besides rinsing your mouth, water is excellent for your health too.
Strongly-spiced or flavoured foods like pickles, onions and garlic must not be consumed before or during work hours. Always keep mints, a mouth spray or lavang (clove) and elaichi (cardamom) handy, so you can pop them into your mouth as and when necessary.
If problems with your teeth, gums or bad breath still persist, see a dentist as soon as possible.
Grooming, health and hygiene
Hygiene is more than just being clean -- it is defined as the many practices that help people keep healthy.
Practicing good personal hygiene is smart for two reasons. First, it helps prevent people from catching and spreading illnesses and disease, which is of key importance when it comes to the office environment. Second, it helps people feel good about themselves and their bodies.
Also remember, you are never completely well-groomed till you have conquered personal hygiene. Everything about you must be squeaky clean.
Here are a few other general tips to keep in mind when it comes to personal hygiene:
Clean hair is healthy hair (also, dandruff and lice are not very attractive, are they?).
Keep your feet clean, toe-nails short and wear clean socks. These measures will help keep your tootsies safe from fungal and other infections. Ladies, your feet are seen when you wear open-toed sandals and chappals. Clean, pedicured feet say a lot about your grooming standards.
Your hands say more about you than you may think, especially in a role where they are always in view. Besides this, well-manicured fingers give a sense of hygiene and freshness to the onlooker. Ladies -- chipped nail polish is the Number One grooming sin! Fingernails should always be kept clean and neatly trimmed or filed. Nails that are excessively long can, by virtue of their length, hold more dirt than shorter nails. Those with longer nails, then, need to be more diligent about keeping them nails clean.
Ladies, defuzzing and removing unwanted hair also is an essential part of your personal hygiene. Arms, underarms, legs, eye-brows and upper lip should always be hairless. You can use different methods to achieve this -- waxing, shaving, threading or depilatory creams. Of these, waxing is found to be the most effective as the results last the longest. For those suffering from waxing in-growth problems, try using a pumice stone while bathing. Facial hair which is downy can be bleached into oblivion.
Do keep in mind that personal hygiene is important no matter what field of work you are in, not only as a courtesy to co-workers, customers and everybody you encounter during your work day -- it is vital to your own physical and emotional wellbeing.

Market, Assets and Bankruptcy - worth a read--related to Mortagage crisis

A great example which demonstrates how world economies have been spanning, especially in last few years.

Once there was a little island country. The land of this country was the tiny island itself. The total money in circulation was 2 dollars as there were only two pieces of 1 dollar coins circulating around.

1) There were 3 citizens living on this island country. A owned the land. B and C each owned 1 dollar.

2) B decided to purchase the land from A for 1 dollar. So, now A and C own 1 dollar each while B owned a piece of land that is worth 1 dollar.

* The net asset of the country now = 3 dollars.

3) Now C thought that since there is only one piece of land in the country, and land is non producible asset, its value must definitely go up. So, he borrowed 1 dollar from A, and together with his own 1 dollar, he bought the land from B for 2 dollars.

*A has a loan to C of 1 dollar, so his net asset is 1 dollar.
* B sold his land and got 2 dollars, so his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C owned the piece of land worth 2 dollars but with his 1 dollar debt to A, his net residual asset is 1 dollar.
* Thus, the net asset of the country = 4 dollars.

4) A saw that the land he once owned has risen in value. He regretted having sold it. Luckily, he has a 1 dollar loan to C. He then borrowed 2 dollars from B and acquired the land back from C for 3 dollars. The payment is by 2 dollars cash (which he borrowed) and cancellation of the 1 dollar loan to C. As a result, A now owned a piece of land that is worth 3 dollars. But since he owed B 2 dollars, his net asset is 1 dollar.

* B loaned 2 dollars to A. So his net asset is 2 dollars.
* C now has the 2 coins. His net asset is also 2 dollars.
* The net asset of the country = 5 dollars. A bubble is building up.

(5) B saw that the value of land kept rising. He also wanted to own the land. So he bought the land from A for 4 dollars. The payment is by borrowing 2 dollars from C, and cancellation of his 2 dollars loan to A.

* As a result, A has got his debt cleared and he got the 2 coins. His net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owned a piece of land that is worth 4 dollars, but since he has a debt of 2 dollars with C, his net Asset is 2 dollars.
* C loaned 2 dollars to B, so his net asset is 2 dollars.

* The net asset of the country = 6 dollars; even though, the country has only one piece of land and 2 Dollars in circulation.

(6) Everybody has made money and everybody felt happy and prosperous.

(7) One day an evil wind blew, and an evil thought came to C's mind. "Hey, what if the land price stop going up, how could B repay my loan. There is only 2 dollars in circulation, and, I think after all the land that B owns is worth at most only 1 dollar, and no more."

(8) A also thought the same way.

(9) Nobody wanted to buy land anymore.

* So, in the end, A owns the 2 dollar coins, his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B owed C 2 dollars and the land he owned which he thought worth 4 dollars is now 1 dollar. So his net asset is only 1 dollar.
* C has a loan of 2 dollars to B. But it is a bad debt. Although his net asset is still 2 dollars, his Heart is palpitating.
* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars again.

(10) So, who has stolen the 3 dollars from the country ? Of course, before the bubble burst B thought his land was worth 4 dollars. Actually, right before the collapse, the net asset of the country was 6 dollars on paper. B's net asset is still 2 dollars, his heart is palpitating.

(11) B had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. C as to relinquish his 2 dollars bad debt to B, but in return he acquired the land which is worth 1 dollar now.

* A owns the 2 coins; his net asset is 2 dollars.
* B is bankrupt; his net asset is 0 dollar. ( he lost everything )
* C got no choice but end up with a land worth only 1 dollar

* The net asset of the country = 3 dollars.

**************End of the story; BUT ***************************

There is however a redistribution of wealth.
A is the winner, B is the loser, C is lucky that he is spared.


A few points worth noting -

(1) When a bubble is building up, the debt of individuals to one another in a country is also building up.
(2) This story of the island is a closed system whereby there is no other country and hence no foreign debt. The worth of the asset can only be calculated using the island's own currency. Hence, there is no net loss.
(3) An over-damped system is assumed when the bubble burst, meaning the land's value did not go down to below 1 dollar.
(4) When the bubble burst, the fellow with cash is the winner. The fellows having the land or extending loan to others are the losers. The asset could shrink or in worst case, they go bankrupt.
(5) If there is another citizen D either holding a dollar or another piece of land but refrains from taking part in the game, he will neither win nor lose. But he will see the value of his money or land go up and down like a see saw.
(6) When the bubble was in the growing phase, everybody made money.
(7) If you are smart and know that you are living in a growing bubble, it is worthwhile to borrow money (like A) and take part in the game. But you must know when you should change everything back to cash!!
(8) As in the case of land, the above phenomenon applies to stocks as well.
(9) The actual worth of land or stocks depend largely on psychology.

Me and My Father

Me and My Father
When I was 4 Yrs Old : My father is THE BEST
When I was 6 Yrs Old : My father seems to know everyone
When I was 10 Yrs Old : My father is excellent but he is short tempered
When I was 12 Yrs Old : My father was nice when I was little
When I was 14 Yrs Old : My father started being too sensitive
When I was 16 Yrs Old : My father can't keep up with modern time
When I was 18 Yrs Old : My father is getting less tolerant as the days pass by
When I was 20 Yrs Old : It is too hard to forgive my father, how could my Mum stand him all these years
When I was 25 Yrs Old : My father seems to be objecting to everything I do
When I was 30 Yrs Old: It's very difficult to be in agreement with my father, I wonder if my Grandfather was troubled by my father when he was a youth
When I was 40 Yrs Old: My father brought me up with a lot of discipline, I must do the same
When I was 45 Yrs Old: I am puzzled, how did my father manage to raise all of us
When I was 50 Yrs Old : It's rather difficult to control my kids, how much did my father suffer for the sake of upbringing and protecting us
When I was 55 Yrs Old: My father was far looking and had wide plans for us, he was gentle and outstanding.
When I became 60 Yrs Old: My father is THE BEST
Note that it took 56 Yrs to complete the cycle and return to the starting point 'My father is THE BEST '

SG

Hi Bhosadike<

Hi
Bhosadike!!!!!!!!
It would surprise many of you to know that the origins of this word are in a Sanskrit greeting,
Bho sad ike ?
meaning,
Sir, are you well?
Everyone knows that 'Sad' is a prefix used for good things, like sadguru, sadiccha etc.
'Bho' is a term used for respect, brahmins will know it since it is used in the abhivadaye.
Ika is a aatmanepadi verb meaning 'to be'.
ike ikaavahe ikaamahe
Ikase ikethe ikadhve
ikate ikete ikante
are its forms.
This was a popular form of greeting in ancient India, before the Mughals came and prohibited this greeting, for reasons unknown.
However some enterprising locals continued to use this greeting.
Therefore, to assasinate this greeting morally, the mughals gave it vulgar connotations, and those are alive even know.
It is time we revived our ancient indian traditions.......
Say Bhosadike to all the people you meet and explain them its true meaning.
SG

Problem in upgradation....Wife

Dear Tech Support Team:
Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 5.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child-processes
that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activities.
Applications such as BachelorNights 10.3, Cricket 5.0, BeerWithBuddies 7.5, and Outings 3.6 no longer runs, crashing the system whenever
selected. I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 5.0 , but the 'uninstall'
doesn't work on Wife 1.0.
Please help!
Thanks,
"A Troubled User"
REPLY:
Dear Troubled User:
This is a very common problem that people complain about.Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 5.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it
is just a Utilities and Entertainment program.Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run
EVERYTHING !!!It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend5.0.It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the
system once installed.You cannot go back to Girlfriend 5.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed notto allow this. (Look in your Wife 1.0 Manual under
Warnings-Alimony-Child Support) .I recommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the environment.I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear " to
alleviate software augmentation. The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean 2.5, Sweep 3.0, Cook 1.5 and DoLaundry 4.2. However, be very careful how you use these programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the
program NagNag 9.5 .
Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0
is to purchase additional software. I recommend Sarees 2.1 and Jewellery 5.0
STATUTORY WARNING : DO NOT, under any circumstances, install
SecretaryWithShortSkirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife
1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.
Thanks,
Tech Support Team.

CHANGING JOBS

A survey reported that professionals who regularly changed their jobs are more confident and financially secure than their counterparts. To find out the truth we decided to have a conversation with some of our friends. We began with some professionals who had changed their jobs a year ago.
This is what one had to say:
"I started my career in a company and worked in the same company for 10 years. During this period I developed very good relations with my seniors, HoD and also with admin dept. This created a sense of security in my mind and I started loving my company. During this period I came across many job opportunities from other companies and also from foreign lands. But the sense of security was so deep rooted in my mind that I never bothered to even attend a walk-in-interview. Forget about thinking of going abroad. I watched many of my colleagues resign and join other companies on a higher salary and a higher position. Some even went abroad and are settled there.
Meanwhile I also saw some young engineers almost 5 years junior to me joined my company with same pay as what I was earning. It was then I was disturbed and started looking for alternatives. I had good relations with my HOD and also with administration dept so I decided to put up my case against this "injustice". Everybody showed sympathy to me but nobody took any action, all that they would say were "we will revise your scale in the next appraisal". I had faith in my company so I waited for the appraisal and to my shock I was given only an average increment the same was given to the new chaps too. The same story repeated the following year. It was then I decided to quit.
But leaving was not so easy. I had many of sleepless nights before I actually resigned. I had built a shell of "sense of security" around me and it was very difficult to break. Worse I had lost confidence that I would be able to adjust and perform in a different environment. But later I found out it is not so difficult to get adjusted to the new environment. I am happy now that I earn better and have a good position."
This is just an example. Many professionals we talked to had a similar experience.
WE CONCLUDE THAT WORKING IN ANY COMPANY FOR MORE THAN 7 YEARS HAVE FOLLOWING DISADVANTAGES:
1. You are taken for granted by the company.
2. You get used to working in an environment which is unique to that company this makes you less confident for taking up new opportunities.
3. Personal growth is hampered as there is very little new to learn after 5-7 years.
4. You become complacent reducing your own market value.
5. The only benefit it offers is so called "security" (And that too is imaginary)
HERE ARE SOME BENEFITS OF CHANGING THE JOB REGULARLY:
1. You join the company satisfied with your needs ( pay and position ) and on your own terms.
2. Work in a different environment and learn to negotiate different problems and situations.
3. Often you get a chance to attend a new course/seminar thereby increasing your professional knowledge.
4. You are always conscious about your performance keeping your market value intact.
The professional companies do not operate on emotions. They are least bothered about your loyalty all they want is performance. You won't be awarded anything extraordinary for your loyalty. It is always performance that counts. If you are in a company serving for too long then the chances are you not one of the best performers because of the inevitable complacency.
Also such people presented with an opportunity of lifetime are incapable to grab it. It is impossible for these people to break their shell of "security" and grab the new opportunity. The situation is worse for the people who have worked for more than 15 years in only one company. They can't even dream of quitting their job - it is like fish out of water.

Think Before You Buy iPhone3G ..!!

Hi,
For those of you in India who plan to buy the grand iPhone3G... THINK TWICE !
The following are the shortcomings of this 'cool' phone:
No Video Calls
No AD2P on Bluetooth
Cant share any (mp3, Images, Videos...) Files via Bluetooth
Can't use as a Wireless Modem (you pay ridiculous data charges to activate internet on your phone, but cannot connect it to your PC and browse when you are at home)
No Copy and Paste (cannot copy a part of a... say email/messages & send it)
No 3.2 / 5 Megapixel Camera (the 2MP camera it carries is worst camera one would ever seen… photos look like they have come out of a VGA)
No Video Recording with Camera
No Front Camera
No flash
No JAVA Support
No Physical Keyboard (Believe it or not, this alone is a deal breaker. Touch keyboard is for good looks. Once you use it, you get to know the importance of having a hard keypad)
No 3G Network yet in India. So why pay for expensive 3G phone if you can't use its 3G services => iPhone 2.0 is no Better than its first Version!
No Removable Battery (you will have to send it to Apple outlet. Come on now! This isn't an iPod; it's a bloody phone. You cannot live without phone for 2-3 days)
No Haptic Feedback
Cannot send MMS
Can't use External Storage Device (16 GB of utter waste isn't it? Next time you go to your friend's house & find some interesting songs, movies, sorry but you cannot connect your '16 GB' phone and share it! Apple apparently has a solution, "Buy Music & Movies from iTunes Store". Yeah rite, gimme a break will you APPLE!)
No FM Radio
Can't use your mp3 files as Ringtones (This is heights man!)
Cannot Insert any other SIM Card
Completely tied to iTunes... Connect to your friend's iTunes & you risk erasing everything on your phone
Want to add third party software's? You have to buy from iTunes store only

We Indians are used to these features. Most of our phones already have them. Imagine paying so much for a phone with which you cannot transfer files via Bluetooth. Back to Stone-Age?!
Some features may be activated by jailbreak. But why the hell should you risk losing your warranty after paying so much.
Apple are trying to IMPOSE their model, riding on the hype iPhone has created in the US. Since it was a flop in Europe, Apple never talks about its sales in Europe.
Don't fall for the subsidized price of iPhone. Check out the Data Plan with the SIM.
Goodness of iPhone is that it is the best looking phone & has the best browsing experience. So if you can sacrifice everything that deserves to be put in a phone and go for looks, then IPhone is the one. Else, there are loads of other options in the market!

Kandivali Railway Station

Kandivali Station: The worst station ever designed (Not Designed -made for just heck of it).

Rail crossing is free for all. I have seen people dying on tracks. Its the most pathetic sight.

Hawkers sit right on the tracks. I dont know if there is any Railway Police posted on this station.

Approch Road to the Station is one hell of an experience. You just cant drive there.

Prostitution is evident after 8pm. All are aware of it but no one complains.