Capability Maturity Model (CMM) Levels

The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) in software engineering is a model of the maturity of the capability of certain business processes. A maturity model can be described as a structured collection of elements that describe certain aspects of maturity in an organization, and aids in the definition and understanding of an organization's processes. The CMM has been superseded by the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).
The Capability Maturity Model for Software (also known as the CMM and SW-CMM) has been retired, and CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) replaces it.

CMM Level
There are five levels defined along the continuum of the CMM, and, according to the SEI: "Predictability, effectiveness, and control of an organization's software processes are believed to improve as the organization moves up these five levels. While not rigorous, the empirical evidence to date supports this belief."

Level 1 - Ad hoc (Chaotic)
It is characteristic of processes at this level that they are (typically) undocumented and in a state of dynamic change, tending to be driven in an ad hoc, uncontrolled and reactive manner by users or events. This provides a chaotic or unstable environment for the processes.

Level 2 - Repeatable
It is characteristic of processes at this level that some processes are repeatable, possibly with consistent results. Process discipline is unlikely to be rigorous, but where it exists it may help to ensure that existing processes are maintained during times of stress.

Level 3 - Defined
It is characteristic of processes at this level that there are sets of defined and documented standard processes established and subject to some degree of improvement over time. These standard processes are in place (i.e., they are the AS-IS processes) and used to establish consistency of process performance across the organization.

Level 4 - Managed
It is characteristic of processes at this level that, using process metrics, management can effectively control the AS-IS process (e.g., for software development ). In particular, management can identify ways to adjust and adapt the process to particular projects without measurable losses of quality or deviations from specifications. Process Capability is established from this level.

Level 5 - Optimizing
It is a characteristic of processes at this level that the focus is on continually improving process performance through both incremental and innovative technological changes/improvements.

At maturity level 5, processes are concerned with addressing statistical common causes of process variation and changing the process (for example, shifting the mean of the process performance) to improve process performance. This would be done at the same time as maintaining the likelihood of achieving the established quantitative process-improvement objectives.

Other important terms are

CMMI : Capability Maturity Model for Integration if the companies are producing
IT and Non-IT products then it is CMMI
CMMP : Capability Maturity Model for People these companies give more benefits to people so people will work more satisfaction.
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AIDS and it's prevention...

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

You can get AIDS by:

* blood transfusions ( not very common anymore).
* being born with it.
* having unprotected sex with someone who has AIDS.
* finding a used needle on the ground, picking it up, and
getting the infected blood into an open wound.
* getting blood from someone else's cut who has AIDS, into yours.

Here are some tips to help you prevent this disease.

->Avoid having unprotected sex with multiple partners. Never reuse condoms.

->Be careful to take only HIV free blood, if you ever need to take blood at all.

->Never pick up any needle from the ground and never let it enter your body.

->Always use disposable needles and syringes.

->Be careful not to share needle at the time of body piercing or tattooing.

->In the salon, never share razor.

->You can kiss an AIDS patient in the cheek, but do not go for deeper kiss, as AIDS virus can sometimes found in the saliva.

Do you think you could get AIDS by...

* sharing a bathroom?
* eating food that was cooked by someone that has AIDS?
* giving blood at a blood drive?
* coughing or sneezing?
* shaking hands?
* being bitten by a mosquito or a tick?
* touching someone who is sweating that has AIDS?
* swimming in a pool?

NO. You can't get AIDS by doing any of these things, although many people think you can. You can't get AIDS by being near or touching someone who has AIDS. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is spread through the blood. HIV does not travel as tears, air, or sweat. If you find a used needle on the ground, don't touch it. Especially if you have an open cut. The blood from the needle might have HIV in or on it. You can kiss a person infected with HIV on the cheek, but you shouldn't do any big, deep kissing since small amounts of HIV have been found in saliva.

Right now there isn't a cure for HIV and AIDS, but a lot of scientists and doctors are working very hard to find one! So prevention is the best defense...
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Michael Jackson and controversies around his personal life..

These are the controversies about Michael Jackson's Personal Life...

• 1993 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson

In 1993, Jackson was accused of child molestation by Jordan Chandler. The case was
settled out of court and Jackson was not charged.

• 2002 Berlin controversy involving Michael Jackson

In 2002, Michael Jackson briefly suspending his youngest son
over a balcony railing in Berlin, Germany.

• 2005 trial of Michael Jackson

In 2005, Michael Jackson was tried and acquitted of child
molestation charges brought against him in 2003.

• Michael Jackson finances

Michael Jackson's finances have been a controversial topic since he purchased the ATV
catalogue in 1985.

• Michael Jackson home, recreation, friends, charity

Michael Jackson's lifestyle, high-profile friends, and charity work are topics which are
regulary discussed in the media.

• Michael Jackson marriages and children

Michael Jackson has been married twice and has three children. The biological parentage of
his children is uncertain and often speculated.

• Michael Jackson physical appearance

Michael Jackson is widely believed to have transformed his physical appearance through
extensive use of plastic surgery and/or because of a skin condition called vitiligo.

• Religious beliefs of Michael Jackson

It has often be reported that Michael Jackson was brought up as a Jehovas Witness but left
the religion in his adulthood. It is now speculated that he has converted to Islam.


Visit Wikipedia for more details....
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What is Copyright?

Copyright gives the author of an original work exclusive right for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation, after which time the work is said to enter the public domain. Copyright applies to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete and fixed in a medium. Some jurisdictions also recognize "moral rights" of the creator of a work, such as the right to be credited for the work. Copyright is described under the umbrella term intellectual property along with patents and trademarks.

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) to the creators of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available for both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following:

• To reproduce the work in copies or phono records;
• To prepare derivative works based upon the work;
• To distribute copies of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
• To perform the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
• To display the copyrighted work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work; and
• In the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.

In addition to copyright, certain authors of works of visual art also have the rights of attribution and integrity as described in section 106A of the 1976 Copyright Act.

It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the copyright law to the copyright holder.

Who Owns Copyrights?

Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed, tangible form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.

In the case of works “made for hire”, where an artist has created the work while in his/her capacity of employee, the employer and not the employee is considered to be the author and copyright holder. Where a work was created jointly by more than one artist, the authors of a joint work are all co-owners of the copyright in the work, unless there is an agreement to the contrary. Copyright in each separate contribution to a periodical or other collective work is distinct from copyright in the collective work as a whole and vests initially with the author of each contribution.

The mere ownership of a book, manuscript, painting, or any other work does not give the possessor of that work its copyright. The law provides that transfer of ownership of any material object that embodies a protected work does not of itself convey the copyright or any interest in the copyright. This remains in the possession of the creator and is often referred to as the underlying artist’s copyright, distinct from the physical object which embodies it.

Any or all of the copyright owner's exclusive rights or any subdivision of those rights may be transferred to another party, but the transfer of exclusive rights is not valid unless that transfer is in writing and signed by the owner of the copyright or such owner's duly authorized agent.

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Michael Jackson has died from cardiac arrest

June 25, 2009-A 911 call was received at 12:21pm and EMS arrived at the Jackson home at 12:30pm. Para Medics confirmed that Michael Jackson did not breathe and performed CPR. Michael Jackson had apparently suffered cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the UCLA Medical Centre.

Paramedics tried to revive him. When they arrived at Michael's home, Michael had no pulse and they were not able to get his pulse back.

His home in Bel Air is 2 minutes from the UCLA Medical Center.

UCLA Medical Center is to give a news conference shortly.

UPDATE: Los Angeles Times and AP report that Michael Jackson has been pronounced dead at 3:15pm PDST.

His family has been arriving at UCLA hospital to pay their final respects. His mother arrived 10 minutes after Michael was pronounced dead.

His long time friend Elizabeth Taylor was also rushed to the hospital to pay her last respects.

Michael Jackson's brother confirmed during a statement that Michael died at 2:26pm PDT, 25 June 2009.

The body of Michael Jackson left by helicopter from UCLA Medical Centre at 6:35pm to move to the coroners office. They have expedited the autopsy, which took place between 7 am and 3 pm on 26 June, 2009.

Jackson, 50, died as he was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

In May, The Times reported that Jackson had rented the Bel-Air residence and was rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London's O2 Arena. Jackson had won the backing of two billionaires to get the so-called "King of Pop" back on stage.

His backers envisioned the shows at AEG's O2 as an audition for a career rebirth that could have ultimately encompassed a three-year world tour, a new album, movies, a Graceland-like museum, musical revues in Las Vegas and Macau, and even a "Thriller" casino. Such a rebound could have wiped out Jackson's massive debt.
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Satyam Scandal

On 7 January 2009, company Chairman Ramalinga Raju resigned after notifying board members and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) that Satyam's accounts had been falsified.

Raju confessed that Satyam's balance sheet of 30 September 2008 contained:

* inflated figures for cash and bank balances of INR 5,040 crore (as against INR 5,361 crore reflected in the books).
* an accrued interest of INR 376 crore which was non-existent.
* an understated liability of INR 1,230 crore on account of funds was arranged by himself.
* an overstated debtors' position of INR 490 crore (as against INR 2,651 crore in the books).

Raju claimed in the same letter that neither he nor the managing director had benefited financially from the inflated revenues. He claimed that none of the board members had any knowledge of the situation in which the company was placed.

Raju stated that

"What started as a marginal gap between actual operating profit and the one reflected in the books of accounts continued to grow over the years. It has attained unmanageable proportions as the size of company operations grew significantly (annualised revenue run rate of Rs 11,276 crore in the September quarter of 2008 and official reserves of Rs 8,392 crore). As the promoters held a small percentage of equity, the concern was that poor performance would result in a takeover, thereby exposing the gap. The aborted Maytas acquisition deal was the last attempt to fill the fictitious assets with real ones. It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten.”

Consequences:

Raju had appointed a task force to address the Maytas situation in the last few days before revealing the news of the accounting fraud. After the scandal broke, the then-board members elected Ram Mynampati to be Satyam's interim CEO. Mynampati's statement on Satyam's website said:

"We are obviously shocked by the contents of the letter. The senior leaders of Satyam stand united in their commitment to customers, associates, suppliers and all shareholders. We have gathered together at Hyderabad to strategize the way forward in light of this startling revelation."

• On 10 January 2009, the Company Law Board decided to bar the current board of Satyam from functioning and appoint 10 nominal directors. "The current board has failed to do what they are supposed to do. The credibility of the IT industry should not be allowed to suffer." said Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta. Chartered accountants regulator ICAI issued show-cause notice to Satyam's auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on the accounts fudging. "We have asked PwC to reply within 21 days," ICAI President Ved Jain said.

• On the same day, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) team picked up Vadlamani Srinivas, Satyam's then-CFO, for questioning. He was arrested later and kept in judicial custody.

• On 11 January 2009, the government nominated noted banker Deepak Parekh, former NASSCOM chief Kiran Karnik and former SEBI member C Achuthan to Satyam's board.
  

Analysts in India have termed the Satyam scandal as India's own Enron scandal.

• Immediately following the news, Merrill Lynch (Now with Bank of America) terminated its engagement with the company. Also, Credit Suisse suspended its coverage of Satyam.[citation needed]. It was also reported that Satyam's auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers will be scrutinized for complicity in this scandal. SEBI, the stock market regulator, also said that, if found guilty, its license to work in India may be revoked. Satyam was the 2008 winner of the coveted Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Governance under Risk Management and Compliance Issues, which was stripped from them in the aftermath of the scandal. The New York Stock Exchange has halted trading in Satyam stock as of 7 January 2009. India's National Stock Exchange has announced that it will remove Satyam from its S&P CNX Nifty 50-share index on January 12.The founder of Satyam was arrested two days after he admitted to falsifying the firm's accounts. Ramalinga Raju is charged with several offences, including criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and forgery.

• Satyam's shares fell to 11.50 rupees on 10 January 2009, their lowest level since March 1998, compared to a high of 544 rupees in 2008. In New York Stock Exchange Satyam shares peaked in 2008 at US$ 29.10; by March 2009 they were trading around US $1.80.

• The Indian Government has stated that it may provide temporary direct or indirect liquidity support to the company. However, whether employment will continue at pre-crisis levels, particularly for new recruits, is questionable.

• On 14 January 2009, Price Waterhouse, the Indian division of PricewaterhouseCoopers, announced that its reliance on potentially false information provided by the management of Satyam may have rendered its audit reports "inaccurate and unreliable".

• On 22 January 2009, CID told in court that the actual number of employees is only 40,000 and not 53,000 as reported earlier and that Mr. Raju had been allegedly withdrawing INR 20 crore rupees every month for paying these 13,000 non-existent employees.

What went wrong?

The controversy has got many in corporate circles here wondering whether it was India's new found love affair with capitalism that led to Satyam's downfall.

In the letter to his shareholders, Mr Raju says that he was trying to cover up the losses at Satyam, and in doing so got caught up in a vicious cycle of lies and debts.

He says this attempt to hide the losses from investors and shareholders was like "riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten".

According to Mr Raju's statement, about $1bn (£0.65bn), or 94% of the cash on the company's books, was made up - and analysts say it was the manipulation of the cash flow which could have been one reason why the deceit was undetected.

Many analysts also say that the chase for huge profits, and the desire to keep up with the break-neck speed of India's $50bn outsourcing industry's growth rates that may have been behind Mr Raju's motivation in fudging the accounts at his firm.
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Inflation and your Money...

Inflation is an upward movement in the average level of prices. Its opposite is deflation, a downward movement in the average level of prices. The boundary between inflation and deflation is price stability.

The Link Between Inflation and Money
Because inflation is a rise in the general level of prices, it is intrinsically linked to money, as captured by the often heard refrain "Inflation is too many dollars chasing too few goods". To understand how this works, imagine a world that only has two commodities: Oranges picked from orange trees, and paper money printed by the government. In a year where there is a drought and oranges are scarce, we'd expect to see the price of oranges rise, as there will be quite a few dollars chasing very few oranges.This scenario is INFLATION. Conversely, if there's a record crop or oranges, we'd expect to see the price of oranges fall, as orange sellers will need to reduce their prices in order to clear their inventory. This scenario is DEFLATION. though in the real world inflation and deflation are changes in the average price of all goods and services, not just one.

Inflation is caused by a combination of four factors:

1. The supply of money goes up.
2. The supply of other goods goes down.
3. Demand for money goes down.
4. Demand for other goods goes up.

In Other words....to understand this phenomenon of INFLATION..we take an Example..
my dad decided in his childhood to save 50paise thinking, that one day when he becomes big, he will go for a movie. Many years pass. The year now is 2006. My dad goes to the theater and asks for a ticket. He offers the ticket-booth-guy at the theater 50paise and asks for a ticket. The ticket booth guy says, “I am sorry sir, the ticket is worth Rs.50. You will not be able to even buy a “Chocolate” with the 50paise!!”

The moral of the story is that, the worth of the 50paise reduced dramatically. 50paise could buy a whole lot when my dad was a kid. Now, 50paise can buy nothing. This is inflation. This tells us two important things.

CONCLUSION

Firstly: Do not keep your money stagnant. If you just save money by putting it your safe it will loose value over time. If you have Rs.1000 in your safe today and you keep it there for 10years or so, it will be worth a lot less after 10 years. If you can buy something for Rs.1000 today, you will probably require Rs.1500 to buy it 10 years from now. So do not keep money locked up in your safe.

Always invest money.

If you can’t think where to invest your money, then put it in a bank. Let it grow by gaining interest. But whatever you do, do not just lock your money up in your safe and keep it stagnant. If you do this, you will be loosing money without even knowing it. The more money you keep stagnant the more money you will be loosing.

Secondly: When investing, you have to make sure that the rate of return on your investment is higher than the rate of inflation.
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What is the rate of inflation?
As we said earlier, the prices of everything goes up over time and this phenomenon is called inflation. The question is: By how much do the prices go up? At what rate do the prices do up?

The rate at which the prices of everything go up is called the "rate of inflation". For example, if the price of something is Rs.100 this year and next year the price becomes approximately Rs.104 then the rate of inflation is 4%. If the price of something is Rs.80 then after a year with a rate of inflation of 4% the price go up to (80 x 1.04) = 83.2

So, when you make an investment, make sure that your rate of return on the investment is higher than the rate of inflation in your country. In our county India, for the year 2005-2006 the rate of inflation was 4% (Which is really low and amazing!). This rate keeps changing every year. The finance minister generally gives the official statement on the inflation rate of the country for a particular year.

What is the rate of return?
The rate of return is how much you make on an investment. Suppose you invest Rs.100 in the market and over a year, you make Rs.120, then you rate of return is 20%.

If you invest Rs.100 in the market today and you make money at a 3% "rate of return" in one year you will have Rs.103. But now, since the rate of inflation is at 4%, an item costing Rs.100 today will cost Rs.104 a year from now. So what you can buy with today’s Rs.100, you will only be able to buy with Rs.104 a year from now.

But the Rs.100 that you invested has grown only at a 3% rate of return and so it is worth Rs.103. In effect, you are loosing money!

So in conclusion, the rate of return on your investments, have to be higher than the rate of inflation.

From the above paragraphs you can note how silently, inflation eats into your money. You would not even know about it an your money would sit loosing value for no fault of yours.
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Yoga and its Benefits

Everyday people are reporting their wonderful experiences on health benefits of Yoga, the transformation of being, taking you beyond the here and now. In one wonderful session of Yoga, people get to practice a number of things, some Yoga poses (asanas) breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation and chanting. In Yoga you get to learn basic terms like Mudras, Bandhas and Chakras. Best of all, Yoga is fun and relaxing while, at the same time, being delectably challenging to beginners.

The intermediate and advanced students, who insist on continuing their practices, get more and more of the taste of this great 5000+ year old wondrous way of life. Yoga is for the body, mind and spirit. You learn to use your body, breath and mind to stretch, relax and energize yourself. So get up and go!

Yoga is all about feeling good; feel the blood surging through your veins, the energy pulsating through your nerves, the bliss coursing through your whole being.

Best of all, Yoga is apt for all, regardless of age, color, caste, creed or religion; from the healthiest to the sickest, from the richest to the poorest, from the whitest to the blackest. And here are some of the specific – and immense – benefits of yoga:

Benefits of Yoga

• Brings down stress and enhances powers of relaxation
• Boosts physical strength, stamina and flexibility
• Bestows greater powers of concentration and self control
• Inculcates impulse Control
• Helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
• Intensifies tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
• Boosts functioning of the immune system
• Enhances posture and muscle tone
• Improves blood circulation
• Results in healthy, glowing skin
• Cleanses and improves overall organ functioning
• Bestows peace of mind and a more positive outlook to life
• Infuses a sense of balance and internal harmony

Best of all, Yoga is highly therapeutic. Some of the ailments proven to be relieved, reversed and even healed through the practice of Yoga are acidity , allergies, alzheimer disease, anemia, anger, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, bronchitis, cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, colitis, common cold, constipation, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, eye problems, facial wrinkles, gastro-intestinal disorders, headaches, heartburn, hemorrhoids, hepatitis, high blood pressure, hypertension, immune-deficiency, impotence, menopause, menstrual cramps, migraines, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, nervous tension, obesity, osteoporosis, prostate, enlargement, sciatica, skin problems, sleep apnea, slipped disk, sterility, stiffness, stress, insomnia, intoxication, thyroid problems, kidney stones, stuttering and stammering, urinary tract disorders for women, vaginal infections and many more...

So, if Yoga has varied and immense physical benefits, what exactly is Yoga?

Yoga is a 5000 year old science whose teachings were first imparted not in a classroom or Gurukul, but on the battle field. In the epic Mahabharata, the sage, Lord Krishna is first said to have imparted the teachings of Yoga to his despondent student Arjuna. Around 1500 years later, another sage, Patanjali, went on to enunciate, for the benefit of humankind and eternity, the way to reach the summom bonum of life through a series of 195 aphorisms (sutras) in his epic treatise The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Derived from the Sanskrit root “Yujir Yogey” meaning to unite, to yoke, to join, to put together, Yoga is not about mind over body. On the other hand, Yoga is about developing harmony between them. In Yoga, you use your mind to perceive (diagnose) and guide (heal) your body. Never control, let alone force it!

Yoga is a way of life, a conscious act, not a set or series of learning principles. The dexterity, grace, and poise you cultivate, as a matter of course, is the natural outcome of regular practice. You require no major effort. In fact trying hard will turn your practices into a humdrum, painful, even injurious routine and will eventually slow down your progress. Subsequently, and interestingly, the therapeutic effect of Yoga is the direct result of involving the mind totally in inspiring (breathing) the body to awaken.

Contrary to popular – or unpopular – perception, Yoga positions are not about how far you can reach to touch your toes or how many repetitions you can perform. It is all about paying attention to how your body feels; how it moves without that excruciating pain or agony! Yoga is all about breathing correctly about integrating that breath into your being. Conscious Yoga doesn’t call for you to force or strain your never or sinew. Meaning to say, right Yoga is learning how to do things right, do less that gets you more!

Ironically, by doing less – correctly – Yoga enhances your strength, energy, vitality, flexibility and levels of endurance. Accordingly, your body and mind start to become more balanced until, eventually, you find it takes so much less energy to move through the day. Yes, any and everyone can do less…and get a lot, lot more!
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26/11: 59 Hours in Terror-Mumbai Taj Hotel Attack

The first event was detailed at 20:10 IST on 26 November: a boat carrying around ten terrorists with several large bags docked at Macchimar Nagar, Mumbai's Cuffe Parade neighbourhood, where six of the men disembarked and the rest continued sailing along the shore. When local residents asked about their occupation, the group responded that they were students. At 20:30 another such incident played out in Colaba, when 10 Urdu-speaking men in inflatable speedboats came ashore. They reportedly told local Marathi-speaking fishermen to mind their business before they split up and headed two different ways; the fishermen's subsequent report to police received little response. The attacks began around 21:20, when two terrorists armed with AK-47 rifles entered the passenger hall of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station, opened fire and threw grenades, killing at least ten people. Two terrorists held fifteen hostages, including seven foreigners, in the Taj Mahal hotel.

Facade of the Taj Mahal hotel where hostages were held Several motorcycles lie in a pool of blood.CNN reported at 23:00 that the hostage situation at the Taj had been resolved and quoted the police chief of Maharashtra state as saying that all hostages were freed; however, it was later learned that there were still hostages in the hotel. Forty people were being held as hostages in the Oberoi Trident hotel. Six blasts were reported to have taken place at the Taj hotel and one at the Oberoi Trident. The Taj Mahal Hotel was reported to be completely under government control at 04:22 and Indian commandos killed two gunmen inside Oberoi hotel and took control of the building.

Both hotels were on fire and were surrounded by Rapid Action Force and Army personnel. About 400 Army commandos and 300 National Security Guards (NSG) commandos and 36~100 MARCOS commandos were sent to the spot. Reports emerged of terrorists receiving live feeds broadcast by television stations; feeds to the hotels were subsequently blocked. All terrorists were out of the Taj hotel, and police and firefighters were working to rescue the estimated 50 people trapped inside. Low-intensity blasts were reported in Vile Parle and a grenade attack in Santa Cruz. Two blasts were reported in the Nepean Sea Road area of south Mumbai. Local Mumbai Suburban Railway trains on the Western Railway were running, whereas those of the Central Railway were suspended. More blasts were reported at the Oberoi as the siege continued. Meanwhile, police seized a boat filled with arms and explosives anchored at Mazgaon dock off Mumbai harbour.

Interior of Oberoi Trident hotel where forty hostages were heldA number of European Parliament Committee on International Trade delegates were staying in the Taj Mahal hotel when it was attacked, but none of them were injured. British Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim (who was in the lobby when gunmen initially opened fire there) and German Social Democrat MEP Erika Mann were hiding in different parts of the building. Also reported present was Spanish MEP Ignasi Guardans, who was barricaded in a hotel room. Another British Conservative MEP, Syed Kamall, reports that he along with several other MEPs left the hotel and went to a nearby restaurant shortly before the attack. Kamall also reported that Polish MEP Jan Masiel was thought to have been sleeping in his hotel room when the attacks occurred. He did not leave his room for a long time, but he finally managed to safely leave the hotel. Kamall and Guardans report that a Hungarian MEP's assistant was shot.

Also caught up in the shooting were the President of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, while checking in at the Oberoi Trident, and Indian MP N. N. Krishnadas of Kerala, while having dinner at a restaurant in the Taj hotel.

The New York Times reported that terrorists held several hostages at the Mumbai Chabad House (also known as Nariman House) in Colaba, owned by Chabad Lubavitch. It was reported in the early morning of 29 November that Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg, who was six months pregnant, were tortured and murdered with other hostages inside the house. Times Online reports about Sir Gulam Noon - MBE's experience on how he escaped the bombed Taj Mahal Hotel.

Maharashtra state home secretary Bipin Shrimali later announced that the police killed four gunmen when they attempted to flee in cars in two separate incidents, and state home minister R. R. Patil has said that nine suspects were also arrested.

The army was reported to have secured one of the hotels, and eight hostages have been freed at the Jewish outreach group. On 29 November The Times of India reported that the battle for Mumbai has ended after 60 hours of operation by Indian security forces. The final operation at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel was completed at 08:00 on 29 November. The security forces rescued 250 people in Oberoi, 300 in Taj and 12 families of 60 people in Nariman House. A total of 172 people were reported to be killed by the terrorists.

DAY 1 - Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008

• Terrorists strike across Mumbai, opening indiscriminate fire and throwing grenades and killing people at will.

• The places that come under attack are Oberoi Hotel at Nariman Point, Taj Mahal Hotel opposite Gateway of India, Café Leopold in Colaba, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Nariman House, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai headquarters opposite CST, Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital and Cama Hospital near CST, Metro Cinema. Bombs go off in Vile Parle, Mazgaon and Napean Sea Road.

• Owing to the heavy firing, security agencies first misinterpret the attacks as gangwar. Within a few hours, it is clear that it's a terrorist strike.

• Security forces engage the terrorists at several places, killing some of them. Meanwhile, the civilian casualties are rising fast.

• Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare dies in one of the gunbattles with the terrorists.

• Commandos of the National Security Guards, army and navy are roped in for the operations.

• Finally, some terrorists take hostages at Oberoi, Taj and Nariman House.

• The dome of the Taj hotel catches fire.

DAY 2 - Thursday, Nov 27, 2008

• Commandos lay siege at Taj and Oberoi hotel and Nariman House, where the terrorists are keeping hostages and firing.

• The fire at Taj rages on.

• Firefighters struggle to douse the flames.

• Commandos engage the terrorists in an exchange of fire at Taj and Oberoi.

• Large explosions are heard from the hotels from time to time.

• Some guests are evacuated from inside the hotels, but the terrorists remain in control.

DAY 3 - Friday, Nov 28, 2008

• This is the most decisive and eventful day of the anti-terror operations.

• Commandos kill two terrorists and take full control of Oberoi Hotel.

• Around 200 hostages, including many foreign nationals, are rescued from the premises.

• A part of the hotel catches fire.

• At Nariman House, security forces intensify operations.

• Commandos are airdropped on the building's roof.

• A prolonged gunbattle and explosions later, the commandos enter the house and kill both the terrorists.

• All five hostages are found dead; one NSG commando is killed in the operation.

• Late into the night, Nariman House is secured and handed over to the authorities.

• But the terrorists at Taj hotel stay put.

• At least 25 big and small explosions, along with heavy gunfire, are heard from the Taj throughout the day. Even the media comes under fire.

• However, by the end of the day, the commandos take full control of the new wing of the hotel. It's now clear the terrorists are holed up somewhere in the old part of the building.

DAY 4 - Saturday, Nov 29, 2008

• Gunbattle at Taj hotel intensifies in the morning.

• The three terrorists holed up are finally killed.

• Commandos set afire two retail stores in the hotel to successfully smoke out the terrorists and kill them.

• Security forces run a security check to sanitise the hotel complex. Live bombs, grenades and several kilos of RDX recovered.
• Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, NSG commando Sandeep Unnikrishnan and NSG Constable Gajender Singh, three of the many security personnel killed in the terror attacks, are cremated. Thousands attend their funerals.
  

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What Is Swine Flu? Symptoms & How Is Swine Flu Treated?

Swine flu (swine influenza) is a disease of pigs. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by one of many Influenza A viruses. Approximately 1% to 4% of pigs that get swine flu die from it. It is spread among pigs by direct and indirect contact, aerosols, and from pigs that are infected but do not have symptoms. In many parts of the world pigs are vaccinated against swine flu.

Most commonly, swine flu is of the H1N1 influenza subtype. However, they can sometimes come from the other types, such as H1N2, H3N1, and H3N2.

The current outbreak of swine flu that has infected humans is of the H1N1 type - this type is not as dangerous as some others.

What is the risk for human health?
Outbreaks of human infection from a virus which came from pigs (swine influenza) do happen and are sometimes reported. Symptoms will generally be similar to seasonal human influenzas - this can range from mild or no symptoms at all, to severe and possibly fatal pneumonia.

As swine flu symptoms are similar to typical human seasonal flu symptoms, and other upper respiratory tract infections, detection of swine flu in humans often does not happen, and when it does it is usually purely by chance through seasonal influenza surveillance. If symptoms are mild it is extremely unlikely that any connection to swine influenza is found - even if it is there. In other words, unless the doctors and experts are specifically looking for swine flu, it is rarely detected. Because of this, we really do not know what the true human infection rate is.

How does a human catch swine influenza?

• From contact with infected pigs (most common way)
• From contact with infected humans (much less common way)

In cases when humans have infected other humans close contact was necessary with the infected person, and they nearly always occurred in closed groups of people.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine influenza in humans?
They are similar to those of regular flu, and include:

• Fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
• Body aches
• Chills
• Cough
• runny nose or stuffy nose
• Diarrhea (less common)
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Temperature (fever)
• Tiredness (fatigue)
• Vomiting (less common)

Do we have a specific swine flu vaccine?
No - not for humans.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Wash your hands regularly with soap
• Try to stay healthy
• Get plenty of sleep
• Do plenty of exercise
• Try to manage your stress
• Drink plenty of liquids
• Eat a well balanced diet
• Refrain from touching surfaces which may have the virus
• Do not get close to people who are sick
• Stay away from crowded areas if there is a swine flu outbreak in your area

If I am infected, how can I stop others from becoming infected?

• Limit your contact with other people
• Do not go to work or school
• When you cough or sneeze cover your mouth with a tissue. If you do not have a tissue, cover your mouth and nose.
• Put your used tissues in a waste basket
• Wash your hands and face regularly
• Keep all surfaces you have touched clean
• Follow your doctor's instructions

What You Need To Know

• Swine flu likely spreads by direct contact with respiratory secretions of someone that is sick with swine flu, like if they were coughing and sneezing close to you.
  
  
• People with swine flu are likely contagious for one day before and up to seven days after they began to get sick with swine flu symptoms.
  
  
• Droplets from a cough or sneeze can also contaminate surfaces, such as a doorknob, drinking glass, or kitchen counter, although these germs likely don't survive for more than a few hours.
  
  
• Anti-flu medications, including Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir), are available to prevent and treat swine flu.
  
  
• The latest swine flu news from the CDC includes advice that students should stay home if they have swine flu symptoms, but schools do not need to close unless they have large clusters of cases that are affecting school functioning. Schools that closed based on previous recommendations, such as if they had a single confirmed case or probable case, can now likely reopen.

What is Swine Flu - Video
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Influenza Division has produced a video all about swine flu.

This video includes information on the signs and symptoms of swine flu, how swine flu is transmitted, what medicines are available to treat it and steps that people can take to help protect themselves from it. There are also some tips on what to do if you become ill with swine flu.

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Indian IT cos look at Japan for offshoring

Indian IT companies depend overwhelmingly on the US and European markets. Between 80 and 90 per cent of revenues is typically accounted for by just these two regions. With these markets slowing down dramatically, IT outsourcing firms are looking at new geographies for growth.

One big focus is Japan, the world’s second largest economy. Japan will drive the next phase of growth for the Indian offshoring industry, says a report by Zinnov Management Consulting. The government and IT industry body Nasscom are developing trade relations with the country.

“Japan was a closed economy to us,” says Som Mittal, president of Nasscom. “But with the recent economic conditions they are looking to outsource work, in order to cut costs and remain competitive. They are already partnering with China but are facing major intellectual property issues there.”

Japanese companies could also potentially offshore a lot of R&D to India. Japan is home to 191 of the top 1,000 global R&D spenders of which only 21 currently have an international R&D presence.

“Companies such as TCS, Infosys and Wipro already have a presence in Japan,” says Praveen Bhadada, engagement manager in Zinnov. “But the focus on the region is a recent phenomenon.”

The demand from Japanese companies for R&D offshoring is expected to be in key verticals such as electronic equipment (22 per cent) and automotive (13 per cent). “India is a R&D hub for 281 of the top 1,000 global companies, giving the country the necessary know-how and experience,” says Bhadada.

But working with Japanese companies poses challenges. Cultural issues, and especially the language barrier, are big. Content needs to be highly localised. You would need Japanese language software, keyboard and processes. Moreover companies will have to develop different business and operating models to work in the country.

“One way for Indian companies to penetrate the Japanese market would be to partner with global IT giants that are already there,” says Diptarup Chakraborti, principal research analyst in Gartner.

But India will have to move fast. The Chinese are already making big advances in the region. “There are 75,000 Chinese students studying in Japanese universities, but there are only 500 Indian students,” says Mittal.
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Racial Attacks on Indians in Australia

THE RECENT attacks on Indian students studying in Australia have attracted global attention. This rabid cultural and racial menace has attracted worldwide condemnation. One Sravan Kumar Theerthala was hit with petrol bottles by some unidentified teens while he was reading book in his house at Melbourne.

Baljinder Singh, another student from India studying in Melbourne, was robbed and stabbed in his abdomen. Both are struggling for life in hospitals. Sravan’s condition is reported to be very critical, he is still in coma.

In a separate incident, four students were attacked and burgled by racist elements in Australia. One Suketu Modi, a businessman from Surat, was attacked in train by a group of students when he had gone there for IT business. According to student’s organisations, these racist attacks have been taking place in Australia for quite some time; most of them went unreported. According to a report, about 20 racial attacks on Indians have taken place last month in Sydney alone.

Australia, interestingly, is not the only country where rabid faces of racism have been raising heads. Such dastardly incidents have been taking place in countries like UK, Germany, France and some African and Gulf countries.

This incident has raised a very perturbing question, which every one of us would like to ponder about and like to find consolable if not acceptable answers.

Reasons of such attacks: It is too simplistic a proposition to categorically brand them as acts of criminal or opportunistic activities as uttered by Australian High Commissioner and DCP Melbourne, John McCarthy. The former has, however, not denied that some racist elements might have been involved in what he called Shameful criminal acts.

If not the global society, Indian civil society must quest reasons behind it; after all why Indians are being attacked everywhere? It seems that the existence of these vestigial racial elements even in cultural, plural societies does have other hidden reasons apart from ostensible causes. Chagrin does not prevail in Australia; and even Australian media lamented only after vociferous diplomatic and societal protests at home.

Economic: India has written stories of astounding success in economic fields; thanks to flooded brilliant young brains in fields of science and technology, management and other frontier areas. Our IITs, IIMs, and plethora of business and other schools have produced best brains in the world. The campus selections by MNCs and TNCs over a couple of decades have been a matter of concern to the students of those countries, which have been destinations of our ‘smart English speaking IT-BPO guys’ for obvious reasons. Many of them feel that their job opportunities are being eaten up by Indians. Many guys working in MNCs and TNCs in countries like the US, the UK, Australia, Germany and a host of other such developed countries have faced similar acts of discrimination. Many of such incidents go unreported for simple reason; as the victims have to run from pillar to post once FIR is registered.

Student community particularly do not like to be involved in legal wrangles because they think that they have come here not to fight legal battle but to complete their studies and make careers. They are also tormented by the lackadaisical, callous and sometimes, ignorant attitude of police. For instance, in Australia, the police did not act till the matter was blown out of their capacity to hold. According to Forbes; about US$ 13 billion is spent by Indian students abroad annually. Australia alone has a US$ 15.5 billion business with foreign students and as many as 1 lakh Indian students study in Australian at present.

According to an estimate about 8.3 lakh Indian students are studying in countries like the US, the UK, Russia, France, Australia, etc. Needless to say, those going abroad for higher studies belong to affluent class of the society. The number of High Net Income (HNI) individuals in India has swelled for some years. Like many other areas, the lopsided development in the field of education has created a dangerous in-equilibrium. The affluence of these students studying abroad or working guys, who earn handsome salaries in MNCs, betrays in their lifestyles and attracts opportunistic activities by teens, who have been already suffering from a sense of inferiority complexes. These complexes find expression in such opportunistic acts blended with racism.

Sociological and educational: With the passage of time, the colonies have gained independence from colonial powers. The European countries are finding their erstwhile colonies rubbing shoulders in gatherings at International forums. The sense of hatred unconsciously precipitates in their mind and find expression in such abhorable acts of racial attacks. History has tough us to be proud of our past. Their past had been excellent but future is full of intense competition which extra-individualistic. In the present global financial regime, every one, may it be individual or nation, has to find a place for itself not on the basis of its past but on the basis of its present.

The economic hegemony of the US is all set to nosedive. The American Tsardom in financial market is likely to be over. The global financial crisis (GFC) has bashed the US, the pain of which is still emanating. Asian giant China has purchased US$ 1.3 trillion worth US Treasury Bills. A sense of chagrin prevails in USA, what a travesty; once lender has become a borrower. The Chinese export juggernaut into the US has changed the entire economic power structure. Protectionist measures taken by the USA and host of developed nations have these social and psychological dimensions also. The sense of frustration is obvious in younger minds because their economic future is not as secure as it had been decades ago.

Ethical and moral: There is no denying the fact that economic development in India has changed our lifestyles and cultural traits to a great extent. Still then, our social, family, and religious ethos, which have deep roots, have not eroded to the extent of disappearance. Religious tolerance and non-violence are still way of our lives. When our boys go abroad we preach them to be adherent to these ethos. In spite of state of attacks, students in Australia decided to take out a peace march rather than taking to streets. Normally such incidents meet violent backlashes. But the kind of restraint, which has been showed by Indians in Australia and abroad, is suggestive of the fact that ethos of non-violence and satyagraha are still alive in our soul and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are inculcated in our way of life. These characteristics of ours have been taken by many nations as timidity and cowardice. After all, what explains when two teen attacked four students and went un-retaliated, physically they could have not only been overpowered but thrashed also.

Progress and affluence of students studying abroad do manifest in their lifestyles, which tempt these racist elements to attack that serves twin purpose; on the one hand they snatch something from them and on the other it satiates their hidden desire of inferiority complex.

Role of embassies: The role of embassies in this regard has particularly been callous. According to reports available in public domain, hundreds of such attacks have taken place on Indian students in different parts of the world. When the students approach the authorities in embassies, they are treated with callous and cool attitude. This has emboldened the morale of such lumpen elements, who indulge in acts of such vandalism and at the same time, it leaves students at the mercy of their fate. In this case also, the Indian Embassy could take up the issue only after matter was reported in Indian media and the prime minister and External Affairs Minister talked to Kelvin Rudd and Julia Gillard in strongest possible diplomatic over tune and conveyed their frowning over the issue. This approach of our diplomatic babus needs to be changed.

To sum up, we can say that these incidents are rooted in sociological, economic, historical and ethical soil of developed cultural, pluralistic societies. The lasting and amicable solution therefore can only be found in the roots and not in stems.

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Puzzle: A Cabbage, a Goat, and a Tiger

In this logic puzzle, a man is traveling with a tiger, a goat, and a cabbage. I have no idea why he would be travelling with such a strange assortment, but there he is anyway. At one point in his journey he comes to a river which is too deep to wade across, and too wide to swim across so he is in a quandry on how to continue. He notices a small boat tied to the near shore, but the boat is too small to fit all his belongings into, but it is large enough so that he can safely row across with one belonging at a time.

The problem is that if he rows across with the tiger first, then the goat will eat the cabbage, and if he rows across with the cabbage first, the tiger will eat the goat.

How can he safely cross the river with all his things intact?
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Your Child is Kidnapped...

Guys we have a situation..

Suppose you work in a highly Sensitive organization which have some means to national security and some people kidnapped your child..& In return they wanted a highly sensitive confidential information about organization from you...

What shall you do in this condition???
Call to POLISH...or Something else..
Please reply your answers in comments....
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9/11 World Trade Center Attack

The September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C. There were no survivors from any of the flights.

2,974 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks. The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of over 90 different countries. In addition, the death of at least one person from lung disease was ruled by a medical examiner to be a result of exposure to dust from the World Trade Center's collapse.

The United States responded to the attacks by launching a "War on Terrorism", invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harbored al-Qaeda terrorists, and enacting the USA PATRIOT Act. Many other countries also strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. Some American stock exchanges stayed closed for the rest of the week, and posted enormous losses upon reopening, especially in the airline and insurance industries. The destruction of billions of dollars worth of office space caused the economy of Lower Manhattan to grind to a halt.



The damage to the Pentagon was cleared and repaired within a year, and the Pentagon Memorial was built on the site. The rebuilding process has started on the World Trade Center site. In 2006 a new office tower was completed on the site of 7 World Trade Center. The 1 World Trade Center is currently under construction at the site and at 1,776 ft (541 m) upon completion in 2011, will become one of the tallest buildings in North America. Three more towers were originally expected to be built between 2007 and 2012 on the site. After the late-2000s recession, the site's owners said that construction of new towers could be delayed until 2036.

How to tackle terorrism??

TERRORISTS CAN appear anytime and anywhere and commit heinous crimes against humanity. Now the question is what compels a particular community to think and organise itself to act against humanity? The simple answer is conservativeness. When a community wholly rejects and discards the liberal concepts laid down by religion, it compels the people to live conservatively. Conservatives do not accept modernity and thus try to emphasise the traditional lifestyle. Conservative leaders are responsible for propagating against liberalisation of religious concepts.

The best example is provided by the Taliban culture in Afghanistan. Taliban wants the entire community to go back to the Dark Ages. Everybody knows that terrorism originates from such pockets alone. Terrorist camps are organised for young men where they are imparted intensive training in use of weapons, brainwashed and finally sent in different directions to commit horror just to fulfil the ambitions of conservatives.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban has destroyed hundreds of schools and banned women from pursuing education. All the declarations of Taliban in Afghanistan are against humanity. But unfortunately the whole world is viewing it helplessly. No one is able to eradicate such elements. Terrorists are attacking and killing people and destroying property all over the world.

Tackle Terrorism

The ultimate question is what the solution to terrorism is. How can terrorist activities be stopped? There is no concrete answer to this question with any government. But there are many options to get rid of terrorism in future. The first option is to educate the conservatives and enlighten them. Secondly, a complete ban on child labour is needed .Thirdly, free education for boys and girls up to the 10th standard should be enforced. Fourthly, a ban on religious activities and propaganda on the part of the conservatives should be imposed. Fifth; all the operational terrorist camps should be destroyed irrespective of their religious and state leanings.

Theoretically the said options seem to be a simple and ideal solution to terrorism. But practically it is not possible in the near future. Again the question how to get rid of terrorism without delay arises. Again the answer is ’not known’.

Even then there is the ultimate way left to tackle the problem. Only the ’United Nations’ can authoritatively take action against any state encouraging terrorism. Without delay, the UN must take military action and destroy all terrorist camps around the world and enforce the international law strictly. This is the only way to avoid criticism, because when a state takes military action against terrorists, it comes under criticism from various quarters.

For example, after the 9/11 incident, US attacked Afghanistan to destroy terrorist camps but it could not eradicate the Taliban and the other terrorists organisations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. On the other hand, the US came under criticism for various reasons. In the same way, if India takes military action against Pakistan or Afghanistan or PoK to destroy terrorist camps, other powerful countries including US will counsel peace. They will try to mediate, call upon the two sides to cease fire and undertake other measures. The problem will remain unsolved.

The very intention behind forming UN is to maintain peace globally and protect humanity. Whenever there was a crisis the UN has not come forward practically except for arranging discussions in the Security Council and the General Assembly. That will not work any more. Nations like US, China, Russia, Japan, Germany and England who strongly advocate fight against terrorism should come forward and send their troops under the joint command of the UN to attack and demolish terrorist camps wherever they are. Thus UN must act and act now. Nobody can question its action.

Benefits of Rising Early in the Morning & How to Do It

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin

“Put no trust in the benefits to accrue from early rising, as set forth by the infatuated Franklin …” – Mark Twain

Waking up early is very important to do everything on time. But most of the people including me cannot wake early or wake early constantly.

1. Greet the day. I love being able to get up, and greet a wonderful new day. I suggest creating a morning ritual that includes saying thanks for your blessings. I’m inspired by the Dalai Lama, who said, ” Everyday, think as you wake up, ‘today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.’ “
2. Amazing start. I used to start my day by jumping out of bed, late as usual, and rushing to get myself and the kids ready, and rushing to drop them to school and come in to work late. I would walk into work, looking rumpled and barely awake, grumpy and behind everyone else. Not a great start to your day. Now, I have a renewing morning ritual, I’ve gotten so much done before 8 a.m., my kids are early and so am I, and by the time everyone else gets in to work, I’ve already gotten a head start. There is no better way to start off your day than to wake early, in my experience.
3. Quietude. No kids yelling, no babies crying, no soccer balls, no cars, no television noise. The early morning hours are so peaceful, so quiet. It’s my favorite time of day. I truly enjoy that time of peace, that time to myself, when I can think, when I can read, when I can breathe.
4. Sunrise. People who wake late miss one of the greatest feats of nature, repeated in full stereovision each and every day — the rise of the sun. I love how the day slowly gets brighter, when the midnight blue turns to lighter blue, when the brilliant colors start to seep into the sky, when nature is painted in incredible colors. I like doing my early morning run during this time, and I look up at the sky as I run and say to the world, “What a glorious day!” Really. I really do that. Corny, I know.
5. Breakfast. Rise early and you actually have time for breakfast. I’m told it’s one of the most important meals of the day. Without breakfast, your body is running on fumes until you are so hungry at lunchtime that you eat whatever unhealthy thing you can find. The fattier and sugarier, the betterier. But eat breakfast, and you are sated until later. Plus, eating breakfast while reading my book and drinking my coffee in the quiet of the morning is eminently more enjoyable than scarfing something down on the way to work, or at your desk.
6. Exercise. There are other times to exercise besides the early morning, of course, but I’ve found that while exercising right after work is also very enjoyable, it’s also liable to be canceled because of other things that come up. Morning exercise is virtually never canceled.
7. Productivity. Mornings, for me at least, are the most productive time of day. I like to do some writing in the morning, when there are no distractions, before I check my email or blog stats. I get so much more done by starting on my work in the morning. Then, when evening rolls around, I have no work that I need to do, and I can spend it with family.
8. Goal time. Got goals? Well, you should. And there’s no better time to review them and plan for them and do your goal tasks than first thing. You should have one goalthat you want to accomplish this week. And every morning, you should decide what one thing you can do today to move yourself further towards that goal. And then, if possible, do that first thing in the morning.
9. Commute. No one likes rush-hour traffic, except for Big Oil. Commute early, and the traffic is much lighter, and you get to work faster, and thus save yourself more time. Or better yet,commute by bike. (Or even better yet,work at home.)
10. Appointments. It’s much easier to make those early appointments on time if you get up early. Showing up late for those appointments is a bad signal to the person you’re meeting. Showing up early will impress them. Plus, you get time to prepare.

How to Become an Early Riser

• Don’t make drastic changes. Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time.
• Allow yourself to sleep earlier. You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or surfing the Internet. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later one is going to give. And if it is the early rising that gives, then you will crash and sleep late and have to start over. I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you don’t think you’ll sleep, and read while in bed. If you’re really tired, you just might fall asleep much sooner than you think.
• Put your alarm clock far from you bed. If it’s right next to your bed, you’ll shut it off or hit snooze. Never hit snooze. If it’s far from your bed, you have to get up out of bed to shut it off. By then, you’re up. Now you just have to stay up.
• Go out of the bedroom as soon as you shut off the alarm. Don’t allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room. My habit is to stumble into the bathroom and go pee. By the time I’ve done that, and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and looked at my ugly mug in the mirror, I’m awake enough to face the day.
• Do not rationalize. If you allow your brain to talk you out of getting up early, you’ll never do it. Don’t make getting back in bed an option.
• Have a good reason. Set something to do early in the morning that’s important. This reason will motivate you to get up. I like to write in the morning, so that’s my reason. Also, when I’m done with that, I like to read all of your comments!
• Make waking up early a reward. Yes, it might seem at first that you’re forcing yourself to do something hard, but if you make it pleasurable, soon you will look forward to waking up early. A good reward is to make a hot cup of coffee or tea and read a book. Other rewards might be a tasty treat for breakfast (smoothies! yum!) or watching the sunrise, or meditating. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.
• Take advantage of all that extra time. Don’t wake up an hour or two early just to read your blogs, unless that’s a major goal of yours. Don’t wake up early and waste that extra time. Get a jump start on your day! I like to use that time to get a head start on preparing my kids’ lunches, on planning for the rest of the day (when I set my MITs), on exercising or meditating, and on reading. By the time 6:30 rolls around, I’ve done more than many people do the entire day.