Old age destroys beauty.
Hope destroys patience.
Death destroys life.
Anger destroys a fortune.
Serving a wicked person destroys good qualities.
Lust destroys shyness, while Pride destroys EVERYTHING.
(Mahabharata, Udyog Parva)
"Vijey"
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
The history of Ada
Overview
An understanding of the reasons why Ada was developed and the history of its development gives an appreciation of the language and its future.
History of Ada.
In 1974 the US Department of Defence (DoD) realised that it was spending too much time, effort and money developing and maintaining embedded computer systems (systems stuck in hardware e.g. missile guidance systems).
At this time over 450 different languages or language extensions were in use. This increased the time and costs for developing new systems and in continually retraining people to become familiar with existing systems. Maintenance was also hampered by the lack of standardisation of support tools ( editors, compilers etc). All these factors led to the DoD realising it needed a single powerful language that could be used by all embedded computer suppliers.
The developement work began in 1975 with the DoD producing a list of language requirements which was widely circulated; however no existing language specified the criteria so in 1977 DoD requested proposals for a new language. Unlike committee languages such as COBOL, the new language was the subject of a competition and extensive industry and academic review.
Of numerous entries four were selected for further refinement. This was later cut down to two competing entries from which one was finally selected from the company Cii-Honeywell Bull. This language was christened Ada. The design team was led by Jean Ichbiah who had overall control over the language.
In 1983 the language became an ANSI standard ANSI/MIL-STD-1815A. It became an ISO standard the following year. The language is defined in a reference manual often referred to as the LRM. References to this manual occur often in books on the language, and in many compiler error messages. This book is recommended for any Ada site; although hard to read it is the final authority for any Ada question (an ongoing group has been formed to clarify any inconsistancies detected in the language).
The language has since undergone revision, with ISO standardisation of the new standard achieved in early 1995. This new Ada fixes many of the flaws in the original language, and extends it in many useful ways.
To prevent the proliferation of various imcompatable versions of Ada the Ada Joint Program Office (the body set up for control of the language) took a very novel position - they trademarked the name Ada. You were not allowed to market "Ada" compilers unless they have passed a compliance test. This has subsequently been relaxed, the protected term now being `Validated Ada'.The resulting Ada validation certificate is limited in duration and has an expiry date. Once it expires the compiler can no longer be marketed as a `Validated Ada' compiler. In this way the AJPO has ensured that all currently marketed compilers comply with the current standards.
The aim is to ensure that any Ada program can be compiled on any system - in this regard the AJPO has succeeded better than many other language groups.
Design Goals
From the Ada LRM:"Ada was designed with three overriding concerns: program reliability and maintenance, programming as a human activity, and efficiency"
Of note is the sentence, also from the LRM:
"Hence emphasis was placed on program readability over ease of writing".
These design goals can be seen in the language. It has strong typing and enforcable abstractions which have shown to increase reliability and ease maintenance.
It eschews cryptic syntax for a more verbose English style for the sake of readability (readability, programming as a human activity). Also almost all constructs can be efficiently implemented.
"Vijey"
An understanding of the reasons why Ada was developed and the history of its development gives an appreciation of the language and its future.
History of Ada.
In 1974 the US Department of Defence (DoD) realised that it was spending too much time, effort and money developing and maintaining embedded computer systems (systems stuck in hardware e.g. missile guidance systems).
At this time over 450 different languages or language extensions were in use. This increased the time and costs for developing new systems and in continually retraining people to become familiar with existing systems. Maintenance was also hampered by the lack of standardisation of support tools ( editors, compilers etc). All these factors led to the DoD realising it needed a single powerful language that could be used by all embedded computer suppliers.
The developement work began in 1975 with the DoD producing a list of language requirements which was widely circulated; however no existing language specified the criteria so in 1977 DoD requested proposals for a new language. Unlike committee languages such as COBOL, the new language was the subject of a competition and extensive industry and academic review.
Of numerous entries four were selected for further refinement. This was later cut down to two competing entries from which one was finally selected from the company Cii-Honeywell Bull. This language was christened Ada. The design team was led by Jean Ichbiah who had overall control over the language.
In 1983 the language became an ANSI standard ANSI/MIL-STD-1815A. It became an ISO standard the following year. The language is defined in a reference manual often referred to as the LRM. References to this manual occur often in books on the language, and in many compiler error messages. This book is recommended for any Ada site; although hard to read it is the final authority for any Ada question (an ongoing group has been formed to clarify any inconsistancies detected in the language).
The language has since undergone revision, with ISO standardisation of the new standard achieved in early 1995. This new Ada fixes many of the flaws in the original language, and extends it in many useful ways.
To prevent the proliferation of various imcompatable versions of Ada the Ada Joint Program Office (the body set up for control of the language) took a very novel position - they trademarked the name Ada. You were not allowed to market "Ada" compilers unless they have passed a compliance test. This has subsequently been relaxed, the protected term now being `Validated Ada'.The resulting Ada validation certificate is limited in duration and has an expiry date. Once it expires the compiler can no longer be marketed as a `Validated Ada' compiler. In this way the AJPO has ensured that all currently marketed compilers comply with the current standards.
The aim is to ensure that any Ada program can be compiled on any system - in this regard the AJPO has succeeded better than many other language groups.
Design Goals
From the Ada LRM:"Ada was designed with three overriding concerns: program reliability and maintenance, programming as a human activity, and efficiency"
Of note is the sentence, also from the LRM:
"Hence emphasis was placed on program readability over ease of writing".
These design goals can be seen in the language. It has strong typing and enforcable abstractions which have shown to increase reliability and ease maintenance.
It eschews cryptic syntax for a more verbose English style for the sake of readability (readability, programming as a human activity). Also almost all constructs can be efficiently implemented.
"Vijey"
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Upanishad
Upanishad is fundamental HINDU book.
Many instances we never had a chance to even see VEDAS, Upanishad and Bhagavad Gita.
Here I attach my link where I have given permission for you to download them, if you like:
http://www.snapdrive.net/files/480053/My%20Documents/Literatures/Upanishad.zip
The intention is to evoke a healthy thinking and attain a good understanding of what Hinduism means.
"Vijey"
Many instances we never had a chance to even see VEDAS, Upanishad and Bhagavad Gita.
Here I attach my link where I have given permission for you to download them, if you like:
http://www.snapdrive.net/files/480053/My%20Documents/Literatures/Upanishad.zip
The intention is to evoke a healthy thinking and attain a good understanding of what Hinduism means.
"Vijey"
Saturday, September 22, 2007
yanni live at the taj mahal india - Love is all
I realize, the base music in blood diamond, is somehow close to this piece of music from Yanni. A nice music with a message of love and tolerance. Good to hear and watch it!! Just hold to your chairs!!
"Vijey"
Yanni Live! The concert Event - Nostalgia
I could talk nothing, expert the word, marvellous music. Just get to watch the involvement and the music in piano, awesome. Truly you will appreciate the concert.
"Vijey"
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Do we care for our parents...???
This was narrated by an IAF pilot to IIT students during a Seminar on Human Relations:
"Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (who works for IIT) describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh)realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.
My parents left for our native place on thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never travelled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same.
In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the ticketsto him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time oftravel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for hisluggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.
As they were about to go in for the security check-in,he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me.
But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true.Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?
Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school, regardless of the amount of donation. We ensure that we will have to give the child the best theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.
Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering.
Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.
Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too. Take care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS."
Courtesy: MSP
My parents left for our native place on thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never travelled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same.
In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the ticketsto him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time oftravel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for hisluggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.
As they were about to go in for the security check-in,he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me.
But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true.Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?
Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school, regardless of the amount of donation. We ensure that we will have to give the child the best theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.
Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering.
Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.
Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too. Take care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS."
Courtesy: MSP
Posted by: Vijey
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Religion lead to Bhakti and NOT blind-folded Viciousness
"Vinayagar Chadhurthi".
Sometimes we had to wonder, in the name of religion, what exactly we are trying to practice. Honesty speaking, one should definitely follow a religion for the reasons, religion paves way for us to development a fundamental good thinking and guides good practices for a better and healthier personal & social living.
And Hinduism being the fundamental and most ancient religion, imparts best of the knowledge for the mankind. How should we deal with people who wrongly interpret and make pecuriliar practices and habits in the name of religion?
Religion guides us to bhakthi and most times devotees of some parts of the Hindu Country, expresses religion as "Veri (Tamil Translated) or ferocious".
Religious practices are humble and for the good and cannot be cruel.
But see pictures, are we doing justice to our religion or the God?
Do we worship the Statue as God or we regard God as just a Statue?
Raise your consciousness and answer and act...
Regards,
Vijey
Vijey
Rabindranath Tagore
"I slept and dreamt that life was Joy. I awoke and saw that life was Service. I acted and behold, Service was Joy."
Rabindranathan Tagore
Think out of the box
Want to Innovate? Create a Problem
By Ted Santos and Deborah Brown
What exactly is innovation? Is it the result of long, arduous trials and errors? Or is it a practice that can be broken down into parts and learned? More importantly, does your company know how to effectively position its innovations and differentiation in the marketplace in order to drive sales and increase market share?
Rocking the Boat
Good managers solve problems, but great leaders create problems and then empower others in their organization to solve them. Creating problems leads directly to innovation.
Of course, deliberately creating problems is counterintuitive; we're wired to avoid problems. Culturally we're trained to get rid of problems. Businesses are structured to reward managers for their problem-solving skills. However, the keys to the executive suite are not available to managers who only solve problems. Does your organization have structures in place to reward people who create problems? What could happen when you don't have those structures?
More than a century ago, Henry Ford built an innovative company to solve a problem he created: make it possible for every American household to own an affordable automobile. He solved the problem by creating the assembly line. The people of Ford Motor Company changed the world. But, the company didn't look ahead, didn't pose new problems, didn't continue innovating. When GM introduced style and color in its cars, Ford lost market share to this new innovator.
In 1979, Sony brilliantly created the personal audio market with the Walkman. The company created a problem: develop a device that will allow individuals to listen to music privately, anywhere, anytime. Today, however, Apple dominates the digital personal audio market with a 78% market share in the U.S.
Signs that Your Company Lacks an Innovative Culture:
Your CEO spends more than 10% of his or her time solving problems. Top leadership needs to challenge the CEO to create a problem or take it upon itself to bring a challenge to him or her.
Your company is content with the status quo. Being content leaves you vulnerable to competitors who can disrupt your business model. Without risk, innovation becomes happenstance.
Your company's top line is growing while your bottom line is shrinking. Your products or services have become a commodity. There is nothing to differentiate you from your competitors. This is an ideal time to create a problem for your organization.
Employees are afraid of failure. A learning and innovative culture embraces failure; a project that fails can still be valuable to the company's larger goals. Employees should be encouraged to create problems themselves.
Management is disconnected from employees in terms of innovative ideas and moving the company forward. Often, companies make the mistake of going it alone―relying solely on management and/or research and development to come up with innovative and creative ideas, instead of engaging the brainpower of employees throughout the organization.
How to Create an Innovative Culture
Lay out the problem clearly, with a definite objective.
Make sure people have the tools they need to solve the problem you or your CEO created.
Get out of the employees' way as they solve it. Empower them to innovate.
Jack Welch, when taking over as General Electric's CEO, declared that every division must rank number 1 or number 2 in its industry―or be sold. Welch dared to imagine a future dramatically different from the past. This was'nt just a "cut costs by 3%" memo; this was a whole new vision, which could only be fulfilled by committed people with a new perspective on their business units and the possibilities.
What must happen to ensure buy-in for a vision that appears to be a problem? Organizations must design a culture that embraces a new mindset toward problems. Welch's problem gave people in the corporation a greater purpose. He didn't demand that people work harder and do better. He gave them an objective which didn't require him to micro manage. Individuals were responsible for creating goals for which they could claim ownership.
When a leader declares a future that doesn't exist, it's inherently a problem. It breaks from the past; it may demand new skills and competencies. When the leader stands for something bigger than the problem, however, that stand becomes the value system of the organization. The value system inspires and motivates people to innovate. When people are empowered to be innovative, their commitment increases; they have a chance to take new actions and be proud of their accomplishments. Indeed, when people are allowed to create problems themselves, cost efficiencies, new products, and new services are created.
Strategically Position Your Company
Once you have created a truly innovative culture it's important that you, as a leader, facilitate a communication structure and strategically position your company as an innovator in the marketplace. You've heard the old saying, "If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it, did it make a sound?" The same is true for companies: if your company is highly innovative, but prospects and customers don't know it, do your innovations really exist?
It's critical that companies understand how to position or reposition themselves in their industry. This involves developing a positioning statement that clearly differentiates your company from competitors, underscores your company's strengths and explains how your company and its products/services provide a solution to a problem. A positioning statement is not a tag line; it's a sentence or two that establishes your leadership position in your industry. It also provides direction for the company and keeps everyone focused on a common goal. And, it's important that it rings true with all constituents. It should be articulated by everyone in the company, from the CEO to the receptionist.
Risk and Reward
You can't have reward without risk. And nothing holds greater risks―and potential rewards―than creating problems in order to create the new products and markets that will transform your company into a recognized leader in its field.
One risk you can't afford to take is being complacent and accepting the status quo―that's perhaps the riskiest course of all.
Sources:
www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/199907/99-059/
www.itworld.com/Tech/5051/060420appleipod/
www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dt13as.html
About the Authors:
Ted Santos is CEO of Turnaround Investment Partners, a New York-based firm that specializes in helping organizations identify and exploit new opportunities. You can contact him at tsantos@turnaroundip.com.
Deborah Brown is a partner and senior director at Peppercom, a strategic communications firm in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and London that specializes in positioning and repositioning corporations. You can contact her at dbrown@peppercom.com.
Courtesy: SSS
Posted by: Vijey
By Ted Santos and Deborah Brown
What exactly is innovation? Is it the result of long, arduous trials and errors? Or is it a practice that can be broken down into parts and learned? More importantly, does your company know how to effectively position its innovations and differentiation in the marketplace in order to drive sales and increase market share?
Rocking the Boat
Good managers solve problems, but great leaders create problems and then empower others in their organization to solve them. Creating problems leads directly to innovation.
Of course, deliberately creating problems is counterintuitive; we're wired to avoid problems. Culturally we're trained to get rid of problems. Businesses are structured to reward managers for their problem-solving skills. However, the keys to the executive suite are not available to managers who only solve problems. Does your organization have structures in place to reward people who create problems? What could happen when you don't have those structures?
More than a century ago, Henry Ford built an innovative company to solve a problem he created: make it possible for every American household to own an affordable automobile. He solved the problem by creating the assembly line. The people of Ford Motor Company changed the world. But, the company didn't look ahead, didn't pose new problems, didn't continue innovating. When GM introduced style and color in its cars, Ford lost market share to this new innovator.
In 1979, Sony brilliantly created the personal audio market with the Walkman. The company created a problem: develop a device that will allow individuals to listen to music privately, anywhere, anytime. Today, however, Apple dominates the digital personal audio market with a 78% market share in the U.S.
Signs that Your Company Lacks an Innovative Culture:
Your CEO spends more than 10% of his or her time solving problems. Top leadership needs to challenge the CEO to create a problem or take it upon itself to bring a challenge to him or her.
Your company is content with the status quo. Being content leaves you vulnerable to competitors who can disrupt your business model. Without risk, innovation becomes happenstance.
Your company's top line is growing while your bottom line is shrinking. Your products or services have become a commodity. There is nothing to differentiate you from your competitors. This is an ideal time to create a problem for your organization.
Employees are afraid of failure. A learning and innovative culture embraces failure; a project that fails can still be valuable to the company's larger goals. Employees should be encouraged to create problems themselves.
Management is disconnected from employees in terms of innovative ideas and moving the company forward. Often, companies make the mistake of going it alone―relying solely on management and/or research and development to come up with innovative and creative ideas, instead of engaging the brainpower of employees throughout the organization.
How to Create an Innovative Culture
Lay out the problem clearly, with a definite objective.
Make sure people have the tools they need to solve the problem you or your CEO created.
Get out of the employees' way as they solve it. Empower them to innovate.
Jack Welch, when taking over as General Electric's CEO, declared that every division must rank number 1 or number 2 in its industry―or be sold. Welch dared to imagine a future dramatically different from the past. This was'nt just a "cut costs by 3%" memo; this was a whole new vision, which could only be fulfilled by committed people with a new perspective on their business units and the possibilities.
What must happen to ensure buy-in for a vision that appears to be a problem? Organizations must design a culture that embraces a new mindset toward problems. Welch's problem gave people in the corporation a greater purpose. He didn't demand that people work harder and do better. He gave them an objective which didn't require him to micro manage. Individuals were responsible for creating goals for which they could claim ownership.
When a leader declares a future that doesn't exist, it's inherently a problem. It breaks from the past; it may demand new skills and competencies. When the leader stands for something bigger than the problem, however, that stand becomes the value system of the organization. The value system inspires and motivates people to innovate. When people are empowered to be innovative, their commitment increases; they have a chance to take new actions and be proud of their accomplishments. Indeed, when people are allowed to create problems themselves, cost efficiencies, new products, and new services are created.
Strategically Position Your Company
Once you have created a truly innovative culture it's important that you, as a leader, facilitate a communication structure and strategically position your company as an innovator in the marketplace. You've heard the old saying, "If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it, did it make a sound?" The same is true for companies: if your company is highly innovative, but prospects and customers don't know it, do your innovations really exist?
It's critical that companies understand how to position or reposition themselves in their industry. This involves developing a positioning statement that clearly differentiates your company from competitors, underscores your company's strengths and explains how your company and its products/services provide a solution to a problem. A positioning statement is not a tag line; it's a sentence or two that establishes your leadership position in your industry. It also provides direction for the company and keeps everyone focused on a common goal. And, it's important that it rings true with all constituents. It should be articulated by everyone in the company, from the CEO to the receptionist.
Risk and Reward
You can't have reward without risk. And nothing holds greater risks―and potential rewards―than creating problems in order to create the new products and markets that will transform your company into a recognized leader in its field.
One risk you can't afford to take is being complacent and accepting the status quo―that's perhaps the riskiest course of all.
Sources:
www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/199907/99-059/
www.itworld.com/Tech/5051/060420appleipod/
www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dt13as.html
About the Authors:
Ted Santos is CEO of Turnaround Investment Partners, a New York-based firm that specializes in helping organizations identify and exploit new opportunities. You can contact him at tsantos@turnaroundip.com.
Deborah Brown is a partner and senior director at Peppercom, a strategic communications firm in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and London that specializes in positioning and repositioning corporations. You can contact her at dbrown@peppercom.com.
Courtesy: SSS
Posted by: Vijey
Friday, September 07, 2007
Yanni - Within Attraction (live! at the Acropolis)
This is really one of the pieces of his work. Excellent video to watch and listen his music.
--Vijey--
The Last Samurai
A film by edward zwick, a profound director. A story of american contracts with japanese in 1870s, all when arms exchange begun. Tom Cruise, american captain, withdraws his, after tormoils of war and killing against red indians. The story is about how cruise gets to japan, get captized to katsamutu, fall in love with taka, ken watanabe. Be loyal to the tribes, turn courageous, and stand against his enemy battalion for battle, raising his army and himself, as Samurai.
--Vijey--
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Puspammal - Grandmother
Puspammal, her name, my grandmother. She is my father's mother, a mother of 5 sons and 2 daughters, extending to 4 grand-daughters and 11 grandsons. In the family chain, she is the senior most 2nd generation personality in existance.
--Vijey--
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