Minimize an application to System Tray in C#

To minimize an application form  to System Tray, we can use the NotifyIcon control in Visual Studio.

NotifyIcon is in the System.Windows.Forms namespace.If
Drag and drop a NotifyIcon control to your form.

To minimize the application to the system tray we need to handle the appropriate events. There are multiple events that can be used to achieve the output… The most appropriate will be the Form Resize event or the Form SizeChanged event.

 

Myths About Swine Flu

Swine influenza is flu virus usually found in pigs. The virus occasionally changes (mutates) and becomes infectious in humans. When this happens, the disease becomes a concern to humans, who have little or no immunity against it. This means the virus has the potential to spread quickly around the world. It also may be more difficult to treat than the usual, seasonal human flu viruses.

Also, no one was able to say for certain how this virus came to infect humans in the first place. Not helping matters was its somewhat unfortunate name. What better way, after all, to prevent swine flu than to avoid pigs and pork products? It sounds reasonable, but many myths do.

Click the following link to read about the biggest myths about Swine flu

 

How Internet works???

Ever wondered how internet works???

Watch the following video…

Here is another video… Its a bit big… But worth downloading…
http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/tv+movies/warriors/warriors-700-VBR.mpg
Source: http://www.warriorsofthe.net/

 

Onam : The National Festival of Kerala

              South Indian state of Kerala is a land that is also considered as the land of the God himself owing to its spectacular beauty and amazing environs. Though picturesque all throughout the year due to its lush palm trees, clear blue waters and open skies, the land of Kerala becomes all the more lively and exuberant when the festival of Onam is on. All throughout the days till the festival is celebrated, this Indian state is simply overjoyed, pepped up with energy and rejoicing each and every moment of life to its best possible.

               Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. It is celebrated at a time when everything appears so nice and good. The beautiful landscape of Kerala can be seen in its full radiance at this time of the Malayalam New Year. Weather, it seems, also seeks to be a part of the festival. It contributes by becoming pleasantly warm and sunny. Fields look brilliant with a bountiful harvest. Farmers feel on top of the world as they watch the result of their hard labour with pride. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

              Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham). This corresponds with the month of August-September according to Gregorian calendar. Onam lasts from four to ten days. First day, Atham and tenth day, Thiruonam are most important of all.

The Origin of Onam

              Onam or Thiruonam originated as a joyous annual reminiscence of the golden rule of King Mahabali, a mythical king, who ruled Kerala a very long time ago. It recalls the sacrifice of the great king, his true devotion to God, his human pride and his ultimate redemption. Onam welcomes the spirit of a great king, and assures him that his people are happy and wish him well.

The Legend

              It is believed that there once lived a wise and generous asura (demon) king, Mahabali. He was highly regarded by his subjects and everybody was happy in in his kingdom.

               Gods felt challenged with the growing popularity of Mahabali. They seeked help from Lord Vishnu who was worshiped by King Mahabali. Lord Vishnu took the avatar of a poor and dwarf Brahmin, called Vamana and came to the kingdom of Mahabali just after his morning prayers, when the King gave boons to the Brahmin. The disguised Lord Vishnu asked for as much land as could be covered by his three steps. The King made a promise to do so. Suddenly, Vamana increased to a massive size. With his one step he covered the whole of the sky and with the other he covered the whole of earth. He then asked for a place to put his third step. King realised that the boy was no ordinary Brahmin and asked Vamana to to put his third step on his head.

              The boy did so, pushing Mahabali in the nether world, the patala. Lord Vishnu was pleased with King Mahabali generosity and granted him a boon. Deeply attached with his people, the King said he would like to visit Kerala and his people every year. Lord Vishnu was pleased to grant the request.

It is this homecoming of King Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year.

The Custom

              A flower carpet called ‘Pookalam’ is laid in front of every house to welcome the  advent of the vanquished king, and earthen mounds representing Mahabali and Vishnu are placed in the dung-plastered courtyards. Traditional rituals are performed followed by a lavish feast called ‘Sadhya’. Onam also means new clothes for the whole family, sumptuous home-cooked delicacies on plantain leaf and the lingering aroma of the sweet Payasam.

Festival of Onam

              Although this festival has its origin in Hindu mythology, Onam is for all people of all class and creed. Hindus, Muslims and Christians, the wealthy and the downtrodden, all celebrate Onam with equal fervor. The secular character of Onam is peculiar to this land where unity had always coexisted with diversity, especially during festivals, when people come together to celebrate life’s unlimited joys.

 

The Google Story & The Tipping Point

The Google Story

In this information age, we have all the information we need in our finger tips. The role of Google in this  is undeniable.  At some point or the other, we have all wondered about how on earth do they do it?  This book takes tells us how by the name of the Google, they did it.

Reading the book got me really inspired. It really inspired me to believe in myself and in my head, heart etc… And the guys behind it Sergey Brin and Larry Page, well just wish I get the chance to meet them one day and talk to them. And it is not just creating a search engine but the way the stood by their idea and how today it rules the cyber space.

The way it is written is fantastic! It surely deserves a grand appreciation. Just loved the flow and the way the author has managed to make it more like a” detective story”.

For those who want a peek into, one of the greatest inventions of our time, just run faster than a google search and get this book. And for those who are curious about what went into the making of your googling, well just run and get it.

The Tipping Point

Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point exemplifies its subtitle: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Gladwell tells the stories of seemingly minor incidents that build to matters of great consequence. The tipping point, Gladwell writes, is the moment at which an idea catches on and spreads. He uses the metaphor of epidemics to describe these events, posing the questions, “Why is it that some ideas or behaviors or products start epidemics and others don’t? And what can we do to deliberately start and control positive epidemics of our own?”.  This idea is similar to that of the “paradigm shift”, which is generally applied to science and our understanding of the world, but Gladwell attempts to show how it affects more mundane things: the sale of Hush Puppies shoes, epidemics, or the fall of crime in New York.

 

Some Amazing Wallpapers…

Click on the pictures to open it in new window…

 

What is Stress ???

The World Health Organization is quoted as saying that stress is a ‘worldwide epidemic’. A United Nations report labeled stress as “the 20th Century disease”. Did you know that 1 in 2 people have experienced stress by the time they are 40?

So what can you do about it?

We all go through stressful times.

In small doses, stress may be good for you when it gives you a burst of energy. But too much stress or stress that lasts for a long time can take its toll on your body.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, you’re not alone. In fact a survey found that one-third of people are living with extreme stress. Keep reading to know how you’re feeling and learn about the effects of stress on your whole body.

Stress can be toxic to your body!

Are you experiencing the signs of stress?

• Feeling angry, irritable or easily frustrated
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Change in eating habits
• Problems concentrating
• Feeling nervous or anxious
• Trouble sleeping
• Problems with memory
• Feeling burned out from work
• Feeling that you can’t overcome difficulties in your life
• Having trouble functioning in your job or personal life

If you’re having any of these symptoms, it’s important that you take care of yourself. There are healthy steps you can take to stay well when you’re stressed, like connecting to people close to you, getting enough sleep or being physically active.

What is Stress Management?

Stress is an inherent part of the life of every individual, right from school going kids to retiring servicemen. It is impossible to live throughout your life without being introduced to stress, unless and until you have decided to renounce the world and become an ascetic. However, what we have to learn is coping with stress, through various stress reduction techniques, in other words stress management techniques. These techniques basically teach you how to be happy and enjoy life, even amidst tensions, and help you in relieving stress.

Stress Management Techniques

The first and the foremost thing to do for relieving stress, is to know that you are under stress. Signs like muscle tension, sweaty palms, high blood pressure, constant headaches, insomnia, fidgeting, rapid breathing and forgetting things, all indicate that you are undergoing stress. The next step is to accept the fact and make some small changes in your life that will help you in coping with it. The stress management techniques provided below will help you in dealing with the problem, before it gets out of control.

Learn to Say No

You meet so many people in a day that demand your attention. You have to recognize the important from the unimportant ones and learn to say NO. It is not necessary to go at every party and accept every dinner invitation. Take out sometime time for yourself. Sit at home or go to any place that will help you relax.

Take a Break

Your office or your home will not stop functioning if you take off a single day for yourself. You need to get away from all the things that give you stress and spend time on the things that give you happiness. For example – if you are a book lover, take an off from office, go to your nearest bookstore, buy a novel of your favorite author and spend the entire day lazing around the house, reading the book.

Eat Properly

Remember the adage ‘Healthy Mind resides in a Healthy Body’. A good diet will help you in dealing with stress, in a much better way. However, don’t binge on high calorie food. Have more vegetables, fruits, cereals, etc in your diet. And, please don’t skip your breakfast. It keeps you energized throughout the day.

Exercise

One of the best ways to beat stress is to exercise. Not only does it reward you with a healthy and fit body, it also helps you let off the steam. Next time, if you are getting too much irritated over something or somebody, go for a jog. I am sure that even a 15 min run will help you feel much better.

Differentiate Between Office and Home

Successful people and happy people are those who know how to differentiate between professional life and personal life. The problems of one should not affect the other. When you go to home from office, leave your worries behind. After you get back to home, spend time with family, watch TV, listen to music or do anything you like, but don’t think about office.

Set a Worry Time

Keep a worry time for yourself. Set a day of the week and a particular time of that day (say 7 to 8 pm) when you will worry and till that day and time comes, don’t think about the problems that have been hogging you.

Other Techniques

Going for a body massage, indulging in your favorite hobby, talking about your problems to someone close to you, meditation, etc are some of the other ways through which you can beat the stress and stay healthy as well as happy.

Take a stress test…

http://suicideandmentalhealthassociationinternational.org/stresstest.html