A group that backs a visa program designed to bring high-skilled foreign workers to the US reports that some of the approximately $3 billion in visa fees paid by employers has gone to science and math scholarships, US worker training and anti-fraud activities.
A report issued this week by the National Foundation for American Policy points to the use of fees for such programs as a reason to maintain the visa program. The foundation supports policies allowing businesses to hire foreign workers. The money has paid for 58,000 student scholarships distributed by the National Science Foundation and for 100,000 US workers to get training through the Labor Department, says the report.
Some opponents claim the visas cost Americans jobs. H-1B visas allow foreigners to work in the United States . The visas are temporary, good for up to six years and can lead to a permanent residency permit, known as a green card, if an employer sponsors the worker.
Businesses maintain they are important for bringing needed skills that cannot be found in the US and are necessary because waits for green cards, which provide legal residency, are too long. ``In addition to being required to pay professionals on H-1B visas the same wage as a comparable US worker, the H1-B fees, the legal costs, the staff time and the uncertainty of the immigration process demonstrate the employers really need these individuals and they're complementing the US workforce rather than taking jobs from US workers,'' said Stuart Anderson, the foundation's executive director.
The organization's report was issued the same week a House of Representatives subcommittee plans a hearing on the H1-B visas. It is one in a series that the subcommittee has had about immigration as Republicans in the majority try to build support for tougher immigration enforcement amid the slumping US economy and continued high unemployment rates.
Other hearings have covered the need for a system that can check whether a person is working legally in the US, the Obama administration's preference for auditing employers who hire illegal immigrants rather than conducting more expensive raids and on whether immigrants are taking jobs from American minorities.
According to Anderson's report, businesses that use visas have paid $2.3 billion in scholarship/work training fees and more than $700 million in anti-fraud fees. They also pay visa adjudication fees, can pay fees to get the visa processed more efficiently, legal fees and costs associated with paperwork for dependent family of the worker.
H-1Bs have been criticized as allowing employers to replace American workers with cheaper employees. Thursday's hearing was expected to include discussion of fraud problems in the H-1B program. High-tech companies have lobbied heavily for limiting restrictions on H-1B visas and increasing the numbers available.
Source: Economic Times
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Indian companies have saved thousands of jobs in the US
India-based companies have been responsible for saving thousands of jobs in the US in recent years, as they have continued to hire locally wherever they have put down roots, according to a new report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The study "Indian Roots, American Soil: A Look at Indian Companies in the US Economy" was released on Capitol Hill during CII's event highlighting the jobs and investments created by Indian companies in the US.
It was attended by Senator John Cornyn, Co-chair of Senate India Caucus, Congressman Jim McDermott and Congressman Joseph Crowley, Co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, besides Meera Shankar, the Indian Ambassador to the US.
Based on a survey of 35 CII-India Business Forum member companies, the study concluded that since 2005, nearly two-thirds of Indian companies have added jobs to their US operations.
Together, these 35 companies employ more than 60,000 people across 40 states and the District of Columbia and more than four-fifths of workers at these companies are hired locally.
It also said an overwhelming majority of workers who are employed at these companies are American citizens. India-based companies that have operations in the US have saved 2,585 jobs from being eliminated due to their acquisition of US firms and the value of these acquisitions since 2005 is $ 5.9 billion.
The relationship between the US and India has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, Cornyn said.
Trade in goods and services between the United States and India has grown exponentially, creating countless economic opportunities for both our countries and providing US consumers with access to affordable goods, he added.
"Indian businesses have invested widely in the US economy in diverse sectors in the fields of services and manufacturing," Shankar said.
"They have generated and sustained thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the US economy and have contributed to the global competitiveness of US companies," she said.
CII organized a full day marathon of events, bringing together 25 member companies of the Indian Business Forum to highlight the investments and jobs created by Indian Inc in the US.
"This is CII's first major attempt in bringing together Indian companies with operations in the US, as a group, to interact with members of the US Congress.
What we want to do is highlight the range and depth of the US-India business relationship and to dispel some of the misconceptions attached to Indian companies," said Kiran Pasricha, deputy director general, CII.
Source: Economic Times
The study "Indian Roots, American Soil: A Look at Indian Companies in the US Economy" was released on Capitol Hill during CII's event highlighting the jobs and investments created by Indian companies in the US.
It was attended by Senator John Cornyn, Co-chair of Senate India Caucus, Congressman Jim McDermott and Congressman Joseph Crowley, Co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, besides Meera Shankar, the Indian Ambassador to the US.
Based on a survey of 35 CII-India Business Forum member companies, the study concluded that since 2005, nearly two-thirds of Indian companies have added jobs to their US operations.
Together, these 35 companies employ more than 60,000 people across 40 states and the District of Columbia and more than four-fifths of workers at these companies are hired locally.
It also said an overwhelming majority of workers who are employed at these companies are American citizens. India-based companies that have operations in the US have saved 2,585 jobs from being eliminated due to their acquisition of US firms and the value of these acquisitions since 2005 is $ 5.9 billion.
The relationship between the US and India has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, Cornyn said.
Trade in goods and services between the United States and India has grown exponentially, creating countless economic opportunities for both our countries and providing US consumers with access to affordable goods, he added.
"Indian businesses have invested widely in the US economy in diverse sectors in the fields of services and manufacturing," Shankar said.
"They have generated and sustained thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the US economy and have contributed to the global competitiveness of US companies," she said.
CII organized a full day marathon of events, bringing together 25 member companies of the Indian Business Forum to highlight the investments and jobs created by Indian Inc in the US.
"This is CII's first major attempt in bringing together Indian companies with operations in the US, as a group, to interact with members of the US Congress.
What we want to do is highlight the range and depth of the US-India business relationship and to dispel some of the misconceptions attached to Indian companies," said Kiran Pasricha, deputy director general, CII.
Source: Economic Times
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Look how many people will miss office for Ind-Pak Semi Final
Six out 10 people in India Inc. will give office a miss when India takes on Pakistan in the World Cup semifinal in Mohali Wednesday, a survey by the industry lobby Assocham has revealed.
In the survey carried out in Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune and Bangalore on 500 corporate employees in 50 offices, most have admitted that they won't be able to concentrate on work properly owing to much hyped India-Pakistan clash.
"After nearly three years, India is clashing with Pakistan that too in World Cup semifinals.... I'm eagerly waiting... it will be a high-voltage game, so I will never miss this and I have already got my leave sanctioned," said Rajan S. Mathews, a bank employee working in south Delhi.
Around 60 percent of employees from 50 corporate offices have given casual leave applications for Wednesday, the survey states.
"We have had many employees applying for sick leave. We received over 10 applications from each department. Being a year-ender and the work load is more, so we are giving a leave on Wednesday and asking them to work on Sunday," Mangal Ram, human resources head for Intech tehcnologies, an MNC, told IANS.
According to the survey, around 15 percent of corporates from Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune and Bangalore have declared a holiday as employees are applying for casual leave on one pretext or the other.
Some corporate houses are offering a half-day leave.
"Right from office boy to team leaders, everyone has applied for leave. So, we thought better to give half-day leave and be little lenient with the timings. And those who take leave tomorrow (Wednesday) should work full day Saturday," Anitha Siddiqui, head of the HR team in a private company, said.
Releasing the findings of Assocham survey Tuesday, D.S. Rawat said, "Indo-Pak matches are more than just cricket. They are closely followed by both cricket followers and non-followers with equal enthusiasm in both the nations. Considering the hysteria of World Cup semifinals, it is a matter of interest to everyone."
Many top officials in various corporates offices are a worried lot as they have to balance work and staff crunch. So, they are putting up big projector screens for employees to watch the match in the office.
"Thank god, the world cup is once in four years, with attendance being lean tomorrow and due to closing of the financial year we cannot afford to give leave for the match. So, office administration is putting up giant screens in office conference halls and are going to provide free refreshments to the employees," said Anand Srinivasan, assistant accounts manager, in an MNC company in Bangalore.
The survey has showed that 30 percent of employees said they have coerced their bosses to allow them to leave early, if team India puts up a good show. Meanwhile, 20 percent employees said they are displeased as their companies have rejected their plea for declaring a half-day leave due to closing of the financial year.
As per the survey, Mumbai has received maximum number of casual leave applications, followed by Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore and Pune.
In the survey carried out in Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune and Bangalore on 500 corporate employees in 50 offices, most have admitted that they won't be able to concentrate on work properly owing to much hyped India-Pakistan clash.
"After nearly three years, India is clashing with Pakistan that too in World Cup semifinals.... I'm eagerly waiting... it will be a high-voltage game, so I will never miss this and I have already got my leave sanctioned," said Rajan S. Mathews, a bank employee working in south Delhi.
Around 60 percent of employees from 50 corporate offices have given casual leave applications for Wednesday, the survey states.
"We have had many employees applying for sick leave. We received over 10 applications from each department. Being a year-ender and the work load is more, so we are giving a leave on Wednesday and asking them to work on Sunday," Mangal Ram, human resources head for Intech tehcnologies, an MNC, told IANS.
According to the survey, around 15 percent of corporates from Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune and Bangalore have declared a holiday as employees are applying for casual leave on one pretext or the other.
Some corporate houses are offering a half-day leave.
"Right from office boy to team leaders, everyone has applied for leave. So, we thought better to give half-day leave and be little lenient with the timings. And those who take leave tomorrow (Wednesday) should work full day Saturday," Anitha Siddiqui, head of the HR team in a private company, said.
Releasing the findings of Assocham survey Tuesday, D.S. Rawat said, "Indo-Pak matches are more than just cricket. They are closely followed by both cricket followers and non-followers with equal enthusiasm in both the nations. Considering the hysteria of World Cup semifinals, it is a matter of interest to everyone."
Many top officials in various corporates offices are a worried lot as they have to balance work and staff crunch. So, they are putting up big projector screens for employees to watch the match in the office.
"Thank god, the world cup is once in four years, with attendance being lean tomorrow and due to closing of the financial year we cannot afford to give leave for the match. So, office administration is putting up giant screens in office conference halls and are going to provide free refreshments to the employees," said Anand Srinivasan, assistant accounts manager, in an MNC company in Bangalore.
The survey has showed that 30 percent of employees said they have coerced their bosses to allow them to leave early, if team India puts up a good show. Meanwhile, 20 percent employees said they are displeased as their companies have rejected their plea for declaring a half-day leave due to closing of the financial year.
As per the survey, Mumbai has received maximum number of casual leave applications, followed by Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore and Pune.
India one of the most risky place to invest
The United Kingdom-based Global Risks Atlas 2011 on Friday described India as the 16th riskiest country to invest in for the security hazards it poses and rather embarrassingly clubs it with Niger, Bangladesh and Mali. The Atlas is published by Maplecroft, a consultancy founded by Alyson Warhurst, chair of strategy and international development at Warwick Business School.
The evaluation is structured on seven key global risks including macroeconomic risk and threats around security, governance, resource security, climate change, social resilience and illicit economies.
Maplecroft assessed India faces simultaneous threats of terrorist attacks from Islamists and Maoists. It also points at India's lack of social resilience despite a robust economic growth and cites its poor human rights record. It says large sections of the population lack access to basic services such as education, healthcare and sanitation, and highlights its less productive workforce, greater susceptibility to pandemics and susceptible to social unrest.
The four countries flagged red as extreme risks are Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; in other words, un-investible. Pakistan is not far behind at 7th.
In an exacting analysis, even developed markets like the US and Western Europe, including the UK , are branded medium risk. Only 35 out of the 175 countries covered in the groups Global Risks Atlas 2011, ranked as low risk.
Denmark , Sweden , Finland and Norway are listed as among the least risky countries to invest; and Norway claimed the overall crown as the safest place.
The evaluation is structured on seven key global risks including macroeconomic risk and threats around security, governance, resource security, climate change, social resilience and illicit economies.
Maplecroft assessed India faces simultaneous threats of terrorist attacks from Islamists and Maoists. It also points at India's lack of social resilience despite a robust economic growth and cites its poor human rights record. It says large sections of the population lack access to basic services such as education, healthcare and sanitation, and highlights its less productive workforce, greater susceptibility to pandemics and susceptible to social unrest.
The four countries flagged red as extreme risks are Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; in other words, un-investible. Pakistan is not far behind at 7th.
In an exacting analysis, even developed markets like the US and Western Europe, including the UK , are branded medium risk. Only 35 out of the 175 countries covered in the groups Global Risks Atlas 2011, ranked as low risk.
Denmark , Sweden , Finland and Norway are listed as among the least risky countries to invest; and Norway claimed the overall crown as the safest place.
India among most corrupt
India finds itself bracketed with countries like Philippines and Cambodia, rated as the fourth most corrupt nation among 16 countries of the Asia Pacific region surveyed by leading Hong Kong-based business consultancy firm PERC.
The Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd (PERC) rated India at 8.67 on a scale of zero to 10 with the high end being the worst case of corruption scenario and ahead of the Philippines (8.9 points), Indonesia (9.25 points) and Cambodia (9.27 points).
Among the 16 countries reviewed in its latest report, Thailand was rated at 11 with a scale of 7.55, followed by China (7.93) and Vietnam (8.3).
Comparatively, Singapore was given a clean sheet with a score of 0.37, followed by Hong Kong (1.10), Australia (1.39), Japan (1.90) and USA (2.39), putting them in the top five.
In India, according to the report, civil and other local-level political leaders were found more corrupt than the national-level political leaders, with the former given a score of 9.25 and the latter slightly better at 8.97.
Indian civil servants at the city level too were rated at 8.18, worst than the civil servants at the national level (7.76).
"The issue of corruption has grown and overshadowed the second term in office of the Congress-led coalition headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ," said PERC in its Asian Intelligence report on Asian business and politics.
The government has been wracked by a series of scandals involving the sale of telecom licenses, preparations for the Commonwealth Games , a land scam involving high level military officers, and improper property loans made by state-owned financial institutions, it pointed out.
Though investigations were underway to be followed by court trials, Indians were still questioning whether or not the prime minister has the political muscle to fight graft and whether the actions now being taken were more for show than proof that the government was really cracking down on business practices that were common but corrupt, it said.
Prime Minister Singh has been put in such a defensive position that most of his recent statements have been to stress how he has not personally been involved with corruption, even though it appears that almost everyone around him was, observed PERC.
"This point is underscored by a recent WikiLeaks report that the ruling Congress Party paid off parliamentarians back in 2008 to pass the US-India civil nuclear deal," it said.
The Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd (PERC) rated India at 8.67 on a scale of zero to 10 with the high end being the worst case of corruption scenario and ahead of the Philippines (8.9 points), Indonesia (9.25 points) and Cambodia (9.27 points).
Among the 16 countries reviewed in its latest report, Thailand was rated at 11 with a scale of 7.55, followed by China (7.93) and Vietnam (8.3).
Comparatively, Singapore was given a clean sheet with a score of 0.37, followed by Hong Kong (1.10), Australia (1.39), Japan (1.90) and USA (2.39), putting them in the top five.
In India, according to the report, civil and other local-level political leaders were found more corrupt than the national-level political leaders, with the former given a score of 9.25 and the latter slightly better at 8.97.
Indian civil servants at the city level too were rated at 8.18, worst than the civil servants at the national level (7.76).
"The issue of corruption has grown and overshadowed the second term in office of the Congress-led coalition headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ," said PERC in its Asian Intelligence report on Asian business and politics.
The government has been wracked by a series of scandals involving the sale of telecom licenses, preparations for the Commonwealth Games , a land scam involving high level military officers, and improper property loans made by state-owned financial institutions, it pointed out.
Though investigations were underway to be followed by court trials, Indians were still questioning whether or not the prime minister has the political muscle to fight graft and whether the actions now being taken were more for show than proof that the government was really cracking down on business practices that were common but corrupt, it said.
Prime Minister Singh has been put in such a defensive position that most of his recent statements have been to stress how he has not personally been involved with corruption, even though it appears that almost everyone around him was, observed PERC.
"This point is underscored by a recent WikiLeaks report that the ruling Congress Party paid off parliamentarians back in 2008 to pass the US-India civil nuclear deal," it said.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Is this the end of Ponting ???
Ponting could be in the final week of his nine-year reign as captain after a troubled build-up to the World Cup, a report said on Tuesday, citing a Cricket Australia official.
The Sydney Morning Herald said there was stiff opposition at boardroom level to the 36-year-old retaining the job for next month's tour of Bangladesh, although his position as a player was not in jeopardy.
"We need to be looking at the future. It's time for us to make a change," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.
Ahead of the World Cup, Ponting earned the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper to fail to win the Ashes three times, putting him under enormous pressure.
He has also done himself no favours in India, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out during Australia's World Cup win over Zimbabwe.
He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with teammate Steven Smith during their victory over Canada.
Then his sportsmanship was questioned when he failed to walk in Saturday's defeat to Pakistan.
"We're waiting for the next thing to blow up," the official said. "We don't go a game without there being some issues with him."
Michael Clarke, who led Australia to an emphatic 6-1 one-day series victory over England to give them a boost after the post-Ashes despondency, is seen as favourite to take his job.
The Australians face India in Thursday's World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad.
The Sydney Morning Herald said there was stiff opposition at boardroom level to the 36-year-old retaining the job for next month's tour of Bangladesh, although his position as a player was not in jeopardy.
"We need to be looking at the future. It's time for us to make a change," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.
Ahead of the World Cup, Ponting earned the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper to fail to win the Ashes three times, putting him under enormous pressure.
He has also done himself no favours in India, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out during Australia's World Cup win over Zimbabwe.
He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with teammate Steven Smith during their victory over Canada.
Then his sportsmanship was questioned when he failed to walk in Saturday's defeat to Pakistan.
"We're waiting for the next thing to blow up," the official said. "We don't go a game without there being some issues with him."
Michael Clarke, who led Australia to an emphatic 6-1 one-day series victory over England to give them a boost after the post-Ashes despondency, is seen as favourite to take his job.
The Australians face India in Thursday's World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad.
Finally, India card Rupay to replace Visa, MasterCard
After almost two years of planning, the National Payments Corporation has at last finalised the proposed unique India Card which once commercially launched would be an domestic alternative to the global real-time payment processing firms like Visa and MasterCard .
"We have finalised name of the proposed card as Rupay at our board meeting here today. We have also finalised the logo for the same," a senior official of the RBI-set up National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), told media this evening. The official sought not to be named.
The official further said the leading financial consultancy firm Ernst & Young(E&Y) will develop and roll out the entire architecture, including the design and software for the Rupay card rollout.
A senior E&Y official confirmed the development to this agency. He further said, the NPCI will initially launch a domestic ATM/debit cards to begin with and then would hit the credit card market later on.
In 2009, the RBI had asked the Indian Banks Association to launch a not-for-profit company and design a rival card, then tentatively called India Card, that meets the requirements of the domestic banks.
And finally, RBI plan is materialising and Rupay will be like the Union Pay of China, which is the domestic real-time payment processing firm for Chinese banks, and was planned to be launched last year.
Source: Economics Times.
"We have finalised name of the proposed card as Rupay at our board meeting here today. We have also finalised the logo for the same," a senior official of the RBI-set up National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), told media this evening. The official sought not to be named.
The official further said the leading financial consultancy firm Ernst & Young(E&Y) will develop and roll out the entire architecture, including the design and software for the Rupay card rollout.
A senior E&Y official confirmed the development to this agency. He further said, the NPCI will initially launch a domestic ATM/debit cards to begin with and then would hit the credit card market later on.
In 2009, the RBI had asked the Indian Banks Association to launch a not-for-profit company and design a rival card, then tentatively called India Card, that meets the requirements of the domestic banks.
And finally, RBI plan is materialising and Rupay will be like the Union Pay of China, which is the domestic real-time payment processing firm for Chinese banks, and was planned to be launched last year.
Source: Economics Times.
Monday, March 21, 2011
9 out of 10 Indians ready to go abroad for right job
As many as nine out of ten Indian employees surveyed are willing to move out for the right job, with people even ready to relocate to another country or continent, according to Kelly Services.
A survey by workforce solutions provider Kelly Services revealed that 89 per cent of Indian employees were willing to move out for the right job.
Of them, 49 per cent were prepared to relocate to another country or continent to get the job of their choice. About 39 per cent of the respondents were ready to move within the country, the survey, released today, said.
As per the findings, men are more willing to move out than women.
"In an environment where the market for talent is becoming global, there is a growing realisation that many individuals may have to relocate for work," Kelly Services' Managing Director Kamal Karanth said.
Among the Indian jobseekers, 36 per cent preferred Europe as their favourite place for employment, followed by Asia Pacific (20 per cent), North America (19 per cent) and the Middle East (7 per cent).
"Oil & gas and hospitality sector witness maximum global relocation (81 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively)," the survey said.
The observations are based on a survey of about 2,000 people in India.
"... there is a diverse global demand that can present personal rewards and career opportunities for those willing to travel," Karanth said.
On the other hand, there are factors such as family and friends, cost of moving, language barries and cultural differences, that prevent many people from seeking jobs overseas.
Source: Economic Times
A survey by workforce solutions provider Kelly Services revealed that 89 per cent of Indian employees were willing to move out for the right job.
Of them, 49 per cent were prepared to relocate to another country or continent to get the job of their choice. About 39 per cent of the respondents were ready to move within the country, the survey, released today, said.
As per the findings, men are more willing to move out than women.
"In an environment where the market for talent is becoming global, there is a growing realisation that many individuals may have to relocate for work," Kelly Services' Managing Director Kamal Karanth said.
Among the Indian jobseekers, 36 per cent preferred Europe as their favourite place for employment, followed by Asia Pacific (20 per cent), North America (19 per cent) and the Middle East (7 per cent).
"Oil & gas and hospitality sector witness maximum global relocation (81 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively)," the survey said.
The observations are based on a survey of about 2,000 people in India.
"... there is a diverse global demand that can present personal rewards and career opportunities for those willing to travel," Karanth said.
On the other hand, there are factors such as family and friends, cost of moving, language barries and cultural differences, that prevent many people from seeking jobs overseas.
Source: Economic Times
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Biggest moon size in 2 decades
Clear skies will reveal a "super moon" phenomenon on Saturday as the moon reaches its closest point to the Earth for almost two decades. Stargazers will be hoping to see a bigger and brighter moon than normal as it reaches the closest point to the Earth since 1992. But experts say that people will need to look very closely to spot the 0.3% difference. It is the first time since 19 January 1992 that the moon has come into such close proximity to the Earth. This type of full moon tends to bring a range of high and low tides, but experts said yesterday that there was nothing to worry about.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Awesome Note by Harsha Bhogle on Ind vs SA match...dont miss
Harsha Bhogle's note after Ind-SA match. A must must must read
by Manish Harodia on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 7:47am
Remember when you failed an examination. How many people recall that, your class, friends, relatives? You failed to make it to the IITs or IIMs. Who remembers. How many times have you had the feeling of being the best in your class, school , university, state….., you failed to get a visa stamped this quarter…, you missed a promotion this year…, how did it feel when you dad told you in your early twenties that you are good for nothing…..and now your boss tell you the same...
You keep introspecting and go into a shell when people most of whom don’t matter a dime in your life criticize you, back bite you, make fun of you. You are left sad and shattered and you cry when your own kin scoffs at you. You say I am feeling low today. It takes a lot from us to come out of these everyday situations and move on. A lot??? really?
Now here’s a man standing on the third man boundary in the last over of a world cup match. The bowler just has to bowl sensibly to win this game. What the man at the boundary sees is 4 rank bad bowls bowled without any sense of focus, planning or regret. India loses, yet again in those circumstances when he has done just about everything right.
He does not cry. Does not show any emotion. Just keeps his head down and leaves the field. He has seen these failures for 22 years now. And not just his class, relatives, friends but the whole world has seen these failures. We are too immature to even imagine what goes on in that mind and heart of his. That’s why I would never want to be Sachin.
True, he has single handedly lifted to moods of this entire nation umpteen number of times. He has been an inspiration to rise above our mediocrity. Nobody who has ever lifted the willow even comes close to this man’s genius. His dedication and metal strength is unparallel. This is specially for those people who would have made fun of him again last night when India lost. They are people who are mediocre in their own lives. Who just scoff at others to create cheap fun. Who have lived in a small hole throughout their lives and thought they have seen the oceans.
Think about the man himself. He is 37 years of age. He has been playing almost non stop for 22 years. The way he was running and diving around the field last night would have put 22 year olds to shame. The way he played the best opening quickies in the world was breathtaking. He just keeps getting better which is by the way humanly impossible. Its not for nothing that people call him GOD.
But still I don’t want to be in those shoes. We struggle in keeping our monotonous lives straight, lives which affect a limited number of people. Imagine what would be the magnitude of the inner struggle for him, pain both mental and physical, tears that have frozen with time, knees and ankles and every other joint in the body that is either bandaged or needs to be attended to every night, eyes that don’t sleep before a big game, bats that have scored 99 international tons and still see expectations from a billion people.
And he just converts those expectations into reality. We watch in awe, feel privileged.
Well I think its time that his team realizes that enough is enough. They have an obligation, not towards their country alone but towards sachin. They need to win this one for him. Stay assured that he himself will still deliver and leave no stone unturned to make sure India wins this cup.
This is not just a game, and he is not just a sportsman. Its much more than this. Words fail here.....
--- HARSHA BHOGLE
by Manish Harodia on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 7:47am
Remember when you failed an examination. How many people recall that, your class, friends, relatives? You failed to make it to the IITs or IIMs. Who remembers. How many times have you had the feeling of being the best in your class, school , university, state….., you failed to get a visa stamped this quarter…, you missed a promotion this year…, how did it feel when you dad told you in your early twenties that you are good for nothing…..and now your boss tell you the same...
You keep introspecting and go into a shell when people most of whom don’t matter a dime in your life criticize you, back bite you, make fun of you. You are left sad and shattered and you cry when your own kin scoffs at you. You say I am feeling low today. It takes a lot from us to come out of these everyday situations and move on. A lot??? really?
Now here’s a man standing on the third man boundary in the last over of a world cup match. The bowler just has to bowl sensibly to win this game. What the man at the boundary sees is 4 rank bad bowls bowled without any sense of focus, planning or regret. India loses, yet again in those circumstances when he has done just about everything right.
He does not cry. Does not show any emotion. Just keeps his head down and leaves the field. He has seen these failures for 22 years now. And not just his class, relatives, friends but the whole world has seen these failures. We are too immature to even imagine what goes on in that mind and heart of his. That’s why I would never want to be Sachin.
True, he has single handedly lifted to moods of this entire nation umpteen number of times. He has been an inspiration to rise above our mediocrity. Nobody who has ever lifted the willow even comes close to this man’s genius. His dedication and metal strength is unparallel. This is specially for those people who would have made fun of him again last night when India lost. They are people who are mediocre in their own lives. Who just scoff at others to create cheap fun. Who have lived in a small hole throughout their lives and thought they have seen the oceans.
Think about the man himself. He is 37 years of age. He has been playing almost non stop for 22 years. The way he was running and diving around the field last night would have put 22 year olds to shame. The way he played the best opening quickies in the world was breathtaking. He just keeps getting better which is by the way humanly impossible. Its not for nothing that people call him GOD.
But still I don’t want to be in those shoes. We struggle in keeping our monotonous lives straight, lives which affect a limited number of people. Imagine what would be the magnitude of the inner struggle for him, pain both mental and physical, tears that have frozen with time, knees and ankles and every other joint in the body that is either bandaged or needs to be attended to every night, eyes that don’t sleep before a big game, bats that have scored 99 international tons and still see expectations from a billion people.
And he just converts those expectations into reality. We watch in awe, feel privileged.
Well I think its time that his team realizes that enough is enough. They have an obligation, not towards their country alone but towards sachin. They need to win this one for him. Stay assured that he himself will still deliver and leave no stone unturned to make sure India wins this cup.
This is not just a game, and he is not just a sportsman. Its much more than this. Words fail here.....
--- HARSHA BHOGLE
Chiranjeevi's daughter files dowry case
Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi's daughter Srija has filed a dowry harassment case against her husband Sirish, according to reports.
Srija has lodged a complaint with the police alleging that her husband has been abusing her physically and mentally for the past few months.
Srija, the youngest daughter of Chiranjeevi, had eloped with Sirish in October 2007 and the two secretly got married in Hyderabad. In 2007, she alleged that there was a threat from her father's side and sought police protection after marriage.
The couple has a two-and-a-half year-old daughter. Srija and her daughter have been spotted at recent events without Sirish.
Source: NDTV
Srija has lodged a complaint with the police alleging that her husband has been abusing her physically and mentally for the past few months.
Srija, the youngest daughter of Chiranjeevi, had eloped with Sirish in October 2007 and the two secretly got married in Hyderabad. In 2007, she alleged that there was a threat from her father's side and sought police protection after marriage.
The couple has a two-and-a-half year-old daughter. Srija and her daughter have been spotted at recent events without Sirish.
Source: NDTV
TCS, Mahindra Satyam bag multi-million dollar deals
Country's largest software firm Tata Consultancy Services and Satyam have announced a large, multiyear, multimillion dollar deal.
Tata Consultancy Services said it has bagged a IT infrastructure deal from Dutch technical consultancy firm Royal Haskoning.
The scope of the project covers end-to-end IT infrastructure services, which will be provided from TCS' global delivery centres in the Netherlands, Hungary and India, TCS said in a statement.
The services include a multi-lingual service desk, data centre hosting and management, end-user computing services, application support services and transformation solutions, it added. But it did not say anything about the exact amount involved in the deal.
" Royal Haskoning is planning to grow, not only in our existing home countries, but also across emerging markets. We face interesting new challenges and consistent experience of service delivery is essential for us to be successful.
TCS' delivery model will give our company the necessary support," Royal Haskoning Chief Information Officer Eric Overvoorde said.
Founded in the Netherlands in 1881, Royal Haskoning operates in 17 countries with 3,900 employees and 57 offices.
Satyam rose almost close to 3.5% after announcement of the deal.
Mahindra Satyam bagged a deal from Aspire Zone, Qatar, one of the leading sports institutes in the world.
As part of the contract, Mahindra Satyam will provide onsite and offshore support to Aspire on various application development and infrastructure services projects, Mahindra Satyam said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Aspire Zone will also utilise Mahindra Satyam's expertise in event and venue management technologies as part of its sports event and venue management solution roadmap, it added.
"Mahindra Satyam beings a lot of value to Aspire due to their partnership with FIFA... Mahindra Satyam's support for entire Aspire Zone will be of great value in achieving our goal in becoming a leader as a sports technology provider from Qatar," Aspire Zone Foundation President Hilal Al-Kuwari said.
Mahindra Satyam is also currently engaged with Aspire Zone Foundation in providing application and infrastructure support services.
Mahindra Satyam was the official IT service provider for the FIFA World Cup Soccer and provided applications for accreditation, space and material management, transportation, volunteer management, infrastructure, intranet and extranet at the venues, apart from helpdesk services.
Tata Consultancy Services said it has bagged a IT infrastructure deal from Dutch technical consultancy firm Royal Haskoning.
The scope of the project covers end-to-end IT infrastructure services, which will be provided from TCS' global delivery centres in the Netherlands, Hungary and India, TCS said in a statement.
The services include a multi-lingual service desk, data centre hosting and management, end-user computing services, application support services and transformation solutions, it added. But it did not say anything about the exact amount involved in the deal.
" Royal Haskoning is planning to grow, not only in our existing home countries, but also across emerging markets. We face interesting new challenges and consistent experience of service delivery is essential for us to be successful.
TCS' delivery model will give our company the necessary support," Royal Haskoning Chief Information Officer Eric Overvoorde said.
Founded in the Netherlands in 1881, Royal Haskoning operates in 17 countries with 3,900 employees and 57 offices.
Satyam rose almost close to 3.5% after announcement of the deal.
Mahindra Satyam bagged a deal from Aspire Zone, Qatar, one of the leading sports institutes in the world.
As part of the contract, Mahindra Satyam will provide onsite and offshore support to Aspire on various application development and infrastructure services projects, Mahindra Satyam said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Aspire Zone will also utilise Mahindra Satyam's expertise in event and venue management technologies as part of its sports event and venue management solution roadmap, it added.
"Mahindra Satyam beings a lot of value to Aspire due to their partnership with FIFA... Mahindra Satyam's support for entire Aspire Zone will be of great value in achieving our goal in becoming a leader as a sports technology provider from Qatar," Aspire Zone Foundation President Hilal Al-Kuwari said.
Mahindra Satyam is also currently engaged with Aspire Zone Foundation in providing application and infrastructure support services.
Mahindra Satyam was the official IT service provider for the FIFA World Cup Soccer and provided applications for accreditation, space and material management, transportation, volunteer management, infrastructure, intranet and extranet at the venues, apart from helpdesk services.
Two new earthquakes hit Tokyo
A strong quake was felt late today in Tokyo, shaking buildings in Japan's capital four days after a massive tremor sparked a devastating tsunami that ravaged the country's northeast coast.
The Japan Meteorological Agency put the magnitude of the quake at 6.0.
The epicentre was located in Shizuoka prefecture, about 120 kilometres southwest of the capital, and near Mount Fuji, which is prone to earthquakes.
The quake occured at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/japan-strong-aftershock-of-magnitude-6-0-hits-tokyo-91904?cp
The Japan Meteorological Agency put the magnitude of the quake at 6.0.
The epicentre was located in Shizuoka prefecture, about 120 kilometres southwest of the capital, and near Mount Fuji, which is prone to earthquakes.
The quake occured at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/japan-strong-aftershock-of-magnitude-6-0-hits-tokyo-91904?cp
Monday, March 14, 2011
Earths axis wobbles due to earthquake
The earthquake-cum- tsunami packed such fury that it has moved Japan's main island, Honshu , by about 8 feet. It's also caused the Earth's axis to wobble by about 4 inches ? something that experts say will lead to the shortening of the day by 1.6 microseconds, or just over a millionth of a second.
These very tiny changes happen because of changes in the speed of rotation of the Earth as surface mass gets shifted around in earthquakes, says Patrick Dasgupta, professor of astrophysics in Delhi University.
As portions of the Earth's surface shift, there is a bit of an extra wobble in the planet's rotation around its axis. This causes an increase in the speed of spinning, resulting in shortening of the day, said Dasgupta. This, however, will have no impact on life on Earth, he added.
The 2004 Asian tsunami had clipped the Earth's day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted its axis by about 3 inches. The Chilean quake of 2010 too shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds and changed the axis by 3 inches.
The shifting of islands was observed in the 2004 tsunami too. The southern Nicobar group of islands saw permanent subsidence of about 15 feet while the northern Andaman Islands rose by up to five feet.
After the 2004 quake which caused the Asian tsunami, some of the smaller islands off the coast of Sumatra moved by as much as 20 metres and its north-western tip shifted to the southwest by 36 metres. That temblor was considered more powerful than the recent Japanese one, measuring 9.1 in magnitude.
The Japanese quake caused a 400-km-long and 160-km-wide rupture in the Earth's crust as one tectonic plate dove under another off the coast of northern Japan. This led to an upheaval in the sea above it sending a 30-foot wall of water racing up to 10km inland in Japan and reaching California across the Pacific Ocean 10 hours later. Several small island states in the Pacific experienced 2-3 feet high waves, which were ripples of the Japanese tsunami as it went bouncing across the ocean.
These very tiny changes happen because of changes in the speed of rotation of the Earth as surface mass gets shifted around in earthquakes, says Patrick Dasgupta, professor of astrophysics in Delhi University.
As portions of the Earth's surface shift, there is a bit of an extra wobble in the planet's rotation around its axis. This causes an increase in the speed of spinning, resulting in shortening of the day, said Dasgupta. This, however, will have no impact on life on Earth, he added.
The 2004 Asian tsunami had clipped the Earth's day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted its axis by about 3 inches. The Chilean quake of 2010 too shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds and changed the axis by 3 inches.
The shifting of islands was observed in the 2004 tsunami too. The southern Nicobar group of islands saw permanent subsidence of about 15 feet while the northern Andaman Islands rose by up to five feet.
After the 2004 quake which caused the Asian tsunami, some of the smaller islands off the coast of Sumatra moved by as much as 20 metres and its north-western tip shifted to the southwest by 36 metres. That temblor was considered more powerful than the recent Japanese one, measuring 9.1 in magnitude.
The Japanese quake caused a 400-km-long and 160-km-wide rupture in the Earth's crust as one tectonic plate dove under another off the coast of northern Japan. This led to an upheaval in the sea above it sending a 30-foot wall of water racing up to 10km inland in Japan and reaching California across the Pacific Ocean 10 hours later. Several small island states in the Pacific experienced 2-3 feet high waves, which were ripples of the Japanese tsunami as it went bouncing across the ocean.
Indian Student murdered in Australia
A 24-year old Indian student Tosha Thakkar was allegedly raped and murdered and her body stuffed inside a suitcase was dumped in a canal in Sydney by a teenager who shared an accommodation with her.
"On 11 March morning, construction workers found the suitcase containing the woman's body in a water canal near Meadowbank Park and alerted police," said a statement issued by the local police.
The young accounting student may have lived out her final moments inside the black suitcase in which her body was ultimately found floating in a canal.
She shared a house with the accused teenager Daniel Stani-Reginald, an Australian of Sri Lankan origin, who was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting and killing her.
She was allegedly raped and murdered between 10. 30am and 1pm (local time) last Wednesday in the Croydon suburb of New South Wales.
Her body was stuffed inside a large cloth suitcase and was later pulled from a canal behind Meadowbank Park on Friday morning by pipeline maintenance workers.
The latest reports said that Thakkar from Gujarat may not have been dead when her body was packed into the suitcase.
Police are investigating whether she eventually suffocated inside it.
Police will allege Stani-Reginald was a predator who waited until the third resident of the shared house in Edwin Street, Croydon, was away before attacking Thakkar.
Thakkar was studying accounting at the Sydney College of Business and IT, which collaborates with Southern Cross University, and was a permanent resident of Australia.
Friends and family of Thakkar told media that they had no idea why she was killed.
"She did not deserve this at all," Chief Inspector Pamela Young said adding "She did nothing whatsoever to contribute to what happened to her."
Thakkar migrated to Australia about two years ago and was in the last semester of a post-graduate accounting degree. She was planning to return to India when she graduated.
Stani-Reginald, an Australian of Sri Lankan descent, chose not to appear in court yesterday and he did not apply for bail. He is expected to face court again on May 9.
The Australian High Commission said it extended its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Thakkar.
Australia's high commissioner to India, Peter N Varghese, sent a personal message of condolence to Thakkar and has also spoken to the family, a statement said.
"The Australian police have acted quickly - they arrested a suspect on Friday, the same day as the discovery of the victim's body," it said.
"This brutal killing will shock Australians. The police are determined that the perpetrator will be brought to justice.
There is no indication that this awful crime was racially motivated," it further added.
Anish Popli, the husband of Thakkar's first cousin, said nobody had cause to attack her.
"She wouldn't hurt or harm anybody. She had been living in Australia for three or four years and did not fit the profile of a fresh-faced arrival vulnerable to attack.
"It's not like she's never been here - she knew her way around," he said.
Southern Cross University extended its condolences to Thakkar's family, friends and colleagues, a spokeswoman said yesterday.
The university is providing counselling and support services to students and staff.
The accused was arrested at an Ashfield motel on weekend and appeared via video link in Parramatta Local Court yesterday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
The court refused to grant him bail. The accused glanced at the Indian students who poured into the court in their dozens, filling the chairs and every centimetre of floor space, and then bowed his head for the duration of the hearing.
Outside the court, the students held up a poster that read "We want justice for our Indian international friend Tosha Thakkar".
Source: Economic Times
"On 11 March morning, construction workers found the suitcase containing the woman's body in a water canal near Meadowbank Park and alerted police," said a statement issued by the local police.
The young accounting student may have lived out her final moments inside the black suitcase in which her body was ultimately found floating in a canal.
She shared a house with the accused teenager Daniel Stani-Reginald, an Australian of Sri Lankan origin, who was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting and killing her.
She was allegedly raped and murdered between 10. 30am and 1pm (local time) last Wednesday in the Croydon suburb of New South Wales.
Her body was stuffed inside a large cloth suitcase and was later pulled from a canal behind Meadowbank Park on Friday morning by pipeline maintenance workers.
The latest reports said that Thakkar from Gujarat may not have been dead when her body was packed into the suitcase.
Police are investigating whether she eventually suffocated inside it.
Police will allege Stani-Reginald was a predator who waited until the third resident of the shared house in Edwin Street, Croydon, was away before attacking Thakkar.
Thakkar was studying accounting at the Sydney College of Business and IT, which collaborates with Southern Cross University, and was a permanent resident of Australia.
Friends and family of Thakkar told media that they had no idea why she was killed.
"She did not deserve this at all," Chief Inspector Pamela Young said adding "She did nothing whatsoever to contribute to what happened to her."
Thakkar migrated to Australia about two years ago and was in the last semester of a post-graduate accounting degree. She was planning to return to India when she graduated.
Stani-Reginald, an Australian of Sri Lankan descent, chose not to appear in court yesterday and he did not apply for bail. He is expected to face court again on May 9.
The Australian High Commission said it extended its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Thakkar.
Australia's high commissioner to India, Peter N Varghese, sent a personal message of condolence to Thakkar and has also spoken to the family, a statement said.
"The Australian police have acted quickly - they arrested a suspect on Friday, the same day as the discovery of the victim's body," it said.
"This brutal killing will shock Australians. The police are determined that the perpetrator will be brought to justice.
There is no indication that this awful crime was racially motivated," it further added.
Anish Popli, the husband of Thakkar's first cousin, said nobody had cause to attack her.
"She wouldn't hurt or harm anybody. She had been living in Australia for three or four years and did not fit the profile of a fresh-faced arrival vulnerable to attack.
"It's not like she's never been here - she knew her way around," he said.
Southern Cross University extended its condolences to Thakkar's family, friends and colleagues, a spokeswoman said yesterday.
The university is providing counselling and support services to students and staff.
The accused was arrested at an Ashfield motel on weekend and appeared via video link in Parramatta Local Court yesterday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
The court refused to grant him bail. The accused glanced at the Indian students who poured into the court in their dozens, filling the chairs and every centimetre of floor space, and then bowed his head for the duration of the hearing.
Outside the court, the students held up a poster that read "We want justice for our Indian international friend Tosha Thakkar".
Source: Economic Times
How Social Media was better than any other source in Japan's Quake
Japan’s Internet is largely intact after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Friday, allowing online services to play a pivotal role in connecting victims of the quake with families and friends unsure of their whereabouts.
While the earthquake knocked out electricity supplies and shut down two nuclear power plants, Internet availability remains relatively unaffected, according to a blog post from Internet monitoring company Renesys.
In a message sent Friday from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to U.S. citizens in Japan, the Embassy encouraged Americans “to continue your efforts to be in contact with your loved one(s) using SMS texting and other social media (e.g., FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) that your loved one(s) may use.”
Additionally, the message suggested Americans in Japan use other online services including the Google Person Finder and the Red Cross’s Family Links website in order to make their whereabouts and conditions known.
Google often creates Person Finder sites during emergencies that allow people to leave information about their whereabouts or information about a missing person. At the time of writing, there were about 158,700 records for Japan — more than 140,000 more records than were submitted to the last such site it set up for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake in February.
The Red Cross site operates in a similar manner, publishing a list of names with contact information of people who want to make it known that they are alive and people whose relatives have indicated they are missing.
But perhaps the most simple method people in Japan have turned to for connecting with loved ones throughout the emergency is posting to their social media accounts. Less than an hour after the quake, the number of tweets from Tokyo topped 1,200 per minute, according to Tweet-o-Meter. An interactive graphic created by Facebook to illustrate status updates related to the quake shows Japan’s activity on Facebook during that day was also high.
Some shared stories of connecting with loved ones using the platform are on the Facebook stories page.
“We have spent the morning doing a roll call with all of our family and friends in Japan, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and all over the South Pacific Ocean,” reads one submission to the page. “Much faster and easier than the Red Cross or even trying to get through on the phone lines!”
While the earthquake knocked out electricity supplies and shut down two nuclear power plants, Internet availability remains relatively unaffected, according to a blog post from Internet monitoring company Renesys.
In a message sent Friday from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to U.S. citizens in Japan, the Embassy encouraged Americans “to continue your efforts to be in contact with your loved one(s) using SMS texting and other social media (e.g., FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) that your loved one(s) may use.”
Additionally, the message suggested Americans in Japan use other online services including the Google Person Finder and the Red Cross’s Family Links website in order to make their whereabouts and conditions known.
Google often creates Person Finder sites during emergencies that allow people to leave information about their whereabouts or information about a missing person. At the time of writing, there were about 158,700 records for Japan — more than 140,000 more records than were submitted to the last such site it set up for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake in February.
The Red Cross site operates in a similar manner, publishing a list of names with contact information of people who want to make it known that they are alive and people whose relatives have indicated they are missing.
But perhaps the most simple method people in Japan have turned to for connecting with loved ones throughout the emergency is posting to their social media accounts. Less than an hour after the quake, the number of tweets from Tokyo topped 1,200 per minute, according to Tweet-o-Meter. An interactive graphic created by Facebook to illustrate status updates related to the quake shows Japan’s activity on Facebook during that day was also high.
Some shared stories of connecting with loved ones using the platform are on the Facebook stories page.
“We have spent the morning doing a roll call with all of our family and friends in Japan, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and all over the South Pacific Ocean,” reads one submission to the page. “Much faster and easier than the Red Cross or even trying to get through on the phone lines!”
Lose weight the easiest way
Drinking water is one of the easiest and most essential things you can do to help you shed those extra pounds. We all know that we should drink at least six 8-ounce glasses, or about 2 1/2 liters, of water a day, and once you learn why you should drink the water, it's much easier to motivate yourself to do so.
Drinking water helps speed up our metabolism. The liver is responsible for converting stored fat to energy. When the liver can concentrate on this job, we end up with a fast working metabolism. Unfortunately, the liver has other duties as well. One of these jobs is helping out the kidneys. Well-hydrated kidneys work well and need little help from the liver. Kidneys that don't get enough water, though, rely on the liver to help out and your metabolism slows down.
This isn't the only reason why drinking water is so essential to your weight loss. Your body stores water, always afraid that it won't get enough. And if you aren't drinking enough water a day, your body is right. When we are properly hydrating our body, the water weight that is stored is released.
Water also helps out our muscles. Developing muscle tone is one of the best ways to lose and keep off weight. A thirsty muscle cannot develop the strength it needs. If you stay hydrated your whole body will work with you to lose those extra pounds and help you feel healthy.
Another great thing about water is that it helps us feel full. If you drink a full glass of water a little before meal time, you may find yourself eating less. Water also aids in the digestion. Plenty of water in your body means that you are getting the most nutrition from your food.
It can be hard to get into the habit of drinking a lot of water. It's true that when you start out, you will be going to the bathroom more than normal. The good news is that the frequent trips don't last forever. Once the stored water is flushed out of your system, your body will return closer to normal.
Some people don't drink water because of the taste. Although tap water can taste quite strong, good bottled and filtered water shouldn't have much of a taste at all. You can always add lemon, lime, or cucumber to make the water more palpable.
Although straight water is the best if you are looking to lose weight, you don't need to be confined to that as your only liquid. Fruit juices, vegetable juices, and herbal teas will all help hydrate you. Be aware of the sugar, salt, and caloric intake of the juices.
Caffeine and alcohol dehydrate you, so don't count coffee, soft drinks that contain caffeine, and alcoholic beverages in your daily six glasses. You don't have to avoid these drinks completely, but try to drink extra water to make up for these beverages in your diet. If you are trying to lose weight, restrict alcohol and soft drinks because calories from these can add up over time.
It's best to drink water throughout the day, rather than trying to get in all of your water needs at once. If you find yourself feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. So while you don't have to gulp down water all day, drink enough so that you are never feeling thirsty.
I have lost lot of weight and my skin has turned clear since I began to deliberately drink lot of water. At times I feel the taste as awful but you get habituated to it.
Drinking water helps speed up our metabolism. The liver is responsible for converting stored fat to energy. When the liver can concentrate on this job, we end up with a fast working metabolism. Unfortunately, the liver has other duties as well. One of these jobs is helping out the kidneys. Well-hydrated kidneys work well and need little help from the liver. Kidneys that don't get enough water, though, rely on the liver to help out and your metabolism slows down.
This isn't the only reason why drinking water is so essential to your weight loss. Your body stores water, always afraid that it won't get enough. And if you aren't drinking enough water a day, your body is right. When we are properly hydrating our body, the water weight that is stored is released.
Water also helps out our muscles. Developing muscle tone is one of the best ways to lose and keep off weight. A thirsty muscle cannot develop the strength it needs. If you stay hydrated your whole body will work with you to lose those extra pounds and help you feel healthy.
Another great thing about water is that it helps us feel full. If you drink a full glass of water a little before meal time, you may find yourself eating less. Water also aids in the digestion. Plenty of water in your body means that you are getting the most nutrition from your food.
It can be hard to get into the habit of drinking a lot of water. It's true that when you start out, you will be going to the bathroom more than normal. The good news is that the frequent trips don't last forever. Once the stored water is flushed out of your system, your body will return closer to normal.
Some people don't drink water because of the taste. Although tap water can taste quite strong, good bottled and filtered water shouldn't have much of a taste at all. You can always add lemon, lime, or cucumber to make the water more palpable.
Although straight water is the best if you are looking to lose weight, you don't need to be confined to that as your only liquid. Fruit juices, vegetable juices, and herbal teas will all help hydrate you. Be aware of the sugar, salt, and caloric intake of the juices.
Caffeine and alcohol dehydrate you, so don't count coffee, soft drinks that contain caffeine, and alcoholic beverages in your daily six glasses. You don't have to avoid these drinks completely, but try to drink extra water to make up for these beverages in your diet. If you are trying to lose weight, restrict alcohol and soft drinks because calories from these can add up over time.
It's best to drink water throughout the day, rather than trying to get in all of your water needs at once. If you find yourself feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. So while you don't have to gulp down water all day, drink enough so that you are never feeling thirsty.
I have lost lot of weight and my skin has turned clear since I began to deliberately drink lot of water. At times I feel the taste as awful but you get habituated to it.
Japan Stocks fall 6.2% in a day
A massive selloff on the Tokyo Stock Exchange wiped out some 23.5 trillion yen ($287 billion) from the market's value on Monday with investors dumping stocks as the country recoiled from a devastating earthquake and struggled to avert nuclear disaster.
The selloff triggered record volumes and slashed the market's value to roughly 289 trillion yen.
The Nikkei average tumbled 6.2 percent, its biggest decline in a single day since October 2008, and more than 4.88 billion shares changed hands on the exchange's first section, the highest number since World War 2.
Volume was pushed up by window-dressing selling by domestic institutional investors for the March 31 financial year-end and by domestic investment trusts and anxious retail buyers, while long-term foreign players who have piled into Japanese shares since November also rushed for the exit, market players said.
"It's the end of the business year for Japanese institutions. They've been net sellers of Tokyo stocks anyway, and in March they traditionally lock in profits for the year, so much of today's selling pressure likely came from them," said Mitsuhsige Akino, a fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.
"On the other hand, foreigners had bought over 2.75 trillion yen worth of Japan stocks since November, pushing the Nikkei several percent higher, so no wonder they tried to trim their losses or lock in as much profit as possible today, and that bolstered trading volume" said Akino.
Fears of more quake aftershocks and further repercussions from damaged nuclear reactors were cited as the most important factors behind the sell-off.
"Domestic investment trusts and funds are dumping everything today. Sell orders for tens of billions of yen were detected," said an equities trader at a Japanese domestic institutional investor, who declined to be quoted by name.
Individual investors, who often trade in smaller stocks on the TSE's Mothers section for startups, likely sold even more aggressively then the big players on the Nikkei, traders said.
The Mothers market tumbled 17.2 percent, with social networking site Mixi Inc. and Japan's third-biggest airline Skymark Airlines Inc both down around 18 percent.
The selloff triggered record volumes and slashed the market's value to roughly 289 trillion yen.
The Nikkei average tumbled 6.2 percent, its biggest decline in a single day since October 2008, and more than 4.88 billion shares changed hands on the exchange's first section, the highest number since World War 2.
Volume was pushed up by window-dressing selling by domestic institutional investors for the March 31 financial year-end and by domestic investment trusts and anxious retail buyers, while long-term foreign players who have piled into Japanese shares since November also rushed for the exit, market players said.
"It's the end of the business year for Japanese institutions. They've been net sellers of Tokyo stocks anyway, and in March they traditionally lock in profits for the year, so much of today's selling pressure likely came from them," said Mitsuhsige Akino, a fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.
"On the other hand, foreigners had bought over 2.75 trillion yen worth of Japan stocks since November, pushing the Nikkei several percent higher, so no wonder they tried to trim their losses or lock in as much profit as possible today, and that bolstered trading volume" said Akino.
Fears of more quake aftershocks and further repercussions from damaged nuclear reactors were cited as the most important factors behind the sell-off.
"Domestic investment trusts and funds are dumping everything today. Sell orders for tens of billions of yen were detected," said an equities trader at a Japanese domestic institutional investor, who declined to be quoted by name.
Individual investors, who often trade in smaller stocks on the TSE's Mothers section for startups, likely sold even more aggressively then the big players on the Nikkei, traders said.
The Mothers market tumbled 17.2 percent, with social networking site Mixi Inc. and Japan's third-biggest airline Skymark Airlines Inc both down around 18 percent.
Apple sells 1 million Ipad2 in a weekend
Analysts expect Apple Inc to have sold close to a million iPad 2 tablet computers in its first weekend, trumping debut sales of the first iPad that went on sale last April.
"We would not be surprised to see Apple sell closer to 1 million iPad2s in the opening weekend," said Wedbush Securities analyst Scott Sutherland.
The original version crossed the one-million mark 28 days after its launch.
Best Buy on Friday said some of its outlets ran out of the tablet and its accessories within 10 minutes.
Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry estimates Apple may have sold three times more iPad 2s in the first two days compared to the previous version.
The profile of iPad 2 buyer is 60 percent existing iPad owners, 40 percent first-time iPad buyers and 100 percent own at-least one Apple product, Global Equity's Chowdhry wrote.
People prefer AT&T's iPad 2 over Verizon's because AT&T has better customer service, Chowdhry added.
Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc , just started selling Apple's iPhone last month, ending AT&T Inc's more than three-year hold on U.S. iPhone sales.
UBS said the strong iPad demand bodes well but the focus is likely to be on Japan, which accounted for about 6 percent of fiscal 2010 revenues. A massive earthquake and a subsequent tsunami over the weekend brought life to a standstill in Japan.
Some analysts flagged the possibility of an imminent tablet bubble due to iPad 2s solid demand.
The iPad 2's early success is a warning sign of a global tablet bubble, where supply could outpace demand for tablets by about 36 percent, said J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz.
Samsung and Motorola have already launched tablet devices, while Blackberry maker RIM
and Hewlett-Packard Co are set to release similar products in coming months.
Apple is expected to own at least 61 percent of tablets in 2011, whereas other entrants are likely to face disappointing adoption curves, Moskowitz wrote in a note.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
IIM Placements 2010-11
Final placements are over at most of the IIMs, bringing relief to scores of students some of who went through a month-long process to get job offers. The number of offers has gone up from last year with an increase in average salary. If IIM-Kozhikode saw the total number of offers go up to 305 from 265 last year (the number of offers per company rose to 3.37 from 2.66 in 2010) IIM-Calcutta saw slot zero offers going up to 139 from last year's 90.
Similarly, IIM Indore, which wrapped up its placements last month, saw number of offers increase to 241 this year, from 235 in the previous year.
Institutes say it's the overall buoyancy in the Indian economic scenario that has pushed up the number of offers this year. "It's not only that jobs have increased in huge numbers across the industry, but within the industry, some sectors are doing better than others. Sectors that expect to grow faster in the coming years are hiring more people. Similarly, some companies that have aggressive expansion plans in the coming fiscal have in large numbers from the institutes. This has pushed up the overall job offers at the institute," said IIM-C placements chairman Prof Amit Dhiman.
His claims are supported by the latest findings of some job surveys. The Indian economy is likely to create a large number of jobs this year, as reflected in a study by HR solutions firm Manpower. The employments outlook for the April-June period revealed one of the strongest intent to hire among Indian employers. According to the survey, more than 50% of the employers expect an increase in their employee headcount in the coming quarter, as compared to 36% during the same period last year.
Similarly, IIM Indore, which wrapped up its placements last month, saw number of offers increase to 241 this year, from 235 in the previous year.
Institutes say it's the overall buoyancy in the Indian economic scenario that has pushed up the number of offers this year. "It's not only that jobs have increased in huge numbers across the industry, but within the industry, some sectors are doing better than others. Sectors that expect to grow faster in the coming years are hiring more people. Similarly, some companies that have aggressive expansion plans in the coming fiscal have in large numbers from the institutes. This has pushed up the overall job offers at the institute," said IIM-C placements chairman Prof Amit Dhiman.
His claims are supported by the latest findings of some job surveys. The Indian economy is likely to create a large number of jobs this year, as reflected in a study by HR solutions firm Manpower. The employments outlook for the April-June period revealed one of the strongest intent to hire among Indian employers. According to the survey, more than 50% of the employers expect an increase in their employee headcount in the coming quarter, as compared to 36% during the same period last year.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Quake in Japan kills 1000 so far
A devastating tsunami triggered by the biggest earthquake on record in Japan killed at least 1,000 people along the northeastern coast on Friday after a wall of water swept away everything in its path.
Thousands of residents were evacuated from an area around a nuclear plant north of Tokyo after fears of a radiation leak, but officials said problems with the reactor's cooling system were not at a critical level.
Underscoring grave concerns about the plant, the U.S. air force delivered coolant to the facility, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
The unfolding disaster in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and 10-metre (33-feet) high tsunami prompted offers of help from dozens of countries.
China said rescuers were ready to help with quake relief while President Barack Obama told Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan the United State would assist in any way.
Stunning TV footage showed a muddy torrent of water carrying cars and wrecked homes at high speed across farmland near the coastal city of Sendai, home to one million people and which lies 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Ships had been flung onto a harbour wharf, where they lay helplessly on their side.
Japanese politicians pushed for an emergency budget to fund relief efforts after Kan asked them to "save the country", Kyodo news agency reported. Japan is already the most heavily indebted major economy in the world, meaning any funding efforts would be closely scrutinised by financial markets.
Domestic media said the death toll was expected to exceed 1,000, most of whom appeared to have drowned.
The extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of coastline suggested the death toll could rise significantly.
Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific but were later lifted for some of the most populated countries in the region, including Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand.
Even in a nation accustomed to earthquakes, the devastation was shocking.
"A big area of Sendai city near the coast, is flooded. We are hearing that people who were evacuated are stranded," said Rie Sugimoto , a reporter for NHK television in Sendai.
"About 140 people, including children, were rushed to an elementary school and are on the rooftop but they are surrounded by water and have nowhere else to go."
The quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, sparked at least 80 fires in cities and towns along the coast, Kyodo said.
Other Japanese nuclear power plants and oil refineries were shut down and one refinery was ablaze. Television footage showed an intense fire in the waterfront area near Sendai. There were also reports that an irrigation dam had broken and swept away houses in Fukushima prefecture.
Thousands of residents were evacuated from an area around a nuclear plant north of Tokyo after fears of a radiation leak, but officials said problems with the reactor's cooling system were not at a critical level.
Underscoring grave concerns about the plant, the U.S. air force delivered coolant to the facility, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
The unfolding disaster in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and 10-metre (33-feet) high tsunami prompted offers of help from dozens of countries.
China said rescuers were ready to help with quake relief while President Barack Obama told Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan the United State would assist in any way.
Stunning TV footage showed a muddy torrent of water carrying cars and wrecked homes at high speed across farmland near the coastal city of Sendai, home to one million people and which lies 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Ships had been flung onto a harbour wharf, where they lay helplessly on their side.
Japanese politicians pushed for an emergency budget to fund relief efforts after Kan asked them to "save the country", Kyodo news agency reported. Japan is already the most heavily indebted major economy in the world, meaning any funding efforts would be closely scrutinised by financial markets.
Domestic media said the death toll was expected to exceed 1,000, most of whom appeared to have drowned.
The extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of coastline suggested the death toll could rise significantly.
Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific but were later lifted for some of the most populated countries in the region, including Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand.
Even in a nation accustomed to earthquakes, the devastation was shocking.
"A big area of Sendai city near the coast, is flooded. We are hearing that people who were evacuated are stranded," said Rie Sugimoto , a reporter for NHK television in Sendai.
"About 140 people, including children, were rushed to an elementary school and are on the rooftop but they are surrounded by water and have nowhere else to go."
The quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, sparked at least 80 fires in cities and towns along the coast, Kyodo said.
Other Japanese nuclear power plants and oil refineries were shut down and one refinery was ablaze. Television footage showed an intense fire in the waterfront area near Sendai. There were also reports that an irrigation dam had broken and swept away houses in Fukushima prefecture.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Youngest CEO in the world from India
Meet 14-year-old Sindhuja Rajaraman, the CEO of Seppan, a Chennai-based animation company launched only in October last. And we’re not kidding. A ninth-standard student, she was adjudged the fastest 2D and 3D animator by software lobby Nasscom at the Gaming and Animation Conclave 2010 at Hyderabad. Interestingly, she is also a brand envoy of design software major Corel Software .
As head of this nascent firm, today she may give tough competition to some of the top CEOs when it comes to taking business decisions, that too quickly. But where did she start?
“It all started five years back when I wanted to take my mind off studies and do something new. My father, who is a cartoonist, instilled in me the passion to do animation and taught me the entire process,” she says. “I have tried my luck with animation even before I started learning it prossfessionally. I did my first mini animation project when I was in sixth standard. It was on ‘do not disturb animals’,” she recalls.
Early Months
After a few amateur moves last year, Sindhuja made a Guinness Book record attempt for the fastest animation film. The project was for Exnora, a Chennai-based non-profit organisation, to mark the occasion of 10-10-2010. “I created a three-minute animation film in 10 hours. It has gone to the Guinness team and I’m still waiting for them to announce the final results,” she says proudly.
Things started rolling right after that when Sindhuja was offered by First Planet to work as Seppan’s chief executive. With an investment of Rs 10 lakh, First Planet seeded the firm and the entire thing happened within a day. “I did not even know what a CEO meant that time,” she says. And in a shirt span, she is handling three projects – Virtual Street, Garbo.in and First Planet.
The Virtual Street project is about Thyagaraj Nagar, the shopping hub of Chennai where Seppan plans to showcase the entire area through animation while Garbo.in is a job for a Chennai based NGO to promote waste segregation methods.
The third project is for her parent company. “It is a small animation film for freshers who want to join a new company. The film would speak about company etiquette and other things that a fresher should know,” she noted.
source: Economic Times
Ferrari in India......swoosh
The first showroom will start in Delhi shortly followed by Mumbai in the second half of this year.
"We will be looking at pan India presence in the long term, but initial sales will begin only in Delhi and Mumbai. We would be incurring an expenditure of $27 million for establishing dealers and service network in India. We don't have any sales projection for the Indian market, but are looking at gaining leadership position in the sports car segment," said Ashish Chordia, Chairman of Shreyans Group.
The new entity will have an independent operations in India and will not be associated with parents other subsidiary, Fiat Auto India that makes and sells popular cars like Punto hatchback and Linea sedan in the domestic market. Ferrari will compete with the likes of other super sports cars like Lamborghini that is part of the Volkswagen Group and is also sold independently in the Indian market.
"We will be looking at pan India presence in the long term, but initial sales will begin only in Delhi and Mumbai. We would be incurring an expenditure of $27 million for establishing dealers and service network in India. We don't have any sales projection for the Indian market, but are looking at gaining leadership position in the sports car segment," said Ashish Chordia, Chairman of Shreyans Group.
The new entity will have an independent operations in India and will not be associated with parents other subsidiary, Fiat Auto India that makes and sells popular cars like Punto hatchback and Linea sedan in the domestic market. Ferrari will compete with the likes of other super sports cars like Lamborghini that is part of the Volkswagen Group and is also sold independently in the Indian market.
First Dentist visit in US of A
I took an appointment over phone and not to my surprise all Saturdays were booked for next 6 months. The prime timings on week days were also booked for 3-4 months. Just as a savior I got a Tuesday afternoon appointment. I knew that it looked unprofessional to skip office half a day. But I would be left with no other choice.
I was just asked about my Dental Insurance number and I was all set for a Periodental Clean up. The nurse called me and took some 15-20 X-rays from every angle. The equipments were really sophisticated.
Basically it involves cleaning gums. She also polished the intersection of teeth and gums. It did bleed a lot. But I did need that since its been more than 3 years I haven't been to a dentist.
Also that I had a lot of stains, brown colored, which she said was due to intake of decaf. Some of the stains went off due to polishing. The cream colored shaded enamel on the bottom of most teeth, was she said due to some natural pigmentation.
All my other teeth were good besides 1 root canal, which she persuaded a lot to re do it from her, typical sales trick. She was almost about to book a time for that for me. But thanks to a typical US dentist schedule, there was no appointment for that till May.
Finally, while leaving she gave me a tooth brush set with floss.
Since my dental insurance, for which I pay every fortnight, covers gums cleaning every 3 months and teeth polishing every 6 months. I am sure to schedule another sitting in Sept.
I also have vision coverage and I can go for eye checkup every 6 months. Now the next plan is to get my eyes done.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Subway takes over MC Donalds
Move over, Mickey D's, and bring Ronald McDonald with you -- there's a new fast food king in town.
Subway has surpassed McDonald's to become the world's largest restaurant chain in terms of units, the sandwich company confirmed Monday.
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Subway had 33,749 restaurants around the globe at the end of 2010, said company spokesman Les Winograd. McDonald's had 32,737 at year end, according to a February regulatory filing from the burger giant.
"Last year was actually pretty average for us, growth-wise," Winograd said. "We aim to open between 1,000 and 2,000 locations globally each year."
As of Monday, Subway has 34,218 locations globally -- all of which are owned by franchisees.
About half of the company's unit growth is overseas, Winograd said. Subway now has more than 1,000 locations in Asia, and it just opened its first store in Vietnam. Other high-growth nations include Brazil, Mexico, India, China, Russia and France.
"A lot of our growth has been in non-traditional spaces that our competitors might not touch," Winograd said. "We have really unique ones, like on a riverboat in Germany, a church in Buffalo, car dealers, bowling alleys and casinos. We're not just in strip malls."
Fast food as a whole has gotten a boost from the recession -- even in unexpected demographics. Last month, an American Express survey showed quick service restaurants saw a bigger rise in spending by ultra-affluent consumers than any other restaurant type last year.
McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"It's a feeling of accomplishment, for sure," Winograd said. "But we didn't set out to surpass anyone in particular.
Source: CNN Money
Subway has surpassed McDonald's to become the world's largest restaurant chain in terms of units, the sandwich company confirmed Monday.
0
EmailPrint
Subway had 33,749 restaurants around the globe at the end of 2010, said company spokesman Les Winograd. McDonald's had 32,737 at year end, according to a February regulatory filing from the burger giant.
"Last year was actually pretty average for us, growth-wise," Winograd said. "We aim to open between 1,000 and 2,000 locations globally each year."
As of Monday, Subway has 34,218 locations globally -- all of which are owned by franchisees.
About half of the company's unit growth is overseas, Winograd said. Subway now has more than 1,000 locations in Asia, and it just opened its first store in Vietnam. Other high-growth nations include Brazil, Mexico, India, China, Russia and France.
"A lot of our growth has been in non-traditional spaces that our competitors might not touch," Winograd said. "We have really unique ones, like on a riverboat in Germany, a church in Buffalo, car dealers, bowling alleys and casinos. We're not just in strip malls."
Fast food as a whole has gotten a boost from the recession -- even in unexpected demographics. Last month, an American Express survey showed quick service restaurants saw a bigger rise in spending by ultra-affluent consumers than any other restaurant type last year.
McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"It's a feeling of accomplishment, for sure," Winograd said. "But we didn't set out to surpass anyone in particular.
Source: CNN Money
TCS will hire 50000 in 2012
Tata Consultancy Service (TCS), India's top software services exporter, is seeing good demand for outsourcing services across sectors and expects client spends to be better in fiscal 2012, its chief executive said.
N Chandrasekaran , who is also the managing director of TCS, said IT outsourcing demand in Europe was recovering but was "slightly behind the curve", while outlook for North America, its largest exports market, remained strong.
"What I see on the ground is the spend is increasing. Fiscal 2012 will be a better year...better for growth," Chandrasekaran told reporters on Monday, adding he expected pricing to move up as demand for outsourcing increases.
TCS, whose clients include Citigroup and General Electric, has not seen any business impact from the unrest in Middle East and North Africa, he said.
Chandrasekaran also said the company would recruit as many or slightly less than about 50,000 it hired last year.
In January, TCS posted a market beating 30-percent rise in quarterly profit as it saw the highest client additions in seven quarters.
Demand for services offered by TCS and rivals Infosys and Wipro are seen rising, but a firmer rupee, rising wages, macroeconomic uncertainties and intensifying competition from global firms such as IBM and Accenture are key risks for the sector.
Last month, TCS said it expects to garner $1 billion revenue over five years by providing technology solutions to small-and-medium business units, an area where its revenue now is 'practically negligible.'
Source: Economic Times
N Chandrasekaran , who is also the managing director of TCS, said IT outsourcing demand in Europe was recovering but was "slightly behind the curve", while outlook for North America, its largest exports market, remained strong.
"What I see on the ground is the spend is increasing. Fiscal 2012 will be a better year...better for growth," Chandrasekaran told reporters on Monday, adding he expected pricing to move up as demand for outsourcing increases.
TCS, whose clients include Citigroup and General Electric, has not seen any business impact from the unrest in Middle East and North Africa, he said.
Chandrasekaran also said the company would recruit as many or slightly less than about 50,000 it hired last year.
In January, TCS posted a market beating 30-percent rise in quarterly profit as it saw the highest client additions in seven quarters.
Demand for services offered by TCS and rivals Infosys and Wipro are seen rising, but a firmer rupee, rising wages, macroeconomic uncertainties and intensifying competition from global firms such as IBM and Accenture are key risks for the sector.
Last month, TCS said it expects to garner $1 billion revenue over five years by providing technology solutions to small-and-medium business units, an area where its revenue now is 'practically negligible.'
Source: Economic Times
Looks whos the Richest person in the world
Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak , reportedly ailing with cancer may be the richest man in the world, with his wealth estimated to be a staggering $70 billion.
Mubarak's wealth comes from offshore accounts deposited in secret bank accounts or invested in luxury homes and hotels, according to 'The Guardian'.
The British claimed that in over 30 years of presidency, the former Egyptian president had access to investment deals that over time have generated huge profits. Most of these gains, according to the newspaper, were taken offshore.
Mubarak owned properties in Manhattan and Beverly Hills , while much of the money was kept in banks in England and Switzerland, reported earlier by the Al Khabar newspaper.
Christopher Davidson, a professor of political science at Durham University, said that Mubarak has managed to gather wealth through a series of business partnerships with various foreign investors and companies with whom he was closely connected since the military stage.
The 70 billion dollars would put Mubarak comfortably ahead of Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim , who is worth about $53.5 billion, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates , with $53 billion
Mubarak's wealth comes from offshore accounts deposited in secret bank accounts or invested in luxury homes and hotels, according to 'The Guardian'.
The British claimed that in over 30 years of presidency, the former Egyptian president had access to investment deals that over time have generated huge profits. Most of these gains, according to the newspaper, were taken offshore.
Mubarak owned properties in Manhattan and Beverly Hills , while much of the money was kept in banks in England and Switzerland, reported earlier by the Al Khabar newspaper.
Christopher Davidson, a professor of political science at Durham University, said that Mubarak has managed to gather wealth through a series of business partnerships with various foreign investors and companies with whom he was closely connected since the military stage.
The 70 billion dollars would put Mubarak comfortably ahead of Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim , who is worth about $53.5 billion, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates , with $53 billion
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Awesome Financial Rules
Investing Thumb Rules
1. The 10, 5, 3 Rule: This is a neat little rule that states that you can expect returns of 10% from equities, 5% from bonds and 3% on liquid cash and cash-like accounts.
2. The Emergency Fund Rule: Put away at least 3-6 months worth of expenses in a liquid savings account to ensure it is available at short notice.
3. 4% Withdrawal Rule: How much should I withdraw during retirement? We often use the 4% rule to protect principle and determine how much one can take from the retirement savings.
4. Rule of 72: This tells you in how much time will your money double. Divide 72 by the interest rate you are compounding your money with and you will arrive at the number of years it will take to double in value.
5. Rule of 70: This is a useful rule for predicting your future buying power. Divide 70 by the current inflation rate to know how fast will the value of your investment get reduced to half its present value. This is especially useful for retirement planning, as it affects the way you set up your monthly withdrawals. However, do remember that the inflation rate varies from time to time.
6. Pay Yourself First Rule: Right from your first salary, put away a little for your retirement. Experts say 10% of your income should go into this. It is important to increase the amount as your income rises over the years.
7. Rule of 114: Use this to estimate how long will it take to triple your money. It works the same way as the rule of 72. Divide 114 by the interest rate to know in how many years will Rs. 10,000 become Rs. 30,000.
8. 100 Minus Your Age Rule: This rule is used for asset allocation. Subtract your age from 100 to find how much your portfolio should be already located to equities.
9. Rule of 144: Similarly, this tells you in how much time will your investment quadruple in value. For instance, if the interest rate is 12%, Rs. 10,000 becomes Rs. 40,000 in 12 years.
1. The 10, 5, 3 Rule: This is a neat little rule that states that you can expect returns of 10% from equities, 5% from bonds and 3% on liquid cash and cash-like accounts.
2. The Emergency Fund Rule: Put away at least 3-6 months worth of expenses in a liquid savings account to ensure it is available at short notice.
3. 4% Withdrawal Rule: How much should I withdraw during retirement? We often use the 4% rule to protect principle and determine how much one can take from the retirement savings.
4. Rule of 72: This tells you in how much time will your money double. Divide 72 by the interest rate you are compounding your money with and you will arrive at the number of years it will take to double in value.
5. Rule of 70: This is a useful rule for predicting your future buying power. Divide 70 by the current inflation rate to know how fast will the value of your investment get reduced to half its present value. This is especially useful for retirement planning, as it affects the way you set up your monthly withdrawals. However, do remember that the inflation rate varies from time to time.
6. Pay Yourself First Rule: Right from your first salary, put away a little for your retirement. Experts say 10% of your income should go into this. It is important to increase the amount as your income rises over the years.
7. Rule of 114: Use this to estimate how long will it take to triple your money. It works the same way as the rule of 72. Divide 114 by the interest rate to know in how many years will Rs. 10,000 become Rs. 30,000.
8. 100 Minus Your Age Rule: This rule is used for asset allocation. Subtract your age from 100 to find how much your portfolio should be already located to equities.
9. Rule of 144: Similarly, this tells you in how much time will your investment quadruple in value. For instance, if the interest rate is 12%, Rs. 10,000 becomes Rs. 40,000 in 12 years.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Frugalonomcis Tip#4 Frugality a trait for Riches
If you feel shy to be frugal and think that it is not a style statement or a class statement, then check these facts.
Few of the most successful and richest people in the world have been among the most frugal ones. I do not know if there is any correlation in the two characteristics.
Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart used to stay at the cheapest room in hotels. 4 of Walton family members are among the top 15 richest people.
Azeem Premji, once the 2nd richest person, used to travel economy class.
Warren Buffet still lives in the same house since more than 4 decades.
There are many exmaples of rich and famous people living a thrift lifestyle. So do not hesitate to go that extra mile to save that extra dollar.
Few of the most successful and richest people in the world have been among the most frugal ones. I do not know if there is any correlation in the two characteristics.
Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart used to stay at the cheapest room in hotels. 4 of Walton family members are among the top 15 richest people.
Azeem Premji, once the 2nd richest person, used to travel economy class.
Warren Buffet still lives in the same house since more than 4 decades.
There are many exmaples of rich and famous people living a thrift lifestyle. So do not hesitate to go that extra mile to save that extra dollar.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Frugalonomcis Tip#3 Save money on Calls
If you are one of those who talk a lot over phone then this tip can keep your calling costs low.
a. Go for a family plan with a few more people in it. This will keep your monthly billing share low.
b. If you are at home call using VOIP callers like Google Talk or www.icall.com or www.mediaringtalk.com They can give you the same flawless voice quality.
c. Take a smart phone, usually smart phones are not expensive. Install a VOIP app,which is usually free. Again you can get same good quality from that.
d. Never buy a text messaging plan. You can get texting app which gives you a number to receive texts. Also that there are few websites where you can text for free.
e. If you are getting unknown texts which you have to pay for, then Call the call center and close the service to receive texts.
f. For international calling: There are a few sites which allow free international calls, in return you have to listen to an add.
If you follow all the above tips you can reduce your Phone charges.
a. Go for a family plan with a few more people in it. This will keep your monthly billing share low.
b. If you are at home call using VOIP callers like Google Talk or www.icall.com or www.mediaringtalk.com They can give you the same flawless voice quality.
c. Take a smart phone, usually smart phones are not expensive. Install a VOIP app,which is usually free. Again you can get same good quality from that.
d. Never buy a text messaging plan. You can get texting app which gives you a number to receive texts. Also that there are few websites where you can text for free.
e. If you are getting unknown texts which you have to pay for, then Call the call center and close the service to receive texts.
f. For international calling: There are a few sites which allow free international calls, in return you have to listen to an add.
If you follow all the above tips you can reduce your Phone charges.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The state of 2 states
I was born and brought up in Mumbai, but my native place is in Gujarat. The desert like place called Kutchh in Gujarat had lots of power cuts 10 years back with water cuts and no roads. In short Mumbai was then, THE HAPPENING place to live.
Now: Power cuts, Water shortages in Mumbai where as my native place gets 24 hours electricity and water with tarred roads and malls.
According to the August 8 report of the National Council of
Applied Economic Research, the richest city in India is now Surat, ahead of Bangalore and Madras , with an average annual household income of Rs 0.45 million (over $11,000 per year).
80 per cent of all diamonds sold anywhere in the world are polished in Surat 's 10,000 diamond units.
Between 2004-5 and 2007-8 Surat 's middle class doubled in size and its poor class reduced by a third.
The fifth richest city in India is now Amdavaad , ahead of Bombay and Delhi , and miles ahead of Calcutta .
The percentage of man-days lost in Gujarat due to labor unrest is 0.42 per cent, the lowest in India .
Of Gujarat 's 18,048 villages, 17,940 have electricity. Under Chief Minister Modi, the face of industrial Gujarat is changing.
The world's largest oil refinery is coming up in Jamnagar . Owned by Reliance, it already refines 660,000 barrels of oil a day and will double that this year.
Thirty per cent of India 's cotton is grown in Gujarat, 40 per cent of India 's art-silk is manufactured in Surat , employing 0.7 million people.
The world's third largest denim manufacturer is Amdavaad's Arvind Mills.
A KPMG report says 40 per cent of India 's pharmacy industry is based in Gujarat with companies like Torrent, Zydus Cadila,Alembic, Dishman and Sun Pharma.
The state of Gujarat's GDP has been growing at 12 per cent a year for the last 12 years, as fast as China 's.
Now: Power cuts, Water shortages in Mumbai where as my native place gets 24 hours electricity and water with tarred roads and malls.
According to the August 8 report of the National Council of
Applied Economic Research, the richest city in India is now Surat, ahead of Bangalore and Madras , with an average annual household income of Rs 0.45 million (over $11,000 per year).
80 per cent of all diamonds sold anywhere in the world are polished in Surat 's 10,000 diamond units.
Between 2004-5 and 2007-8 Surat 's middle class doubled in size and its poor class reduced by a third.
The fifth richest city in India is now Amdavaad , ahead of Bombay and Delhi , and miles ahead of Calcutta .
The percentage of man-days lost in Gujarat due to labor unrest is 0.42 per cent, the lowest in India .
Of Gujarat 's 18,048 villages, 17,940 have electricity. Under Chief Minister Modi, the face of industrial Gujarat is changing.
The world's largest oil refinery is coming up in Jamnagar . Owned by Reliance, it already refines 660,000 barrels of oil a day and will double that this year.
Thirty per cent of India 's cotton is grown in Gujarat, 40 per cent of India 's art-silk is manufactured in Surat , employing 0.7 million people.
The world's third largest denim manufacturer is Amdavaad's Arvind Mills.
A KPMG report says 40 per cent of India 's pharmacy industry is based in Gujarat with companies like Torrent, Zydus Cadila,Alembic, Dishman and Sun Pharma.
The state of Gujarat's GDP has been growing at 12 per cent a year for the last 12 years, as fast as China 's.
Neither Adam and Eve nor Newton could have though so
In 2007 when Apple launched a phone, many questioned the prospects of it.
But today it has sold more than 100 million Iphones
More than 200 million iTunes Store accounts exist — Apple believes that they may have the most accounts with credit cards anywhere online.
$2 billion cumulative has been paid to developers in the App Store.
100 million books have been downloaded from iBooks
15 million iPads were sold in the first 9 months of release
and I am a proud owner of Iphone4 and hope to get Ipad soon........
But today it has sold more than 100 million Iphones
More than 200 million iTunes Store accounts exist — Apple believes that they may have the most accounts with credit cards anywhere online.
$2 billion cumulative has been paid to developers in the App Store.
100 million books have been downloaded from iBooks
15 million iPads were sold in the first 9 months of release
and I am a proud owner of Iphone4 and hope to get Ipad soon........
Frugalonomcis Tip#2
In this exercise, I will give tons of examples as to how to save money and tons of examples to earn money. Kindly feel free to comment or critique. Also add some of your own examples which can help others.
Always have some money earning interest. You will be amazed at the power of Compound Interest. Albert Einstein called Compound Interest as the best thing which can happen to mankind.
If you save some money on regular basis make it a point that you put some money aside regularly to be put on interest.
Do not wait for some big sum of money to be accumulated, start earning interest on whatever sum of money you have.
The converse is absolutely true. If you have any liability or debts on which you are paying interest, then try to get rid of it as soon as possible.
If you ask me, whether which to go for. I would say first clear off your debts and then start putting money on interest. Simple reason, you might be definitely paying more % interest than you would earn by depositing.
Always have some money earning interest. You will be amazed at the power of Compound Interest. Albert Einstein called Compound Interest as the best thing which can happen to mankind.
If you save some money on regular basis make it a point that you put some money aside regularly to be put on interest.
Do not wait for some big sum of money to be accumulated, start earning interest on whatever sum of money you have.
The converse is absolutely true. If you have any liability or debts on which you are paying interest, then try to get rid of it as soon as possible.
If you ask me, whether which to go for. I would say first clear off your debts and then start putting money on interest. Simple reason, you might be definitely paying more % interest than you would earn by depositing.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Learn how to earn money ....effortlessly
A Dollar saved is more than a dollar earned. Sounds strange at first but think about it.... Ask yourself, is it better to earn 1 dollar or to save a dollar?
The problem with earning an extra dollar is that, you are taxed when you earn, you are taxed when you spend and you are taxed if you put that money in any savings instrument.
So its proved that its better to save money.
The best time to start saving money is now ...exact this moment...remember if you 'fail to plan' then you 'plan to fail'.
I have started this blog and will post regularly.
The problem with earning an extra dollar is that, you are taxed when you earn, you are taxed when you spend and you are taxed if you put that money in any savings instrument.
So its proved that its better to save money.
The best time to start saving money is now ...exact this moment...remember if you 'fail to plan' then you 'plan to fail'.
I have started this blog and will post regularly.
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