Indians are senseless when on road

This post is not to denigrate character of fellow Indians but to make them realize that there is one aspect of life where they can improve (though there are many).

There are miliions like me who travel everyday. Nobody complains if its a smooth ride but some journeys are not always pleasant. Infacts, some are never pleasant but when circumstances are unavoidable there is nothing much you can do. We always blame government or politicials for there lack of will and apathy of common man but how many of us actually realize that this is actually an issue of social responsibility. If you compare India with any developed country, the difference could be clearly seen. We are so habituated to unnecessary honking, breaking lane discipline and traffic rules and releasing poisonous gases in environment that despite knowing the implications we have shut our eyes, ears and mouth and have become shameless morons. Awareness Boards like “Silence Zone”, “Observe Lane Discipline”, “Wear Seat Belt”, ”Dont drink and Drive”, “Do not use mobile while driving” etc will just make you feel that there is a system that cares but then we need system only to spew a stream of bad words against it.  

Over the years, I have learnt that the best game Indians can play and do not require any training for is “Blame Game”. This game is part of everygame where we secure loss (while we do very often) and most importantly, it does not require any investment in terms of playing area, equipments etc.. Infact, I feel we Indians are born to rule this game. If you still don’t believe, just watch any Indian news channel and you will know why I am saying so. Just take example of what happened 2 days back in Mumbai. A pipeline that fell on a local train claimed 2 lives. The Railway minister was swift enough to announce a compensation of 5 lakh each to kins of the deceased. This might make the minister feel that Railway is so caring. But the question was whether the accident could have been avoided. Certainly, yes. The pipeline bridge should have been repaired well in time and unfortunately it didn’t happen just because there was a lack of will in both Railways and TMC (Thane Municipal Corporation). Now that they have started feeling the heat, they have started the blame game. Two lives were lost just because someone shirked his reponsibility and now an enquiry will take years just to decide whose responsibility it was. This is one incident. People die while crossing railway tracks, boarding packed trains and buses, overtaking from the wrong side and not following traffic norms.

Just hoping that someday people will realize value of others life. Though, it is foolish to expect something from others in India.

Vidarbha – a seperate state?

Maharashtra polls are just a few days away. Votes will be cast on 13th October. However, I didn’t see that many people are excited about it. The reason is simple. Both the alliances (BJP-Shivsena and Cong-NCP) are congruent to each other and could not live up to the expectations of the people of maharashtra. In India, running a govt has become a family business. If father retires, son/daughter takes the charge. Maharashtra is no exception and the leaders feel no shame about it. I just think about the party workers who word hard to make their representives win just to see that whatever they have had done has got no meaning. So, why would the workers be excited?

Everything again is centered around Mumbai. No talks of Vidarbha where situation is terrible. MNS can make hue and cry for mumbai but when it comes to vidarbha and other backward regions, it doesn’t bother them much. No wonder, everyone is a hypocrite. Maharshtra is not making progress. Only Mumbai, Pune and some parts of western maharshtra are making progress. Mumbai is getting electricity which is generated in some part of vidarbha but the irony is that the entire vidarbha is facing load-shedding and struggling for electricity. The problem is that nobody has time to gauge whats happening 800kms away from Mumbai. What is so bad in demanding a seperate state for Vidarbha? But Vidarbha is the main supplier of raw materials to other parts of maharashtra and has got two-third part of forest reserve of maharashtra. So called Leaders of maharashtra do not want to lose that. Politics in Vidarbha is very much different than in regions around Mumbai. The issues that Shivsena is fighting for have never been issues in Vidarbha and that’s why Shivsena has never been able to win many seats here.  

If Vidarbha has to make progress and generate job opputunities and solve agriculture problems, it has to do on its own. India’s agriculture minister is from maharashtra but then vidarbha is never considered a part of maharashtra when it comes to development.

Nano has arrived

Models:
Nano Base
Nano CX mid level
Nano LX top end

Cost of base model not to exceed Rs. 1,00,000 ex-factory
Safety as per Indian standards
Seating capacity of 4 persons

Engine:
All aluminium rear mounted MPFI
EMS: 32-bit microprocessor
Piston displacement: 624 cc, petrol with single balancer shaft
Drive train: rear wheel drive
Cylinder count: 2 cylinders
Valve gear: 4 valves, 2 valves per cylinder
Max power: 35 bhp@5500 rpm
Torque: 4.8 kgm@3000 rpm
Compression ratio: 9.7:1
Power to weight ratio: 0.58

Acceleration: 0-60 kmph: 8 secs
Top speed: 105 kmph

EMS electronic engine management system with “blink code mechanism” for easy repairs

Fuel cut-off for safety

Transmission:
Gearbox: 4 forward speeds, 1 reverse, all forward gears synchronised
Operation: cable operated

Transmission ratios:
1st: 3.45, shift upto 10 kmph
2nd: 1.95, shift between 20-30 kmph
3rd: 1.26, shift between 30-50 kmph
4th: 0.838, shift between 50-70 kmph
Reverse: 3.08
Suspension:
Front: Independent mcpherson strut, shock absorber
Rear: Semi trailing arm, coil spring with gas filled shock absorber

Brakes:
Front: 180 mm drum
Rear: 180 mm drum

Wheels and Tyres:
Wheels: 12″
Front tyres: 135/70 R 12 tubeless
Rear tyres: 155/65 R 12 tubeless
Spare: 1 tyre, 135/70 R 12 tubeless

Tubeless radial tyres standard on all variants

In case the front tyre punctures, you can replace it with the stepney provided.
In case of a rear tyre puncture, since there is no stepney of that tyre, Tata recommends:
Don’t go beyond 40-60 kmph in case of puncture
Get the tyre repaired ASAP
Drive carefully at sharp turns
Recommended tyre pressure:
Front: 26 psi
Rear: 28 psi

Turning radius: 4 meters

Dimensions and Weights:
Length: 3099 mm
Width: 1495 mm
Height: 1620 mm
Wheel base: 2230 mm
Ground clearance: 180 mm

Kerb weight: 600 kg
Fuel tank capacity: 15 litres
Fuel cut-off @ 5600 rpm in every gear or at 105 kmph

Fuel consumption: 23.6 kmpl

Battery: Semi sealed under the driver’s seat

Boot capacity: 80 litres
500 litres with seats folded

Features:
Nano base:
(available in BS-2 and BS-3 varients)
Seat belts: front ELR, rear static
ONLY ODOMETER
Fixed tail gate. engine opening through rear bumper
Egg shaped design
Rear mounted high mounted stop light
Centrally placed exhaust
ONLY DRIVER’S seat adjust-sliding and reclining
Fixed co driver seat
REAR FOLDING SEAT
2 spoke steering wheel
Grey bumpers and interiors
Driver side OSRVM

Nano CX:
available in BS-2 and BS-3 varients)
Adds to nano base:
ONLY ODOMETER
HVAC (air conditioner with heater)
Tinted glasses all round
DRIVER AND CO DRIVER SEAT SLIDING AND RECLINING
2 tone grey interiors and seats
Metallic paint optional

Nano LX :
(available in BS-3 varient only)
Adds to Nano CX:
Front power windows
Central locking
Front and rear fog lamps
3 spoke steering wheel
Moulded door trim with fabric
TRIPMETER AND ODOMETER
Floor console with glass holder
Anti glare inside rear view mirror (prismatic day/ night)
Sunvisors on both sides

Warrenty:
18 months or 24,000 km whichever is earlier

Service interval:
1st free: 1000 km or 1 month whichever is earlier
2nd free: 5000 km or 6 months whichever is earlier
3rd free: 10000 km or 1 year whichever is earlier

Subsequent service every 10,000 kms

Colours:
Nano base: Bright red, Ivory white, Summer blue
Nano CX:  Bright red, Ivory white, Summer blue, Champagne gold, Lunar silver
Nano LX: Champagne gold, Lunar silver, Sunshine yellow

Merchandise available at dealers:
Nano Phone
Nano Watch
Nano Caps
Nano Bags

Booking starts:
2nd week of april, forms available 7 days before the booking date is announced and forms will be available only for 14 days.

DEALERS ARE EXPECTING ABOUT 10 LAKH BOOKINGS

Booking forms will be available at: SBI,
Westside,
Croma store,
400 tata motors dealers across the country
cost of forms: Rs 200-300

Online booking also available

Expected: 90% booking from dealers

Only one form per customer (in his name) will be accepted.
No more than one form in the same customer’s name will be accepted.

NO ECS REFUND.

Booking amount: 70-80% of the car’s ex-showroom cost.

After booking closes, allotment will be done on the basis of random number lottery where the lucky customer’s name will be declared along with the name of the dealer from where he/ she can take delivery of the car along with date and time of delivery will also be specified.

(note: booking dates may change as it will be announced at the time of launch. there is no typing error and whatever facts and figures typed are 100% correct)

All the best to the nano bookers!

33 Names of Things You Never Knew had Names

1. AGLET – The plain or ornamental covering on the end of a shoelace.
2. ARMSAYE – The armhole in clothing.
3. CHANKING – Spat-out food, such as rinds or pits.
4. COLUMELLA NASI – The bottom part of the nose between the nostrils.
5. DRAGÉES – Small beadlike pieces of candy, usually silver-coloured, used for decorating cookies, cakes and sundaes.
6. FEAT – A dangling curl of hair.
7. FERRULE – The metal band on a pencil that holds the eraser in place.
8. HARP – The small metal hoop that supports a lampshade.
9. HEMIDEMISEMIQUAVER – A 64th note. (A 32nd is a demisemiquaver, and a 16th note is a semiquaver.)
10. JARNS,
11. NITTLES,
12. GRAWLIX,
13. and QUIMP – Various squiggles used to denote cussing in comic books.
14. KEEPER – The loop on a belt that keeps the end in place after it has passed through the buckle.
15. KICK or PUNT – The indentation at the bottom of some wine bottles. It gives added strength to the bottle but lessens its holding capacity.
16. LIRIPIPE – The long tail on a graduate’s academic hood.
17. MINIMUS – The little finger or toe.
18. NEF – An ornamental stand in the shape of a ship.
19. OBDORMITION – The numbness caused by pressure on a nerve; when a limb is ‘asleep’.
20. OCTOTHORPE – The symbol ‘#’ on a telephone handset. Bell Labs’ engineer Don Macpherson created the word in the 1960s by combining octo-, as in eight, with the name of one of his favourite athletes, 1912 Olympic decathlon champion Jim Thorpe.
21. OPHRYON – The space between the eyebrows on a line with the top of the eye sockets.
22. PEEN – The end of a hammer head opposite the striking face.
23. PHOSPHENES – The lights you see when you close your eyes hard. Technically the luminous impressions are due to the excitation of the retina caused by pressure on the eyeball.
24. PURLICUE – The space between the thumb and extended forefinger.
25. RASCETA – Creases on the inside of the wrist.
26. ROWEL – The revolving star on the back of a cowboy’s spurs.
27. SADDLE – The rounded part on the top of a matchbook.
28. SCROOP – The rustle of silk.
29. SNORKEL BOX – A mailbox with a protruding receiver to allow people to deposit mail without leaving their cars.
30. SPRAINTS – Otter dung.
31. TANG – The projecting prong on a tool or instrument.
32. WAMBLE – Stomach rumbling..
33. ZARF – A holder for a handleless coffee cup.

General Elections in India — The teams

Next month will mark the beginning of elections for the 15th parliament of World’s largest democracy. The elections will be held in 5 phases on April 16, April 22, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13, 2009. The heavyweights Congress and BJP (Bhartiya Janta Party) are all set to woo the vooters with their unrealistic agendas. All parties (big or small, regional or national) are busy with seat-sharing practices and making sure that they use every medium possible to reach the voters who haven’t made up their mind yet. While congress has acquired rights of the popular oscar winning song “Jai Ho”, BJP has launched websites and blogs to reach the common man and win the last round of the biggest game of Indian politics. Third front’s UNPA led by the Marxists is all set to spoil their game. BJD has already given BJP a shot in the arm by breaking the alliance. While the demographic still being not clear, whatever may be the result I think the loser will be the common man. I hope Rs 1120 crores that is budgeted for election expenses is worth the effort, though Centre for Media Studies (CMS) pegs the estimated amount to be spent on the Lok Sabha elections 2009, which would determine the next government in the country, at about Rs 10,000 crore ($2 billion). Before the match kicks off, here’s the team for you:

United Progressive Alliance (Defending Champions)

Indian National Congress (Captain)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK)
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)
People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
Republican Party of India (Athavle) (RPI)
Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF)
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC)
Indian Union Muslim League (ML)
Trinamool Congress (TMC)

National Democratic Alliance (Opponents)

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) (Captain)
Shiv Sena (SS)
Janata Dal (United) (JD-U)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)

United National Progressive Alliance (Spoilers/ Cheer Leaders)

Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) (Captain)
Communist Party of India (CPI)
Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
All India Forward Bloc (FB)
Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S)
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)
Kerala Congress (Joseph)
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)

 

Reserve Pool:

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK)
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
Praja Rajyam

How To write an Article?

If you are into blogging, or just want to write an article for a
magazine or newspaper, the Writing Resources & Tips blog at
http://writers- express.blogspot .com/ has just published two articles
on this subject. Please have a look at:

How to Write an Article? By Robert
http://writers- express.blogspot .com/2008/ 05/how-to- write-article_ 11.html

And

How to Write an Article? By Adam Nowak
http://writers- express.blogspot .com/2008/ 05/how-to- write-article. html

Also see:

The Easy Formula for Article Success By Melinda Copp
http://writers- express.blogspot .com/2008/ 05/easy-formula- for-article- success.html

And

How to Write Critical Essays By Donald Mitchel
http://writers- express.blogspot .com/2008/ 05/how-to- write-critical- essays.html

From
http://writers- express.blogspot .com/

Those who love pranks…

If you are on an airplane sitting next to someone who irritates you follow these instructions: 1.        Quietly and calmly open up your laptop case. 2.        Remove your laptop. 3.        Start up 4.        Make sure the guy who is annoying you, can see the screen. 5.        Close your eyes tilt your head up to the sky and move your lips as if praying 6.        Then run this screen.  (CLICK this )

Try guessing the look on the co-traveler’ s face

Listen Songs Online

Here is my compilation of some online songs site:

1. site by  S. Anand http://www.s-anand.net/hindi

2. Raaga http://www.raaga.com/channels/hindi/

3. Dhingana http://www.dhingana.com/

4. DekhoSuno http://www.dekhosuno.com/

45 Great Outlooks On Life

There is no secret to happiness. It’s all about how you see things coming your way. Here are some lines i think one should always keep in mind.

1.Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
 
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
 
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
 
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
 
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
 
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
 
7. Cry with someone.  It’s more healing than crying alone.
 
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
 
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
 
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
 
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
 
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry
 
13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
 
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
 
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
 
16. Take a deep breath.  It calms the mind.
 
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
 
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
 
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
 
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
 
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
 
22. Over-prepare, and then go with the flow.
 
23. Be eccentric now.  Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
 
24. The most important organ is the brain.
 
25. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.
 
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’
 
27. Always choose life.
 
28. Forgive everyone everything.
 
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
 
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
 
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
 
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
 
33. Believe in miracles.
 
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
 
35. Don’t audit life.  Show up and make the most of it now.
 
36. Growing old beats the alternative- -dying young.
 
37.. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
 
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
 
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
 
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
 
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
 
42 . No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
 
43 . Yield.
 
44 . Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
 
45 . The best is yet to come

What you MUST know about insurance

What you MUST know about insurance

Article by R A Krishna

‘All things are non-permanent and interconnected, ‘ said Gautam Buddha. In the case of financial needs too, this is true. Your needs are not the same when you are 25 as when you are 50. The common thread is that you do have financial needs at any age. If you plan well at 25, you will not need to struggle too much at 50. Choose your  well and the struggle will be minimal.

Young people today earn more at 22 than what I earned at 48, not too long ago. Even at a lower income level, you can save and create wealth for yourself by adopting a good saving habit. Nonetheless, at any level, by systematic savings and systematic investing, you can attain an asset base that would seem unbelievable to you.

The aim of the article written is with the idea of letting people know that by putting aside a certain portion of their earnings every month, they can build a tidy nest egg that would be useful for them in their twilight years.

For more information on which mutual funds are doing well consistently over a longer time horizon, check out Web sites and newspapers and take your pick from the funds based on their performance over periods ranging from 1 month to five years!

Having got all this out of the way, let me get to the main topic of this article, viz. how to get the best out of insurance. The consumer is KING and should act from a position of strength. However, there are people looking for the quickest route to your bank account and like good batsmen, to use a cricketing analogy, you have to watch out for the googlies, the flippers, the top-spinners, the slower ones, the outswingers and so on.

This should not be the case, but let’s face it, it would be a dull world without a challenge. Your challenge is to ensure that you get the best deal and show the door to those who cannot give you what you seek.

What do I mean by ‘best deal’? Is it the best price or the best policy that meets your needs. I would say, choose the person who understands your needs and gives you the product(s) that meet them.

Insurance is all about service and your agent or advisor is the only link to the company. He or she who is aware of what you want or need can help you best in the long term as most policies go for ten years or more.

Saving a few bucks on charges may make it costlier for you in the long run. To start with, please be aware of your objective in buying insurance.  The amount you need to set aside for meeting expenses related to education and marriage of children. Also the remaining part of the home loan. Unpleasant as the thought is, face up squarely to the fact that we are mortal and insurance is for meeting the unexpected.

So should something happen to the breadwinner, the family should be protected at least from financial vicissitude. Get rid of the ‘this cannot happen to me’ thought. It is precisely because it can happen to you that you buy insurance and if you love your family, you will ensure above all that they are protected.

I come back to the time when my uncle was still serving in the State Bank of India . His total insurance was just for a sum assured of Rs 200,000. And now what makes his blood run cold is the fact that he never perceived any risk! A life insurance advisor has to ensure that all who are served by him or her are always well insured. The client also has a responsibility to himself and his family to see that the sum assured is commensurate with his or her needs identified by the above process.

If your insurance agent does not even do a rudimentary need identification exercise, throw him or her out. Do this yourself and if the result scares you, call up your insurance agent who can help you to insure yourself adequately on the budget you can set aside for the purpose. As one wise person said, ‘No widow ever complained that her husband had too much insurance.’

Here are the various options:

Type of Insurance	Advantages	Downside	When to take
Term	Maximum bang for the buck, lowest cost	Premium once paid is gone forever. This is like car insurance	On a low budget when one has no insurance whatsoever and needs to get protection. Take the longest term available. Combine with whole life and ULIP for best results
Whole Life	Most flexible, especially that of Max NY Life. Allows payment for a period of 11 years or so and keeps you insured for life with growing sum assured as well as increase in cash value. Allows payment of premia from accrued bonuses and current bonus. So if you have accrued bonuses for around 5 years you can skip payment of premium for a year or two depending on amount accrued and yet stay insured	Higher cost than term. Lower returns than ULIP	Take this at an early age and stay insured for life. This can function as a pension plan as well as a legacy instrument. Has provision for increasing sum assured by way of top up. Identify your need and allow this policy to meet 50% of the sum assured. With a top up your sum assured and cash value can grow  fast. Understand all the nuances of the policy and choose the best. Work out all possibilities.
ULIP	The most popular policy.. Allows flexible investnment with a choice of funds from secure to growth. Choose from low risk and returns to high risk and high returns. Allows loan and withdrawal of units in times of need	As most of your money goes into equity or other investments, sum assured is lower. This is term insurance tacked on to a mutual fund. The capital is entirely held at your risk. Only the sum assured is guaranteed and that does not benefit you during your lifetime!	Use this as you would use a mutual fund. Allow this to be an investment vehicle and invest only such sums that are available after making secure investments. Choose a maturity of 15 years or more to get the best results. Since the risk is yours, be in touch with the market and get ready to move your money from one fund to another.
Endowment Plans	Low risk and low return.. Hard to think of any.	There are better ways to insure yourself and invest!	Good for children’s needs where a certain sum is required at the end of a certain period. Allied with a payor rider or waiver of premium, this is useful
Single Premium	OK, if you have a lumpsum and wish to put it all into insurance. My question is Why?	Beware of I tax. If the premium exceeds 20% of sum assured, the maturity proceeds will be subject to tax. Some companies have devised a policy where the sum assured is reduced so that tax would not be applicable. Bad Deal in my view, but it takes all kinds to make the world!	Stick to regular payment policies.

Now here is one thing you should understand. Insurance is not an investment. Use it for protection and be ready to pay the price. However, do not try to compare the returns with investments such as ULIPs and mutual funds, etc.

Keep your sum assured above all requirements and meet that objective first. Go for ULIP (Unit-Linked Insurance Policy) last of all. Use Term and Whole Life policies to meet most of your sum assured and the rest through ULIP.

Beware of companies that push only ULIPs. They do not have your interests at heart. Like I said earlier, get yourself insured for the sum you need to be insured inclusive of a ULIP.

IRDA regulations forbid showing illustrations which project a rate of return higher than 10% p.a. Ask your insurance agent a few awkward questions if he is showing you a rosier picture.

Investment is like a one-day cricket game. The more wickets you have in hand the more risks you can take. Insurance is like having Rahul Dravid at one end and Whole Life is like having him for all the 50 overs! You can afford to do a Sehwag or Dhoni with a large part of the rest of your money thereafter!