Economic Nationalism, raising walls of protectionist poliiicies ..

Being the world's largest economy, the actions the US leaders take,
have got repercussions in other parts of the world. In this globalised
and highly networked environment, no action will go unnoticed or
uncommented. Obama's economic stimulus plan highlights "economic
nationalism" or protectionism in its crudest form.

Obama is insisting that companies who receive federal bailout funds, cannot

1. outsource their work to companies outside US
2. federally funded public works should buy only US made Iron, steel
and manufactured good
3. federally aided banks not to hire foreign workers

Thinking like India did till twenty years back ?

How wisely it is said that "history repeats itself", men never learn
from their mistakes. Economic historians tracing events recollect the
depression of the 1930s when US Pres then, Herbert Hoover raised
duties on about 900 items, leading to the recession getting deeper,
precipitating a worldwide crisis.

Obama is keen repeating the same mistakes his predecessors did.. The
not so great policies of George Bush, partly reasonable for
precipitating the global economic crisis now, does not mean Obama also
follow similar dumb-headed attitude.. I do not recall where I read it
from, constructive destruction is the term coined for this new
process. That is what the world needs to look at now. Destruction is
happening and with it there is construction ..

Kanwal Reikhi, the venture capitalist when he visited IIT Bombay
recently was mentioning the folly of the US government in trying to
salvage US pride by sinking hundreds of billions of dollars in the
crisis ridden companies of GM, Chrysler, Citibank and BankAm, once the
pride of US innovative spirit, now the symbol of reckless greed and
poor corporate governance and ethics. These organisations are at the
declining stage of their life cycles. No amount of financial funding
and salvaging can help these dying corporations and banks, No amount
of good will is going to revive these companies.. They have outlived
their utility and need to be reborn again in a new avatar, be
innovative enough and useful to the world. The new evolutionary
process thus coming from the land of innovation, should be creative
destruction, with the US govt giving full support to it.

Constructive destruction will ensure world resources and natural
strengths and capabilities of countries are used more diligently and
efficiently. Allow each country do those things it is efficient at in
modern day activities, like US in innovation, Japan in high tech
re-engineering and high quality miniaturisation, India in textiles,
value added software development and back office operations, China in
low cost manufacturing, South East Asia in machinery, manufacturing,
Australia in iron ore mining and so on. It also ensures the most
efficient allocation and utilisation of global resources. The
resulting synergy can then be leveraged to revive the sinking world
economy.

Ensuring that creative destruction happens with the least of human
inconvenience or discomfort is the main lookout for governments, not
the blocking of the process altogether. It is inevitable and will
happen whatever and however we try to block it. a natural process one
has to go through ..

A dynamically changing world needs developing the right skills and
thought processes to leverage on the collective strengths and
weaknesses of the countries of the world, this is the only sureshot
panacea to its ills.

Mr Pascal Lamy, WTO Chief, is a much troubled man, jetsetting from
country to country trying to reason out the futility of imposing
domestic restrictions on goods and services during these times of
economic crisis.

Aware of the ills of protectionism, let us join hands in this global
endeavour. Fet world leaders stop playing to the gallery .. Let trade
and businesses cross over the barriers or narrow walls of selfish
economic interests to be globally efficient. Let us work together to
resuscitate the world to greater levels of efficiency and productivity
of operations. Only this can ensure global growth, efficient
operations and revitalise global economy in the coming years ..

george..

Manarcadu Appachan ..

St Marys Orthodox Church, Ribandar, Panjim, Goa.

st Marys Orthodox Church, Ribandar, Panjim, Goa.

Success story of a Pomegranate farmer in Solapur ...

Not being endowed with land, here is the story of VishwasRao Kachare, a tenth std dropout, 

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/02/24/stories/2009022450140800.htm 

And you thought State Bank of India was bigger than Citi Bank ??

If you were thinking so, it is the height of patriotism / nationalism
... But George Bernard Shaw once claimed that patriotism is the refuge
of the scoundrels .. Whether George Bernard Shaw was right or wrong, I
am not competent to say anything of that sort. Being nationalist is
the "in thing" today ...

But one thing I can say now is that the US President is one such
scoundrel .. as are all Americans, natural or acquired, (queer term
considering how the lure of "wealth", comfort, a globalised gene, a
less competitive, (though challenging) work environment has helped
some of them merge into the mosaic of world cultures with a tough decision of their life..)

But if you thought that SBI was bigger than CitiBank, you were
probably right .. !! SBI has at least Rs. 10,000 crores ( $ 2 - 3 billion) more  market
capitalisaton than the small Citibank ..

The irony is both are being headed by Indians.. Mr Pandit must be a
happy and contented  man that he has helped Citibank reach up to the
financial might of SBI, being headed by O P Bhat..

At $ 1.95 for citibank shares traded at the end of last week, from a high
of $ 28 in April 2008 with a peak market cap of 900,000 crores then, the
gradual erosion was on expected ;lines. The final loss of about Rs. 90,000 crores market
cap last week, to  less than Rs. 57,000 crores, compared to SBI's 67,000 crores has made it vulnerable for preying by SBI / other
Japanese Banks. This is one act which will never go well with the
misplaced pride of the Americans, natural or acquired ..

What India and Indira Gandhi thought of in 1969, the Americans and
Obama follow up after 40 sweet years..  Under one guise or the other,
the American govt is trying to help beleaguered banks, companies,
running shy of the word nationalisation.

The champions of Free Market economy will realise now who are the real
scoundrels ..

In the meantime, some Americans may be foolish enough to  think that
CitiBank is too big for acquisition, till the US govt realises that it
is bleeding excessively trying to salvage US pride.  Wait for another
three months..

And scoudrels will get respectable then !!

--
George Easaw

& and marching still... AR Rehman, a double, Malayali Pookuty ..

Wow !!

The score card for Slumdog Millionnaire is impressive.. The best film award is being awaited ??

Malayali Oscar for Poookkuty and three Indian Oscars.. Impressive...

ge..

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Arguing for an Asian model of Management Education ..

While entertaining some of the Chinese and Brazilian B-School Professors who were in our Institute over the past two weeks, a couple of statements were made by them leaving us to arrive at a conclusion. The statements were like this :

Statement I : The top twenty Business Organisations in the world are managed by managers trained at the top ten B-Schools in the world.

Statement II : Most of these top twenty organisations are presently in utter doldrums..

What is the natural conclusion we can arrive at from the two statements ?

Whether it is by deduction or induction, it questions the systems of management education in the West, which is causing large organisations of the world to come crashing.

This was a major point made out by the Professors from some of the top Bschools in the BRICS countries when they recently met at the Xavier Institute of Management and En'ship in Bangalore, India during the last week of January 2009. The time has come to think loud about the adoption and acceptance of the very nascent Asian system of management education.

The management education in Asia has been copied to a large extent from the west with minor variation for contextual alignment to suit the societal changes required of the advances of the Industrial Revolution in the West. That does not mean it is implemented blindly without any adjustments to go with the ethos of the adopting Asian country. Writers like Charu Rangnekar has written extensively on the lighter side of life, about the specialities of the Indian style of Management.

The traditional knowledge, practices and customs which have merged or morphed into modern Indian Management styles have found itself in systems of management education being taught at Bschools and practiced in organisations in Indian and China.

It is this modified Asianised version of management education that has withstood the test of time during the past three four years, the test of simple greed, excessive speculation and ethical vaccuum.

Actions of organisations and managers in China and India have been value based from the traditions and customs in place for thousands of years. Concern for the fellow human beings has been among the most over-riding factors in these countries. Though globalisation has ensured that the ill-effects of the economic slowdown has not spared other countries of the world, the constant reminders of the political leaders in India not to cut jobs, but instead cut pay, is a stark reminder of the concerns of the society of any social unrest from such actions. Herein lies the difference why the present economic slowdown has had less severe impact on the India and Chinese economies.

We find in the US, greedy CEOs and top managers running away with bonuses and hefty pay packets when their organisations are bleeding and employees are being laid off. We should remember that the same company without any remorse is begging and borrowing public tax money money from the government. A clear case of "privatising profits and socialising losses", to quote from The Econpomist. Though I do not wish to go into the merits or otherwise of the political systems in place in these countries, it is the lack of ethics and values in day-to-day dealings of the managers trained at the top B-schools and the organisations they represent, which have resulted in this sad and shameful state of affairs presently.

This apparent value-less management education system needs to change, if the West needs to catch up with the rest of the world.

Can the Asian model of business education be an able and viable alternative to take the country into the new age of prosperity and inclusive growth ??

Let us think loud. Comments and suggestions are welcome..

Dr George Easaw
XIME, Bangalore.

Jim Reeves, two of his best numbers..

From the greatest singer of all time, Jim Reeves !!

Adios Amigo ... (notice the gentle smile on his face ..)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucvcoWMFmW8&feature=related

This world is not my home ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ndMZqT6i4I&feature=related

jokutty ...

Management's letter to employees, in this time of recession ..

Bangalore,
20 Feb 2009,

Letter from Management to Workers ....

Dear Employees,

Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown of economy, Management has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 40 years of age and above on early retirement. This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early).

Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to management to be eligible for the SHAFT scheme (Special Help After Forced Termination) .

Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW programme (Scheme Covering Retired Early Workers). A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as Management deems appropriate.

Persons who have been RAPED can only get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependants & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance).

Obviously persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by Management.

Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Management has always prided itself on the amount of SHIT it gives employees.

Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring to the attention of your Supervisor. They have been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.

Sincerely,
The Management

Video of the new 7 Bishops of Indian Orthodox Chuirch, ordination cermony at Parumala ..

http://icon.org.in/php/playVideo.php?id=SevenBishopsConsecration

Seven new bishps of Indian Orthodox Church, ordained at Parumala, 19 Feb 09 ..

HH Catholicos with the new Bishops

Seven Bishops Consecrated by H.H. Baselios Marthoma Didymus I

His Holiness Baselius Marthoma Didymus I consecrated seven new bishops today (February 19., 2009) at St. George Orthodox Church, Puthupally, the Oriental Georgian pilgrim centre of The East. HH was assisted by H.B Paulose Mar Milithios, Catholicate designate and all the other bishops. The new bishops are H.G. Yuhanon Mar Polycarpos, H.G. Mathews Mar Theodosius, H.G. Joseph Mar Dionysius, H.G. Abraham Mar Epiphanios, H.G. Mathews Mar Themothios, H.G. Alexios Mar Eusebios and H.G. Yuhanon Mar Dioscoros. Post your wishes

Play Video>>

H.G. Yuhanon Mar Dioscoros

H.G. Yuhanon Mar Dioscoros, 43, belongs to the Kallarackal Kaleelil family of Kundara, Thiruvananthapuram diocese, and is the son of  P T Mathunny Panicker & Late Mrs. Kunjamma Panicker. His parent parish is St. Thomas Orthodox Valiyapally, Kundara. He obtained his B.Sc degree  from Kerala University(1984), theological diploma (GST) from Orthodox Seminary, Kottayam, Bachelor of Divinity (B.D) from Serampore University (1988), and Master of Theology (1991) and Doctor of Theology (1995) from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. He also holds a certificate in Pastoral Counselling from Glasgow University, Scotland (1997). He was ordained to the Holy priesthood by the late H.G. Geevarghese Mar Dioscorus. Achen, whose resume reflects his multifaceted personality, is now the Professor and Dean of Studies at the Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam. He is the author of five books.

Profile and Interview >>

H.G. Alexios Mar Eusebios

H.G. Alexios Mar Eusebios, 43, is a member of St. George Orthodox Church, Puthoor, Kollam diocese. He hails from Vattakkattu family, Puthoor, and is the fourth son of late. Y. Daniel and.Chinnamma Daniel. He has completed his B.Sc (Kerala University), LL.B (Bangalore University), GST (Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam), BD (Serampore University), M.Th (St. Peter's Pontifical Institute of Theology, Bangalore), Diploma in Biblical Geography (Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Jerusalem) and Research Study in Old Testament (Federich Alexander University Germany). Achen is currently pursuing Doctoral Research in the Old Testament at the St. Peter's Pontifical Institute of Theology, Bangalore. In 1995, H. H Baselious Mathews II ordained him to the priesthood. With an impressive resume and a string of achievements, Rev. Fr. Alex Daniel is now a faculty for the Old Testament at the St. Thomas Orthodox Theological Seminary, Nagpur. He is the author of one book in Malayalam.

Profile and Interview >>

H.G. Joseph Mar Dionysius

H.G. Joseph Mar Dionysius, 52, hails from the Thekkil Kandathil family of Valanjavattom, Thiruvalla, and is the youngest son of late T.V.Mathai and Annamma Mathai. His home parish is St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Valanjavattom of the Niranam Diocese. He was barely 16 years of age when he accepted membership in the Society of Sacred Transfiguration, Mount Tabor Dayara, Pathanapuram, from the late lamented Thoma Mar Dionysius Metropolitan. H.G. Joseph Mar Dionysius graduated from Madras University in 1979 and took his post-graduation (1981) in science with first class and first rank. He took his M. Phil in 1988 and Ph. D in 1995 from the Kerala University. He also has a B. D. from the Serampore University. The certificate in Advanced Christian leadership from the Haggai International Institute, Singapore, burnishes his resume further. H.G. Joseph Mar Dionysius was ordained to the priesthood in 1995 by His Grace Thomas Mar Thimotheos Metropolitan (the present Catholicos). Currently, achen is the secretary, St. Thomas Orthodox Clergy Association, Diocese of Thumpamon, and director, Zoology Research Centre, St. Stephens College, Pathanapuram. His most popular work is 'Paristhithy Adyatemeekata' (Environmental Spirituality).

Profile and Interview >>

H.G. Mathews Mar Themothios

H.G. Mathews Mar Themothios, 45, belongs to Painuvilla Puthenveedu House, Mavelikara Diocese, and is the son of P J Baby and Thankamma Baby. His home parish is St.Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Puthiyacavu, Mavelikara. He took his B. Sc degree from Bishop Moor College, Mavelikara, G.S.T. from Orthodox Seminary, Kottayam, and B.D and M Th from Serampore College, Kolkata. He took his licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, and his doctoral degree from the Pontificia Studiorum Universitas, Rome. He also took a diploma in Biblical Archeology from the Pontifical Institute, Jerusalem. This multilingual scholar is currently faculty member and registrar at the Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam. Noteworthy among his works is an exegetical study of Psalm 24, which was published in Rome.

Profile and Interview >>

H.G. Mathews Mar Theodosius

H.G. Mathews Mar Theodosius was born on September 15, 1955, as the eldest son of Mr. P. M. George and Mrs. Aleyamma George, Punchayil Veedu, Pandankary, Edathua (Niranam Diocese). His GST and BD degrees are from the Orthodox Theological Seminary Kottayam. This educationist who was at one time the principal of St John's Higher Secondary School, Kunnamkulam, has a BEd from Sardar Patel University and a post-graduate degree in History. He was ordained priest on April 27, 1982, by the late lamented H.G. Joseph Mar Pachomios Metropolitan. A member of the Order of Imitation of Christ (OIC), Bethany, since age 16, he became the monastery's superior in 1996 and was serving thus at the time of his election. He was professed a Ramban at Parumala on December 4, 2008.

Profile >>

H.G. Yuhanon Mar Polycarpos

H.G. Yuhanon Mar Polycarpos was born on November 30, 1954, to Mr. Zachariah and Mrs. Annamma, Parakunnil House,Panniamkkara P.O, Vadakkancherry, Palakkad. He has his G.S.T. (1978) and B. D. (1979) from the Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam,a certificate course from Bossey Institute of WCCA, Geneva (1999-2000), and a certificate course in counseling from the Indian Christian Medical Association of India, Shillong. He was ordained priest by late lamented H.G.Yuhannon Mar Severios (in 1980) and was professed Ramban by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymus I (in 2006). When elected by the Malankara Association in September, he was serving as the manager of the Vettickal Dayro.

Profile >>

H.G. Abraham Mar Epiphanios

H.G. Abraham Mar Epiphanios hails from Thekkemala, Kozhenchery. Born in 1960 as the son of Mr.V.A. Oommen and Mrs. Gracy Oommen, the Ramban (then Abraham Oommen)was educated at Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, Old Seminary Kottayam and Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Madras (B.A, B.D and M.Th respectively). Ordained as a priest on May 21, 1987, he accepted the vows of monasticism and was professed Ramban on March 31, 2002. The Ramban was serving as the manager of Devalokam Aramana when the Malankara Association elected him as a bishop-designate.

Xavier Inst of Management and En'ship,
Bangalore, 560100, India.
0091-(080)-28528597 (o) / 32467964 (r) / 09742046184

Two Co2 observatories in space Carbon accountants ....

The satellites released by Japanese Space Exploration Agency JAXA's "Ibuki " (meaning breath) and Nasa's OCO (Orbiting Carbon Observatory) respectively, are the first in the worl sent to observe the Co2 emissions and the resulting warming of the earth. It will be a big boost to understand what constitutes the greatest contributors to Co2 pollution and Co2 absorbers or sinks in the atmosphere.

The ever increasing levels of C02 in the atmosphere from 280 ppm (pre-industrial revolution) to the present day 370 ppm may have been caused as much by human actiions as due to the forest fires or volcanic eruptions and may have been absorbed by the ever green forests of Amazon, Canada and Siberia and the oceans over thousands of years.

These Carbon accountants in space will help keep a tab on the industries or natural actions most polluting the earth's atmosphere and will be able to assess the contributions of the Carbon credits programme.

Credits to Economist, 20 Feb 2009.

Lalu Yadav brings in cheer for the contry and Railways yet again ..

The master management guru Lalu Yadav, has once again demonstrated to
the world, what an able and effective manager he is ..

The past year he has generated cash surplus of Rs 19,000 crores plus
for the Railways and during his whole tenure in the Ralways, he has
given back the country as much as Rs 90,000 crores. An impossible
feat, anywhere in the world to replicate, which will be very difficult
for his political adversaries to digest and appreciate .. Even during
the past year when the whole industry was under pressure of recession,
the Railways has outperformed itself.

Keeping in perspective the findings of the Rakesh Committee under
Nitish Kumar as Railway Minister in 2001, which wanted the government
to pump in Rs 65,000 crores during the next ten years to keep the
Railways running, this superlative performance by Lalu Yadav and his
team from the Railways will be remembered for ages to come !!

A rape victim in jail clears the UPSC exams ..

Surprising .. But it is a fact.. 

Ashok Rai, a rape convict who was convicted to serve a long jail sentence as the rape victim happened to commit suicide, has surprised the court and the govt after clearing the UPSC exams. So much has been the dilemma before the court that his existing service in the jail has been considered enough punishment. Even though he will still be considered a convict,  the fact that he has qualified for the high job has pressured the court into condoning his jail sentence and get ready for the top job..

Mr Rai really needs to be commended for the persistence and will power he has displayed, even though he has miscalculated his moves and actions have backfired..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Rape_convict_cracks_UPSC_to_walk_free_with_HC_relief/articleshow/4108296.cms

Maybe a first in Indian legal history ..

--
George Easaw

Jobin playing the guitar ..

Jobin is slowly learning guitar well and this is a recording of both of us singing and jobin playing.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TArl4kQEr8
comments pl...

jokutty ..

Ethics Toolkit ...

http://www.managementhelp.org/ethics/ethxgde.htm

--

One crore jobs could be lost in India by March 2009 says Times of India .. ....

One crore jobs could be lost in India by March 2009 says Times of India .. ....

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/One_crore_jobs_could_be_cut_this_fiscal/articleshow/4071641.cms

Talibanisation in Mangalore..

The BJP / RSS combine have once again shown to the country and the world how they and their cadres are ever ready to disturb communal harmony in society ?? How they could get intolerant of other communities and exhibit gender bias .. The way they can get aggresive about the double standards in protecting the culture..

Like the way they have treated women in one of the pubs in Mangalore.. The pubs have been open for women have come under the attack of the followers of Sree Ram Sena who molest these young women. The guts of the men in attacking these unarmed members of the weaker sex !! To top it, the same group issues threats on how they will marry out couples found moving together on Valentiner's day. The BJP government is unfortunately playing hide and seek, arresting some members, but very lackadaisical in their approach, not really wanting to do anything against their RSS supporters...

Similarly a group of men , again these same right wing fundamentalists, attack a malayali girl, studying in st Aloysius Mangalore travelling in a bus and talking to a Muslim friend. The attackers, too gutsy again, were shouting to her how Christians and Muslims are the untouchables and warned her not to speak with anybody other than Hindus.. The govt once again has shown how tardy the Police machinery can be in arresting the supporters of the govt. 

Is this not an expression of the frustration of these RSS supporters who are out to Talibanise India with the ruling govt in Karnataka playing second fiddle ?? Another RSS man, the state Home Minister V S Acharya was reported in the newspapers as saying that the media which was sensationalising such issues need to be reined in... Does the media need a Godfather to tell them what they should report and what not ?? Should press freedom be decided by these fascists ?? When will they understand the fascist nature of their party ?? 

Can we afford another communal segregation in the society ? If that is what is needed for realising the dream of  Hindu Rashtra, 

Can we afford another another Third Reich or Taliban in India ??

ge..

MGOCSM / Youth League One day conference at Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church Hebbal, Bangalore, 15 Feb '09.

The Hebbal, Bangalore unit of MGOCSM and Youth League under Mar
Gregorios Orthodox Church Hebbal, is organising a one day conference
on 15 February, 2009 in the church.

The theme of the conference is " Who am I ?? ", a search to find the
spiritual identity of the youth of today in the midst of change,
globalisation and turbulence resulting from the economic downturn.

The main speakers include
Fr Ninan George, Vice Principal of St Thomas Orthodox Theological
Seminary, Nagpur.
Fr Philip Kuruvilla, former Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
consultant on HIV and AIDS and
Fr Dr George Pulikkottil, Bursar at St Thomas Orthodox Theological
Seminary, Nagpur.

Wishing the conference all success and hope it leads to very
meaningful discussions and deliberations among the youth and senior
MGOCSM and Youth League members of Bangalore Orthodox parishes.

--
George Easaw Ph.D.

Xavier Inst of Management and En'ship,
Bangalore, 560100, India.

HDD in 1956 ..

It's a hard disk in 1956...

HDD with 5 MB storage.

In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC,  

 The first computer with a hard disk drive (HDD).  

 The HDD weighed over a ton and stored 5 MB of data.

Start appreciating your 8 GB memory stick!

--

Pretty bad news for placement in the campus..

Yesterday evening, we were told by TCS that they are freezing appointments for this year. This evening, happened to read from the web that Infosys also has come up with a ban of fresh recruitments.... Two of the major IT companies have thus indicated they are not coming to campus..

Satyam earlier itself was ruled  out. Wipro is now the only hope... Besides there are Banks, Retail malls, manufacturing concerns, which are all passing through difficult times.. laying off workers etc.. 

Hard times ahead...

ge..

Warren Buffett's advice for 2009

We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our  happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness  that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is  desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help  them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to  provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.                                          
                                                                           
 Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my  future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older. This year, I invite you to tap into the  financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.                                                                    
                                                                           
 * Hard work: All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to  poverty.                                                                  
                                                                           
 * Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.      
                                                                           
 * Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income. [At least make your Investments get you second earning ]                                      
                                                                           
 * Spending: If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you  need.                                                                     
                                                                           
 * Savings: Don't save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.                                                             
                                                                           
 * Borrowings: The borrower becomes the lender's slave.                    
                                                                           
 * Accounting: It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.
                                                                           
 * Auditing: Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.
                                                                           
 * Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet. [ Have an alternate plan ready ]                                                    
                                                                           
 * Investment: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.                      
                                                                           
I'm certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I'm equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.                                                   
                                                                           
 Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.

Recession in plain simple terms..

In these times of recession, the sector which is going to get hit badly is manufacturing, especially those focussed on exports. As consumption in Europe and US have reduced, exports have reduced, forcing these companies to reduce production or even close shop.

From the perspective of a service provider, it is just the fear of layoffs which makes him jittery of the future. The news of retrenchment, factory closure etc generates enough fear. A service provider like educator, banker, accountant, software programmer will be able to survive, but we can expect a shakeout to happen for the good where salaries will be pegged to realistic levels. With stock markets and real estate down, people who were living on speculation will have a tough time. We looked at recession from the perspective of a food service provider who will never go out of business as long as people are existing.

Another way of looking at it is in the perspective of a consumer..

I am a customer.. I am reading everyday about the job losses, salary cuts, companies winding up etc.. Naturally i am concerned and worried whether I am next in the line.

I tell my kids and family that times are not that easy and we have to tighten our belts expecting bad times. Trying to save some for the hard times. I reduce my visits to the hotel, purchase of dress and birthday gifts... Unless the consumer spends Industry does not have demand. Hotels do not have business .. taxis do not have passengers ..

Like me there are millions of families who are tightening their belts and postponing major purchase decisions for later times. This results in consumption dropping drastically forcing industries to reduce production, close facilities and lay off workers. The news of laying off further accentuates the fear and belt tightening process, entering into a vicious circle.

Service sector will somehow survive the downturn and their employees will be relatively safe , with very minimal adjustments needed. But manufacturing and exports will be badly hit, the employees there being retrenched or laid off..

george..

Penelop Cruz, the Spanish actress in this stunning image ...

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u277/Fortress-Of-Solitude/penelope-cruz-10.jpg

ge..

6 year old being thrashed by the UP police...

In a very shocking incident a 6 year old girl was thrashed mercilessly by UP police for stealing Rs 280/-. In the video link you can see the kid, crying and falling at the feet of the policemen, while she was lifted by pulling her hair..

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videoshow/4068164.cms

What a tragic event .....!!  How senseless, cruel and inhuman can our ignorant police force be ?? Though the policemen have been since suspended, the scar it has left in the minds of all kids at home who were watching the news, would be even greater .. 

ge..

Talibanisation of India ..

Just like the Taliban is trying to bring radical Muslim ideology to Afghanistan and the Western parts of Pakistan, Sri Ram Sena, a fundamentalist outfit, is tying to impose radicalism in Mangalore... The recent attack on girls inside a pub leaves much to be desired about the double standards of these people.

While males can have the way they like, women are supposed to be subservient to the males and models for the society. Why this double standards for men.??

The government in Karnataka is still dillydallying in arresting the real culprits who were behind the attacks on the defenceless women inside the pub.

Why did not the Sri Ram Sena attack the men inside the pub and speak of culture values to them ?? Pure hypocrisy ...

This is absurd and needs to be resisted by all means.. Men and women are born equal and men cannot have their own way leaving women at the mercy of men. It is only by treating them as our equals and with respect, the society can improve.. Else we can expect Talibanisation of our country to start from Mangalore by these Hindu zealots which can have very damaging repercussions on the society and country at large.

george..

Indian Election Commission members on collision course ..

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India wants to oust his compatriot ..

Being first among three, the CEC has recommended to the President to remove Mr. Navin Chawla, one of the Election Commissioners.

A big debate is going on in the media related to whether the CEC has the constitutional authority to independently recommend the ouster of an EC, other than on the request of the President, the appointing authority.

As per information in the media, the President has certainly not asked for any report from the CEC. In that case on what basis has CEC taken this hasty decision to recommend the removal of the EC Navin Chawla ?

The fear is whether the CEC Mr GopalaSwamy is misusing his constitutional office for some petty reasons or to settle petty scores. If the Government has no intention to follow up on the CEC recommendation, it will be difficult for the Election Commission to conduct free and impartial elections in the coming elections for the Lok Sabha.

It is also feared whether there are any political parties playing behind the scene trying to gain political mileage out of this issue..

Indian democracy has faced even tough weather and overcome it. There lies its robustness ..

george..

Visit to Infosys ... 31 Jan 2009

It was a very informative and exciting visit to the Infosys Global Education Centre I had this time. I was acompanying the delegates for the BRICS conference in XIME which had just concluded on 31 st Evening. 

The stay at Infy Global Education Centre Mysore on 31 Jan till 1 Feb noon was five star with all amenities. 

The new building of the GEC resembled the Capitol in Washington , the seat of US govt.

A tour round the classrooms, the recreational facilities, gyms, residential hostels and the 325 acre campus was a treat to both eyes and mind..

ge...