A classic mail by Pagoz
Sahani - AIR Radio jockey giving Krikat commentary!
"Jee haan bhaiyoon aur bahno
match ek romanchak daur pe hai...
group ke lagh bhag sabhi khiladi ke wicket ghir chuke hai!
ab ek bahut he jabaaz ballebaaz ADI-pag bhi pavilion ke aur laut rahe hai......"
score hai is tarah!
Matunga Fishing Club Championship
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viral lbw 22
Baa Hit Wicket 22
Roopa Bhai out Red carded ;) 25
AbhiShag stumped 27
Babaa ct in front 27
Ramya ct behind 27
(then they caught each other LOL)
Aye Shivani! running between wickets 28
Vutha retd hurt 24
Sunil not out 28
Protik Mukherjee kacha limboo 26
(double batting)
Chetan out ..on advt campaign 28
for protex @ NY
Phatti not out(allegedly not out) 28
JT ct @ silly point today 28
Shanpattibhag! looking for the right 28
stadium to flash
Nalgy Match Fixing ;) declrd out 28
ADIPAG BREAKING NEWS! 28
googlied out to be stumped
soon
fdgfdsgsdfgfddffgaewrrhfdvbfdfdfd......noise....!
Yo Dudes and Yoer Dudettes!
Time to uncork some champagne! Fishing rod has found fish ;) Feeling lucky to find some one who can take my bak bak and crap load of shit!
Ding Dong! Sing a song!
I found the ONE...(not jet lee) ..not a bong
Duniya nahi hai ulti
Yes Yes! She is a GULTI!
Had been talking/chatting/mailing and seeing her since some time now! Was trying to make this arranged thing a bit more interesting than it seems :D
Finally ma and pa met the enlaws to be ma and pa and they have decided we are both capable of taking care of each others toothbrush and baggage !
Long storyy cut short! Apun shadi karne ko ho rahe la hai! Time to party!
The lucky one - me!
The luckier one - She! Shez Shilpa! heheheh!
La femme Shilpa est belle fille!
She is working with Willis an insurance firm @ Nariman Pt Mumbai since 4 yrs I think
Fortunately when I say CONTROL she does not say ALT-DEL! She is completely diverse from us techies!(am i one nowadays..arguable! I file help tickets to configure even my outlook on my lappie!)
Alpha Release - urf Engagement!
August 15th 2008.
(Jawaharlal Nehru's words never echoed louder than now when I heard I am gonna get engaged that day....."my tryst with destiny ;)"....)
For propriety sake we have decided te leave the BETA release for some time (at least 9 months I think) later after marriage! Who knows we might decide to do a BETI release too....! che che gandhe bacche sab!
Gamma Release! - urf ...
The Happening - Marriage
November 5th 2008!
Bhai log please book your tickets soon
Shaadi shall be in Hyderabad! The land of the Nawabs! It's gonna be a morning marriage!
www.easyjet.com
It's called gamma bcos of all the gamma like radiations one has to endure alll day long sitting near the pyre! Worth it I guess!
The launch urf ...The Reception
November 9th I think
In RCF Mumbai!
I'll kick ur ass if anyone turns up here! If u can come on the 9th u better well can come on the 5th to HYD! Moreover you can do some sight seeing in hyd too :)
Sorry guys..I couldnt call or inform anyone earlier! If someone can sell time I'd buy it ! Really struggling to manage 24hrs in a day!
With this I now hand over my beloved Ass to the forum so that they can start beating it arnd!
Thanks for all your wishes! Please please please try to grace the occassion!
Cheerz! God bless the humble new turning and and chapter in my eventful life! Welcome - THE WIFE!
(Its getting shit scary man!)
AdhiPeg!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Viru_being_operated_by ELectronics_Engineers
DrProtik to Dr Abhi: Please pass me the soldering iron, the eyes need to be soldered
Dr Chetan: Ill hammer the nose to perfection
Dr Abhi: I'll tape up the mouth piece, think we will have a ready robot for our IIT mumbai hardware contest.
Dr Chetan: Ill hammer the nose to perfection
Dr Abhi: I'll tape up the mouth piece, think we will have a ready robot for our IIT mumbai hardware contest.
dec21-06-Nerul-phiserz gang up
one more...in my fav style of grp photo
this was taken on Dec 21, 2006 at Nerul. We went to visit RAIT and roopa drove all of us around in her huge limo (santro). so much for leg space, that we had to prove it by standing up
this was taken on Dec 21, 2006 at Nerul. We went to visit RAIT and roopa drove all of us around in her huge limo (santro). so much for leg space, that we had to prove it by standing up
bunchOfPhishers
chetan can always be trusted to come up with antics and pagoz always manages to be a cut above!
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Omni-present Lal Dabba
Dabba - the Marathi word for a box. Colloquially though it is considered synonymous with Lunch box. The moment some one with some knowledge of Mumbai, hears or reads the term Dabba, the famous 6 sigma Dabbewale spring to mind. Their efficiency is of course a research topic, but this post is about a different Dabba - the Lal Dabba (or Red Box).
So what's the lal dabba - a colloquial term for the cheapest State Transport buses. These are literally red boxes. A look at these buses and one would feel that all the manufacturers do is pick a large tin box, cut windows into it, put it on wheels, attached the engine and steering system, nail a few seats onto it and then paint it red. The interiors are filthy and stinky as there does not seem to be any cleaning or maintenance done on those since construction. The suspension of the bus seems to be non existent and you have to have strong spine to venture on a long journey in one of these (especially given the terrain where these buses ply). The bus rattles so much during journey that one starts to wonder how it manages to remain one piece. In essence the fact that these buses are still running itself is a wonder. Not to mention that for an urbane creature like me, the first experience of this buses is quite likely to be horrible and most of the people I know would love to avoid travelling in one of these buses.
With all the negatives well etched in my mind I usually avoided travelling in the Lal Dabba. As destiny would have it, I took up engineering in a college which was in Navi Mumbai and the urban transportation from Mumbai or Thane to that place was not very well developed. The train route was circuitous and city bus transport was infrequent and crowded at best. I did start off by taking the city bus transport but soon realised that the lal dabbas also plied on the same route and they were less crowded. Reluctantly I started travelling by lal dabbas.
Joy of the Lal Dabba
Within the next year or so I discovered the joy of the Lal Dabba. Mostly I travelled in those times of the day when the Sunlight would pierce right through the windows. The metal body of the lal dabba of course would have been heated up well by then and the air (this usually happened in late afternoon) would also be warm. All this gave the feel of the oven. Gradually one starts to feel drowsy. Add to that the rattling bus (like the rocking of a cradle) gives you a perfect place to doze off to sleep. What this meant is I usually managed to get about 1 to 1.5 hours of my daily sleep quota in the lal dabba. Now I am amazed how I did that but I think there were no better alternatives and it was a little difficult getting used to it. However once I mastered the art of sleeping in the bus, it was quite relaxing and sometimes even energizing. Of course my clothes would stink with sweat (from travelling in the sun baked oven), but what the hell, what's the washing machine meant for .
A tryst with Destiny (Lal Dabba)
After college with urban work life in Software I thought I would not have to travel in the lal dabba again. Wherever I travelled there were usually more comfortable means of transport. I was so very wrong.My own new found hobby of trekking made sure that my tryst with Lal Dabba was far from over. Most of base villages for trekking spots were quite remote. The only public transportation that went there were the Lal Dabbas. Usually the terrain was such that only possible other vehicles that you could take there were the off road vehicles (like SUVs) but they come out to be expensive. So soon enough I was hooked on to the Lal Dabbas again although only on those weekends when I went out for treks.
The omni-present Lal Dabba
Over the several years of I thought the significance of the Lal Dabba was that they were the cheapest public road tranport. I always blamed the negatives and the fact that their punctuality is undependable. For most part wherever I went, there was usually no fixed time for the service. People would always give me a range of timings for the the arrival of a single bus. However couple of instances changed my opinion about the STs completely.
Once I had gone out to trek to fort called Sudhagad. The base village was a remote tribal village. To get there from Mumbai we took 3 different modes of transport (train, bus, rickshaw). The last part of the ride was so bad that we were wondering how the rickshaw even managed to go through that terrain. The village was a tribal village which looked as if it hadn't changed much since independence of India. We were wondering how the village was connected to the rest of the world (after all the rickshaw we took to the place didn't agree willingly and we had to pay the driver a premium to take us there). On inquiries we found that there was a Lal Dabba that came to the place 3 times a day. I still didn't believe how the bus could get there regularly without having a flat tyre. That was till our return from the trek, when we found ourselves hurrying so that we get to the village back in time to catch the Lal Dabba. Sure enough there was a Lal Dabba and the conductor graciously agreed to wait a few extra minutes for the slow pokes in my group to get to the village. After that we all slept like babies thanking heavens for the Lal Dabba.
The Life line called Lal Dabba
At another time in a different situation we had a huge group of 35 trekkers who had gone out for a trek to another remote destination called Harishchandragad. This place is so remote that nearest village connected by road (called pachnai) is about 2 - 2.5 hours of walk from the Fort. There is no electricity atop the fort and even the mobile signal is available only at specific spots on the top. We happened to be there in rainy season. On our way back we got down to the village in fairly quick time. As soon as we got there we figured that due to rains and consequent land slides, the road was unsafe and buses were only plying till the next village which was another 10 kms away. Reluctantly we dragged our tired legs to the next village, just in time to catch the 3 :00 pm bus to the nearest Town (or so we thought). The bus did not arrive for another hour. Some one said that the bus does not ply on Sundays. We were starting to get desperate. After all taking 35 ppl back to Mumbai from that remote village did require big vehicle and bullock carts won't do. Among the ideas floated around were walking to the closest highway (about 20 kms) or getting one tractor / bike owning villagers to give one of us a ride to the nearest town so we could rent some jeeps to haul the whole group or even staying in the village overnight so as to catch the next morning bus (the only hitch in this option was we did not have enough food nor did the village have enough shelter for 35 extra people other than the verandah of the village school) . After a lot of searching one of the guys did get a ride from the villager and was on his way to the town. The rest of us were listening carefully to any noise of a motored vehicle in hope that the Lal Dabba was still on its way. Sure enough in the next few minutes (I think around 4.30 pm) the lal Dabba made its way. The ST bus was greeted by a huge shout from all 35 people as if we had just won a battle (after all we now knew that we were making it home the same day).
Hats off to the Lal Dabbas and their drivers and conductors .. for plying buses on routes where no one else ventures. These routes may not even be economically viable. But the important thing is that these buses serve as life lines providing the remote and isolated villages connectivity with rest of the world. We say that the world is available at the touch of a button thanks to internet. However before internet there is electricity and where there is no electricity .... the Lal Dabba is still there.
So what's the lal dabba - a colloquial term for the cheapest State Transport buses. These are literally red boxes. A look at these buses and one would feel that all the manufacturers do is pick a large tin box, cut windows into it, put it on wheels, attached the engine and steering system, nail a few seats onto it and then paint it red. The interiors are filthy and stinky as there does not seem to be any cleaning or maintenance done on those since construction. The suspension of the bus seems to be non existent and you have to have strong spine to venture on a long journey in one of these (especially given the terrain where these buses ply). The bus rattles so much during journey that one starts to wonder how it manages to remain one piece. In essence the fact that these buses are still running itself is a wonder. Not to mention that for an urbane creature like me, the first experience of this buses is quite likely to be horrible and most of the people I know would love to avoid travelling in one of these buses.
With all the negatives well etched in my mind I usually avoided travelling in the Lal Dabba. As destiny would have it, I took up engineering in a college which was in Navi Mumbai and the urban transportation from Mumbai or Thane to that place was not very well developed. The train route was circuitous and city bus transport was infrequent and crowded at best. I did start off by taking the city bus transport but soon realised that the lal dabbas also plied on the same route and they were less crowded. Reluctantly I started travelling by lal dabbas.
Joy of the Lal Dabba
Within the next year or so I discovered the joy of the Lal Dabba. Mostly I travelled in those times of the day when the Sunlight would pierce right through the windows. The metal body of the lal dabba of course would have been heated up well by then and the air (this usually happened in late afternoon) would also be warm. All this gave the feel of the oven. Gradually one starts to feel drowsy. Add to that the rattling bus (like the rocking of a cradle) gives you a perfect place to doze off to sleep. What this meant is I usually managed to get about 1 to 1.5 hours of my daily sleep quota in the lal dabba. Now I am amazed how I did that but I think there were no better alternatives and it was a little difficult getting used to it. However once I mastered the art of sleeping in the bus, it was quite relaxing and sometimes even energizing. Of course my clothes would stink with sweat (from travelling in the sun baked oven), but what the hell, what's the washing machine meant for .
A tryst with Destiny (Lal Dabba)
After college with urban work life in Software I thought I would not have to travel in the lal dabba again. Wherever I travelled there were usually more comfortable means of transport. I was so very wrong.My own new found hobby of trekking made sure that my tryst with Lal Dabba was far from over. Most of base villages for trekking spots were quite remote. The only public transportation that went there were the Lal Dabbas. Usually the terrain was such that only possible other vehicles that you could take there were the off road vehicles (like SUVs) but they come out to be expensive. So soon enough I was hooked on to the Lal Dabbas again although only on those weekends when I went out for treks.
The omni-present Lal Dabba
Over the several years of I thought the significance of the Lal Dabba was that they were the cheapest public road tranport. I always blamed the negatives and the fact that their punctuality is undependable. For most part wherever I went, there was usually no fixed time for the service. People would always give me a range of timings for the the arrival of a single bus. However couple of instances changed my opinion about the STs completely.
Once I had gone out to trek to fort called Sudhagad. The base village was a remote tribal village. To get there from Mumbai we took 3 different modes of transport (train, bus, rickshaw). The last part of the ride was so bad that we were wondering how the rickshaw even managed to go through that terrain. The village was a tribal village which looked as if it hadn't changed much since independence of India. We were wondering how the village was connected to the rest of the world (after all the rickshaw we took to the place didn't agree willingly and we had to pay the driver a premium to take us there). On inquiries we found that there was a Lal Dabba that came to the place 3 times a day. I still didn't believe how the bus could get there regularly without having a flat tyre. That was till our return from the trek, when we found ourselves hurrying so that we get to the village back in time to catch the Lal Dabba. Sure enough there was a Lal Dabba and the conductor graciously agreed to wait a few extra minutes for the slow pokes in my group to get to the village. After that we all slept like babies thanking heavens for the Lal Dabba.
The Life line called Lal Dabba
At another time in a different situation we had a huge group of 35 trekkers who had gone out for a trek to another remote destination called Harishchandragad. This place is so remote that nearest village connected by road (called pachnai) is about 2 - 2.5 hours of walk from the Fort. There is no electricity atop the fort and even the mobile signal is available only at specific spots on the top. We happened to be there in rainy season. On our way back we got down to the village in fairly quick time. As soon as we got there we figured that due to rains and consequent land slides, the road was unsafe and buses were only plying till the next village which was another 10 kms away. Reluctantly we dragged our tired legs to the next village, just in time to catch the 3 :00 pm bus to the nearest Town (or so we thought). The bus did not arrive for another hour. Some one said that the bus does not ply on Sundays. We were starting to get desperate. After all taking 35 ppl back to Mumbai from that remote village did require big vehicle and bullock carts won't do. Among the ideas floated around were walking to the closest highway (about 20 kms) or getting one tractor / bike owning villagers to give one of us a ride to the nearest town so we could rent some jeeps to haul the whole group or even staying in the village overnight so as to catch the next morning bus (the only hitch in this option was we did not have enough food nor did the village have enough shelter for 35 extra people other than the verandah of the village school) . After a lot of searching one of the guys did get a ride from the villager and was on his way to the town. The rest of us were listening carefully to any noise of a motored vehicle in hope that the Lal Dabba was still on its way. Sure enough in the next few minutes (I think around 4.30 pm) the lal Dabba made its way. The ST bus was greeted by a huge shout from all 35 people as if we had just won a battle (after all we now knew that we were making it home the same day).
Hats off to the Lal Dabbas and their drivers and conductors .. for plying buses on routes where no one else ventures. These routes may not even be economically viable. But the important thing is that these buses serve as life lines providing the remote and isolated villages connectivity with rest of the world. We say that the world is available at the touch of a button thanks to internet. However before internet there is electricity and where there is no electricity .... the Lal Dabba is still there.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The stock market survival guide - V
Know when to sell.
One of the most common mistakes, novice investors like me make, is around timing the sale of stocks. Of course it is almost impossible to time the market. There are however a few points that can help make good decision.
1. There are times when certain stocks show sudden bullish trend on the basis of news which creates a positive sentiment. In such a situation most broker recommendations put a buy rating against the stock (which of course has led to the sudden rise in the stock price).
The temptation to buy will be immense. It is important however to check if the fundamentals of the company have changed significantly. More often than not, news is only news and does not actually indicate significant change in fundamentals. In such a situation, it is important to not succumb to the temptation to buy. Instead, if you happen to already have the stock in your portfolio this sudden bull run might present a good opportunity to sell.
The exact opposite holds true with respect to bearish news (especially on stocks with strong fundamentals). Bearish news may present good opportunity to buy.
2. Look for the Company story. Whenever you invest in a company, it is important to note that you are not investing in the company but in the story. If the company is a consistent performer with the results and the growth indicators are positive then the chances are that the company will do well in the coming future and therefore its a good time to buy the stock.
However if the indicators of profitability indicate decrease in profits in coming future then it is time to switch out of the stock.
In such a situation even if the long term potential of the company is good (indicating that the company will eventually improve on profits) the short term indicators mean that it may be a time to sell and then buy the stock at lower levels.
3. Set your targets. Whenever you buy a stock, it is useful to set target sell price as well as time frame. That way when the targets are reached, the decision to sell should be straight forward, unless of course the fundamentals of the company have changed indicating a need for revising the targets.
In the same situation if there are indicators that the stock may not meet its target (negative news, decrease in profits etc) then its time to sell the stock and book whatever profits (or losses ) are available, rather than loose money on the stock.
One of the most common mistakes, novice investors like me make, is around timing the sale of stocks. Of course it is almost impossible to time the market. There are however a few points that can help make good decision.
1. There are times when certain stocks show sudden bullish trend on the basis of news which creates a positive sentiment. In such a situation most broker recommendations put a buy rating against the stock (which of course has led to the sudden rise in the stock price).
The temptation to buy will be immense. It is important however to check if the fundamentals of the company have changed significantly. More often than not, news is only news and does not actually indicate significant change in fundamentals. In such a situation, it is important to not succumb to the temptation to buy. Instead, if you happen to already have the stock in your portfolio this sudden bull run might present a good opportunity to sell.
The exact opposite holds true with respect to bearish news (especially on stocks with strong fundamentals). Bearish news may present good opportunity to buy.
2. Look for the Company story. Whenever you invest in a company, it is important to note that you are not investing in the company but in the story. If the company is a consistent performer with the results and the growth indicators are positive then the chances are that the company will do well in the coming future and therefore its a good time to buy the stock.
However if the indicators of profitability indicate decrease in profits in coming future then it is time to switch out of the stock.
In such a situation even if the long term potential of the company is good (indicating that the company will eventually improve on profits) the short term indicators mean that it may be a time to sell and then buy the stock at lower levels.
3. Set your targets. Whenever you buy a stock, it is useful to set target sell price as well as time frame. That way when the targets are reached, the decision to sell should be straight forward, unless of course the fundamentals of the company have changed indicating a need for revising the targets.
In the same situation if there are indicators that the stock may not meet its target (negative news, decrease in profits etc) then its time to sell the stock and book whatever profits (or losses ) are available, rather than loose money on the stock.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Adi ban raha hai gentleman! (.....in the process)
Sahani - AIR Radio jockey giving Krikat commentary!
"Jee haan bhaiyoon aur bahno
match ek romanchak daur pe hai...
group ke lagh bhag sabhi khiladi ke wicket ghir chuke hai!
ab ek bahut he jabaaz ballebaaz ADI-pag bhi pavilion ke aur laut rahe hai......"
score hai is tarah!
Matunga Fishing Club Championship
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viral lbw 22
Baa Hit Wicket 22
Roopa Bhai out Red carded ;) 25
AbhiShag stumped 27
Babaa ct in front 27
Ramya ct behind 27
(then they caught each other LOL)
Aye Shivani! running between wickets 28
Vutha retd hurt 24
Sunil not out 28
Protik Mukherjee kacha limboo 26
(double batting)
Chetan out ..on advt campaign 28
for protex @ NY
Phatti not out(allegedly not out) 28
JT ct @ silly point today 28
Shanpattibhag! looking for the right 28
stadium to flash
Nalgy Match Fixing ;) declrd out 28
ADIPAG BREAKING NEWS! 28
googlied out to be stumped
soon
fdgfdsgsdfgfddffgaewrrhfdvbfdfdfd......noise....!
Yo Dudes and Yoer Dudettes!
Time to uncork some champagne! Fishing rod has found fish ;) Feeling lucky to find some one who can take my bak bak and crap load of shit!
Ding Dong! Sing a song!
I found the ONE...(not jet lee) ..not a bong
Duniya nahi hai ulti
Yes Yes! She is a GULTI!
Had been talking/chatting/mailing and seeing her since some time now! Was trying to make this arranged thing a bit more interesting than it seems :D
Finally ma and pa met the enlaws to be ma and pa and they have decided we are both capable of taking care of each others toothbrush and baggage !
Long storyy cut short! Apun shadi karne ko ho rahe la hai! Time to party!
The lucky one - me!
The luckier one - She! Shez Shilpa! heheheh!
La femme Shilpa est belle fille!
She is working with Willis an insurance firm @ Nariman Pt Mumbai since 4 yrs I think
Fortunately when I say CONTROL she does not say ALT-DEL! She is completely diverse from us techies!(am i one nowadays..arguable! I file help tickets to configure even my outlook on my lappie!)
Alpha Release - urf Engagement!
August 15th 2008.
(Jawaharlal Nehru's words never echoed louder than now when I heard I am gonna get engaged that day....."my tryst with destiny ;)"....)
For propriety sake we have decided te leave the BETA release for some time (at least 9 months I think) later after marriage! Who knows we might decide to do a BETI release too....! che che gandhe bacche sab!
Gamma Release! - urf ...
The Happening - Marriage
November 5th 2008!
Bhai log please book your tickets soon
Shaadi shall be in Hyderabad! The land of the Nawabs! It's gonna be a morning marriage!
www.easyjet.com
It's called gamma bcos of all the gamma like radiations one has to endure alll day long sitting near the pyre! Worth it I guess!
The launch urf ...The Reception
November 9th I think
In RCF Mumbai!
I'll kick ur ass if anyone turns up here! If u can come on the 9th u better well can come on the 5th to HYD! Moreover you can do some sight seeing in hyd too :)
Sorry guys..I couldnt call or inform anyone earlier! If someone can sell time I'd buy it ! Really struggling to manage 24hrs in a day!
With this I now hand over my beloved Ass to the forum so that they can start beating it arnd!
Thanks for all your wishes! Please please please try to grace the occassion!
Cheerz! God bless the humble new turning and and chapter in my eventful life! Welcome - THE WIFE!
(Its getting shit scary man!)
AdhiPeg!
"Jee haan bhaiyoon aur bahno
match ek romanchak daur pe hai...
group ke lagh bhag sabhi khiladi ke wicket ghir chuke hai!
ab ek bahut he jabaaz ballebaaz ADI-pag bhi pavilion ke aur laut rahe hai......"
score hai is tarah!
Matunga Fishing Club Championship
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viral lbw 22
Baa Hit Wicket 22
Roopa Bhai out Red carded ;) 25
AbhiShag stumped 27
Babaa ct in front 27
Ramya ct behind 27
(then they caught each other LOL)
Aye Shivani! running between wickets 28
Vutha retd hurt 24
Sunil not out 28
Protik Mukherjee kacha limboo 26
(double batting)
Chetan out ..on advt campaign 28
for protex @ NY
Phatti not out(allegedly not out) 28
JT ct @ silly point today 28
Shanpattibhag! looking for the right 28
stadium to flash
Nalgy Match Fixing ;) declrd out 28
ADIPAG BREAKING NEWS! 28
googlied out to be stumped
soon
fdgfdsgsdfgfddffgaewrrhfdvbfdfdfd......noise....!
Yo Dudes and Yoer Dudettes!
Time to uncork some champagne! Fishing rod has found fish ;) Feeling lucky to find some one who can take my bak bak and crap load of shit!
Ding Dong! Sing a song!
I found the ONE...(not jet lee) ..not a bong
Duniya nahi hai ulti
Yes Yes! She is a GULTI!
Had been talking/chatting/mailing and seeing her since some time now! Was trying to make this arranged thing a bit more interesting than it seems :D
Finally ma and pa met the enlaws to be ma and pa and they have decided we are both capable of taking care of each others toothbrush and baggage !
Long storyy cut short! Apun shadi karne ko ho rahe la hai! Time to party!
The lucky one - me!
The luckier one - She! Shez Shilpa! heheheh!
La femme Shilpa est belle fille!
She is working with Willis an insurance firm @ Nariman Pt Mumbai since 4 yrs I think
Fortunately when I say CONTROL she does not say ALT-DEL! She is completely diverse from us techies!(am i one nowadays..arguable! I file help tickets to configure even my outlook on my lappie!)
Alpha Release - urf Engagement!
August 15th 2008.
(Jawaharlal Nehru's words never echoed louder than now when I heard I am gonna get engaged that day....."my tryst with destiny ;)"....)
For propriety sake we have decided te leave the BETA release for some time (at least 9 months I think) later after marriage! Who knows we might decide to do a BETI release too....! che che gandhe bacche sab!
Gamma Release! - urf ...
The Happening - Marriage
November 5th 2008!
Bhai log please book your tickets soon
Shaadi shall be in Hyderabad! The land of the Nawabs! It's gonna be a morning marriage!
www.easyjet.com
It's called gamma bcos of all the gamma like radiations one has to endure alll day long sitting near the pyre! Worth it I guess!
The launch urf ...The Reception
November 9th I think
In RCF Mumbai!
I'll kick ur ass if anyone turns up here! If u can come on the 9th u better well can come on the 5th to HYD! Moreover you can do some sight seeing in hyd too :)
Sorry guys..I couldnt call or inform anyone earlier! If someone can sell time I'd buy it ! Really struggling to manage 24hrs in a day!
With this I now hand over my beloved Ass to the forum so that they can start beating it arnd!
Thanks for all your wishes! Please please please try to grace the occassion!
Cheerz! God bless the humble new turning and and chapter in my eventful life! Welcome - THE WIFE!
(Its getting shit scary man!)
AdhiPeg!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The stock market survival guide - IV
Diversify
As one enters the market, one accepts certain risks. Thus the investment strategy calls for risk mitigation. One of the most simplest and common strategy is diversification.
Diversification should aim at balancing exposure to market across different sectors, market capitalisation (company size by its total market value), stock characteristics (dividend stocks, growth stocks, long term investments, momentum stocks,etc).
Although there is no clear formula known to me, I am sure there wouldn't be dearth of material on portfolio diversification. I think a retail portfolio should be diversified to hold at least around 15 different stocks and not more than 10 % of the portfolio value in a single stock. This means that your portfolio is fairly diversified and yet you have a few concentrated bets to gain from price momentum. Generally higher diversification means lower risk, however the tendency to diversify too much should be avoided. The problem with over diversification is that while risk is lowered, returns may also be lower.
As one enters the market, one accepts certain risks. Thus the investment strategy calls for risk mitigation. One of the most simplest and common strategy is diversification.
Diversification should aim at balancing exposure to market across different sectors, market capitalisation (company size by its total market value), stock characteristics (dividend stocks, growth stocks, long term investments, momentum stocks,etc).
Although there is no clear formula known to me, I am sure there wouldn't be dearth of material on portfolio diversification. I think a retail portfolio should be diversified to hold at least around 15 different stocks and not more than 10 % of the portfolio value in a single stock. This means that your portfolio is fairly diversified and yet you have a few concentrated bets to gain from price momentum. Generally higher diversification means lower risk, however the tendency to diversify too much should be avoided. The problem with over diversification is that while risk is lowered, returns may also be lower.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The stock market survival guide - III
Take your own decision.
As a beginner, once you have set aside an amount for investment, the simplest thing is to ask for experienced investors for tips. Its ok to ask for such tips, but the final investment decision should be yours. You should do your own research on the stock and decide the amount and timeframe of investment. After all its your own money thats getting invested. The person who gave you the tip won't compensate you if the investment goes bust.
Another point to bear in mind is to not fall for tips of companies who's daily trading volumes are very low. Those may be penny stocks whose price movements are huge. Such stocks if picked at right time might bring in huge returns. However these are exactly the kind where you might loose all money invested.
As a beginner, once you have set aside an amount for investment, the simplest thing is to ask for experienced investors for tips. Its ok to ask for such tips, but the final investment decision should be yours. You should do your own research on the stock and decide the amount and timeframe of investment. After all its your own money thats getting invested. The person who gave you the tip won't compensate you if the investment goes bust.
Another point to bear in mind is to not fall for tips of companies who's daily trading volumes are very low. Those may be penny stocks whose price movements are huge. Such stocks if picked at right time might bring in huge returns. However these are exactly the kind where you might loose all money invested.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The stock market survival guide - II
Research.
As a novice the temptation, to listen to tips from experienced investors or brokers and then buy those stocks, is huge. Nothing wrong in listening to the tips.
However its important to do your own research.
Some of the criteria to consider while researching are as follows
- Results posted by the company. Look at quarterly as well as yearly. Look for consistent growth. A simple number to look at here would be EPS (Earnings per share). A continued increase in this number generally indicates that the company is in good health.
- Graph of the stock price over a long period of time ( About 6 months to a year is decent ). The trend in the stock price should typically be consistent with market conditions and the earnings growth. Any significant deviation would be indicative of some news around the company or its industry sector.
- Check price to earnings ratio (P/E) of the stock. This ratio generally indicates how costly or cheap the stock is. If its very low but greater than 0 then there is a good chance that the price of the stock may have been hit due to certain factors. However for companies with strong potential its generally a good time to buy.
A corollary to above rule is that a high P/E is generally a good time to sell.
- Check news. Although the 3 parameters mentioned above can help one in making judgement about any stock, news is what really causes stocks to move in a big way and in a relatively short time frame. Its usually difficult for a novice to make good judgements about stock movements based on news. This is however something that only can come through experience. Therefore it is worth keeping abreast news and its impact on the market.
As a novice the temptation, to listen to tips from experienced investors or brokers and then buy those stocks, is huge. Nothing wrong in listening to the tips.
However its important to do your own research.
Some of the criteria to consider while researching are as follows
- Results posted by the company. Look at quarterly as well as yearly. Look for consistent growth. A simple number to look at here would be EPS (Earnings per share). A continued increase in this number generally indicates that the company is in good health.
- Graph of the stock price over a long period of time ( About 6 months to a year is decent ). The trend in the stock price should typically be consistent with market conditions and the earnings growth. Any significant deviation would be indicative of some news around the company or its industry sector.
- Check price to earnings ratio (P/E) of the stock. This ratio generally indicates how costly or cheap the stock is. If its very low but greater than 0 then there is a good chance that the price of the stock may have been hit due to certain factors. However for companies with strong potential its generally a good time to buy.
A corollary to above rule is that a high P/E is generally a good time to sell.
- Check news. Although the 3 parameters mentioned above can help one in making judgement about any stock, news is what really causes stocks to move in a big way and in a relatively short time frame. Its usually difficult for a novice to make good judgements about stock movements based on news. This is however something that only can come through experience. Therefore it is worth keeping abreast news and its impact on the market.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The stock market survival guide - I
Try not to get a heart attack.
As a novice investor I am biased towards deposits as safe investments. The reason is that the chances that my invested principal is lost are virtually zero. (Those who don't know what principal here means, do 10 sit ups as punishment for not paying attention in high school mathematics class). However with the market there is always news about people losing a fortune and falling ill when the market crashes. I remember a friend of mind telling me about an uncle who got a heart attack after suffering loses in the market. Thus I think most of these people would be the ones who are so highly invested in the market that it is a little beyond the comfort zone.
Thus given the risk of loss, I think it is best to invest only as much as one can afford to lose without falling ill (or metaphorically speaking - "getting a heart attack").
As a novice investor I am biased towards deposits as safe investments. The reason is that the chances that my invested principal is lost are virtually zero. (Those who don't know what principal here means, do 10 sit ups as punishment for not paying attention in high school mathematics class). However with the market there is always news about people losing a fortune and falling ill when the market crashes. I remember a friend of mind telling me about an uncle who got a heart attack after suffering loses in the market. Thus I think most of these people would be the ones who are so highly invested in the market that it is a little beyond the comfort zone.
Thus given the risk of loss, I think it is best to invest only as much as one can afford to lose without falling ill (or metaphorically speaking - "getting a heart attack").
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The stock market survival guide for dummies.
Its been 4 years since I bought my first ever stock in the market. The Indian market has been in a phenomenal bull run since. In between it has seen quite a few bear phases too. Naturally as an investor I have learn't a few things. I therefore decided its time for publishing a few survival tips for a first generation novice investor like me.
First what does survival really mean?
As a dummy with the market my known modes of investment are at best fixed interest income instruments. These include bank deposits, saving certificates, provident fund, pension funds. Thus my investments can be expected to grow about 8 % annually as per current fixed deposit interest rates. This of course is virtually zero risk. Thus this marks the benchmark for my expectation of returns from any investment. With this background I consider that one has survived the market if over the long term (per current Indian rules a period greater than a year is considered long term for investments in stock market) one has achieved a return better than the benchmark mentioned above. Thus anything significantly better than 8 % and one would have more than just survived. In such a case consider comparing your returns to a more realistic benchmark (e.g. Market Indices like Sensex, nifty ). That comparison is of course not for the novice so for the posts in this series I'll stick to the benchmark defined before.
First what does survival really mean?
As a dummy with the market my known modes of investment are at best fixed interest income instruments. These include bank deposits, saving certificates, provident fund, pension funds. Thus my investments can be expected to grow about 8 % annually as per current fixed deposit interest rates. This of course is virtually zero risk. Thus this marks the benchmark for my expectation of returns from any investment. With this background I consider that one has survived the market if over the long term (per current Indian rules a period greater than a year is considered long term for investments in stock market) one has achieved a return better than the benchmark mentioned above. Thus anything significantly better than 8 % and one would have more than just survived. In such a case consider comparing your returns to a more realistic benchmark (e.g. Market Indices like Sensex, nifty ). That comparison is of course not for the novice so for the posts in this series I'll stick to the benchmark defined before.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
My first mobile blog.
I am falling in love with google again. First they brought gmail to mobile. The mobile blog thing has also been around for some time. I know shag tested it long time ago.
However in here in India GPRS internet ain't that good. My first attempt of sending an MMS to go@blogger.com didn't quite yield the desired result. Then I chose to send email to the same address. This time it worked. So here is my first one on mobile. Hopefully bus rides to office and back will be busier with this avenue.
However in here in India GPRS internet ain't that good. My first attempt of sending an MMS to go@blogger.com didn't quite yield the desired result. Then I chose to send email to the same address. This time it worked. So here is my first one on mobile. Hopefully bus rides to office and back will be busier with this avenue.
Monday, March 31, 2008
RAIT prospectus
This article (text pasted below) originally appeared in Jam Magazine many years ago.
"Unofficial Prospectus: Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology..
Previously was: Ramrao Adik College of Engineering.
Speciality: Toppers in Univ. at least in Electronic & Computer engineering (coz other branches don't exist.) It's known for Horizon - the inter-college fest (the top five in Mumbai)!
Crowd: A masala mix of scholars, cyberjunkies, die-hard headbangers, take-it-easy goers, flunkers, Martians, Gujjus etc. People here are into computers, rock music, rock music and computers. Half of RAIT comprises of cyber nuts, the other half sleep
on guitars.
Life in RAIT: It begins at 9:00 am and seems to end at 6:00 pm (People never leave, they seem to fade away. RAIT is never lifeless) It goes up and down as usual (except on Fridays). An added attraction not found in other colleges.
Hangouts: The basement is the site of all underground and nefarious activities. It houses the engg. canteen (EC) and the medical canteen (MC). Medical? Well the engg. & medical colleges are in the same building and the engineering studs share a special relationship with the MC.
Canteen: Strangely enough RAIT canteen (managed by Anna) serves good food at reasonable rates. Smoking is allowed in the EC at RAIT. The canteen speciality includes thali, vada pav (pleeese!), coffee, tea (of course!).
Official Rules: Meant only for the notice boards.
Notice Boards: They exist only to display the so-called outdated official notices and surprise holidays.
Unofficial Rule: Anything goes!
5 Things to do in RAIT:
1) Get ragged on the first day.
2) Learn Marathi (your office-cruising will be much faster.)
3) Sit for lectures for a change.
4) Compete in Horizon.
5) Witness a fight in one of the canteens in the college.
5 Things you don't do in RAIT:
1) Leave your programs unsaved.
2) Try to butter up professors.
3) Try to sweet talk babes.
4) Use the lift on Fridays (invariably the electricity conks off).
5) Try to eat your Lunch alone. (Lukewarm friendships suddenly turn into lunch long ones during your meal time)
Why you should be at RAIT: Life is never monotonous, so you'll never be bored. A healthy mix of both education and entertainment. So if you plan to be an engineer with a difference then RAIT is the place to be in.
"Unofficial Prospectus: Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology..
Previously was: Ramrao Adik College of Engineering.
Speciality: Toppers in Univ. at least in Electronic & Computer engineering (coz other branches don't exist.) It's known for Horizon - the inter-college fest (the top five in Mumbai)!
Crowd: A masala mix of scholars, cyberjunkies, die-hard headbangers, take-it-easy goers, flunkers, Martians, Gujjus etc. People here are into computers, rock music, rock music and computers. Half of RAIT comprises of cyber nuts, the other half sleep
on guitars.
Life in RAIT: It begins at 9:00 am and seems to end at 6:00 pm (People never leave, they seem to fade away. RAIT is never lifeless) It goes up and down as usual (except on Fridays). An added attraction not found in other colleges.
Hangouts: The basement is the site of all underground and nefarious activities. It houses the engg. canteen (EC) and the medical canteen (MC). Medical? Well the engg. & medical colleges are in the same building and the engineering studs share a special relationship with the MC.
Canteen: Strangely enough RAIT canteen (managed by Anna) serves good food at reasonable rates. Smoking is allowed in the EC at RAIT. The canteen speciality includes thali, vada pav (pleeese!), coffee, tea (of course!).
Official Rules: Meant only for the notice boards.
Notice Boards: They exist only to display the so-called outdated official notices and surprise holidays.
Unofficial Rule: Anything goes!
5 Things to do in RAIT:
1) Get ragged on the first day.
2) Learn Marathi (your office-cruising will be much faster.)
3) Sit for lectures for a change.
4) Compete in Horizon.
5) Witness a fight in one of the canteens in the college.
5 Things you don't do in RAIT:
1) Leave your programs unsaved.
2) Try to butter up professors.
3) Try to sweet talk babes.
4) Use the lift on Fridays (invariably the electricity conks off).
5) Try to eat your Lunch alone. (Lukewarm friendships suddenly turn into lunch long ones during your meal time)
Why you should be at RAIT: Life is never monotonous, so you'll never be bored. A healthy mix of both education and entertainment. So if you plan to be an engineer with a difference then RAIT is the place to be in.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Are Indians secular or racist ?
Racism - a term which commonly denotes race-based prejudice, violence, discrimination or oppression. Its a term that brings to mind the images of Nelson Mandela fighting apartheid in South Africa or pages describing Martin Luther King Jr's struggle in the 1960s in the USA. If we turn the clock a few more decades behind then it brings out our very own Mahatma's non violent movement in South Africa and then in India which of course eventually led to a free India we know today.
The constitution of India went on to use adjectives such as "Secular" for the Republic of India. I grew up reading that definition of the Indian Republic in our text books. However as I grew up and understood the society around me a little better and beyond the text books, I started wondering whether we really are secular people.
It was interesting to note how passionately all the "fairness" creams market themselves on television. Some even talk about reducing 'Melanin' from the skin. My high school science text book talked about the same pigment as an essential ingredient in protecting the human skin against harm from Sun. This means that people living in Tropics naturally ought to have more of it. Yet the overwhelming number of products that claim to reduce the effects of this pigment is surprising. But there should obviously be a good reason why it is so?
The reason, i guess, is our fascination with fair skin. I am not very sure what the roots of this fascination are. It may be due to our colonial past where the English whites were the masters or it may be even the current economic dominance of the Americas and Europe - again areas with largely fairer population. The discrimination based on fair skin is of course not very explicit or rampant as in the past but nevertheless it is present in its own subtle ways.
If the dictionary definition of racism may be extended then, the diversity in India brings in a few more flavours of the same. The English dictionary of course has separate names for these flavours such as casteism, communalism, regionalism. For me though these are simply different flavours of everything wrong that racism stands for.
At the most granular level is Casteism. This is one form of discrimination which is the most Legal everywhere. Indian has several different castes and a history of several centuries of discrimination based on castes. Given this history it is one form of discrimination which should perhaps be banned and it is. However the very constitution which defines India as secular, leaves wide and deliberate gaps to allow discrimination based on caste. This gap is called "Reservation". Reservation for the backward castes in education and jobs. A welcome move 60 years ago when India got its independence and this discrimination was rampant. It was hailed as one move that will present opportunity to the "backward" classes of the society move ahead be seen as equal with rest of India.
60 years is a long period. Most of the first few babies born in independent India have now retired from their jobs. Some have become grand parents. Two generations have come into being since. One would have expected that the equality of castes would now be well established. Yet it remains a problem ingrained in our society. In some parts of India like the remote villages of the underdeveloped states, I would view the lack of political will that manages to divide the society based on this "caste" mentality. On the other hand in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, its the legal "Reservation" that promotes this divide.
For 15 years of my childhood I viewed my classmates as friends and fellow students. We all respected each other for our abilities and strengths and helped each other overcome weaknesses. But when it was time to secure admission to the best education institutes after school - I came face to face with "reservation". Separate admission list for the "Reserved" and "General" category. I was left wondering - we all grew up in similar neighbourhoods, we all went to similar schools, we all gave the same exam, and we all worked hard to get our grades,then why these separate lists? That question of course has several debates and answers in favour and against. For me though this question marked the introduction to casteism and the feeling of being discriminated against - even when I myself never discriminated against anyone. The biggest disappointment was, not that there was discrimination, but the fact that it was all legal. The children of the poor and underprivileged have to struggle hard to get educated. This struggle is theirs to face, and it is so, irrespective of the caste they belong to. Yet the outdated basis of "reservation" continues to be. It begs the question,"Is caste discrimination Legal in India ?" I think this question will continue to have an ambiguous answer for some time to come.
If casteism was not enough to divide the society, then there is another form of discrimination which comes to haunt us. Perhaps in a worst way then it should. That is communalism - specifically based on religion. While I take pride to say that India is home to followers of most religions available in the world, its sad that this difference is sometimes the cause of unnecessary turmoil. This word reminds me of the times when I walked on streets under fear of rioting mobs. This situation has been perhaps best brought out in Mani ratnam's movie Bombay. India has had to witness several riots over the years, for various reasons. The two big ones (1984 and 1992-93) that I witnessed were communal in nature. It is suffice to say that when this communalism raises its ugly head, the melting pot and economic capital of the country, definitely burns....
Then of course is regionalism, a form of discrimination which is not as obvious as the previous two. Even though there is nothing preventing a citizen of India to travel, work or reside in any part of the country, this form of discrimination threatens that very freedom from time to time. I think it is the separation of states based on linguistic majority, that allows for politics that promote this regionalism. The best example of such politics of course is the recent news about comments from politician Raj Thackeray which enraged a lot of North Indians. Yet again it managed to divide a united city of Mumbai.
Today, as a citizen of free India, when I think of the above words I start to think "Are we Indians secular or racist ?". I think its one choice that each of us has to make consciously. I choose to be secular and hope that it is so for the rest of my countrymen.
The constitution of India went on to use adjectives such as "Secular" for the Republic of India. I grew up reading that definition of the Indian Republic in our text books. However as I grew up and understood the society around me a little better and beyond the text books, I started wondering whether we really are secular people.
It was interesting to note how passionately all the "fairness" creams market themselves on television. Some even talk about reducing 'Melanin' from the skin. My high school science text book talked about the same pigment as an essential ingredient in protecting the human skin against harm from Sun. This means that people living in Tropics naturally ought to have more of it. Yet the overwhelming number of products that claim to reduce the effects of this pigment is surprising. But there should obviously be a good reason why it is so?
The reason, i guess, is our fascination with fair skin. I am not very sure what the roots of this fascination are. It may be due to our colonial past where the English whites were the masters or it may be even the current economic dominance of the Americas and Europe - again areas with largely fairer population. The discrimination based on fair skin is of course not very explicit or rampant as in the past but nevertheless it is present in its own subtle ways.
If the dictionary definition of racism may be extended then, the diversity in India brings in a few more flavours of the same. The English dictionary of course has separate names for these flavours such as casteism, communalism, regionalism. For me though these are simply different flavours of everything wrong that racism stands for.
At the most granular level is Casteism. This is one form of discrimination which is the most Legal everywhere. Indian has several different castes and a history of several centuries of discrimination based on castes. Given this history it is one form of discrimination which should perhaps be banned and it is. However the very constitution which defines India as secular, leaves wide and deliberate gaps to allow discrimination based on caste. This gap is called "Reservation". Reservation for the backward castes in education and jobs. A welcome move 60 years ago when India got its independence and this discrimination was rampant. It was hailed as one move that will present opportunity to the "backward" classes of the society move ahead be seen as equal with rest of India.
60 years is a long period. Most of the first few babies born in independent India have now retired from their jobs. Some have become grand parents. Two generations have come into being since. One would have expected that the equality of castes would now be well established. Yet it remains a problem ingrained in our society. In some parts of India like the remote villages of the underdeveloped states, I would view the lack of political will that manages to divide the society based on this "caste" mentality. On the other hand in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, its the legal "Reservation" that promotes this divide.
For 15 years of my childhood I viewed my classmates as friends and fellow students. We all respected each other for our abilities and strengths and helped each other overcome weaknesses. But when it was time to secure admission to the best education institutes after school - I came face to face with "reservation". Separate admission list for the "Reserved" and "General" category. I was left wondering - we all grew up in similar neighbourhoods, we all went to similar schools, we all gave the same exam, and we all worked hard to get our grades,then why these separate lists? That question of course has several debates and answers in favour and against. For me though this question marked the introduction to casteism and the feeling of being discriminated against - even when I myself never discriminated against anyone. The biggest disappointment was, not that there was discrimination, but the fact that it was all legal. The children of the poor and underprivileged have to struggle hard to get educated. This struggle is theirs to face, and it is so, irrespective of the caste they belong to. Yet the outdated basis of "reservation" continues to be. It begs the question,"Is caste discrimination Legal in India ?" I think this question will continue to have an ambiguous answer for some time to come.
If casteism was not enough to divide the society, then there is another form of discrimination which comes to haunt us. Perhaps in a worst way then it should. That is communalism - specifically based on religion. While I take pride to say that India is home to followers of most religions available in the world, its sad that this difference is sometimes the cause of unnecessary turmoil. This word reminds me of the times when I walked on streets under fear of rioting mobs. This situation has been perhaps best brought out in Mani ratnam's movie Bombay. India has had to witness several riots over the years, for various reasons. The two big ones (1984 and 1992-93) that I witnessed were communal in nature. It is suffice to say that when this communalism raises its ugly head, the melting pot and economic capital of the country, definitely burns....
Then of course is regionalism, a form of discrimination which is not as obvious as the previous two. Even though there is nothing preventing a citizen of India to travel, work or reside in any part of the country, this form of discrimination threatens that very freedom from time to time. I think it is the separation of states based on linguistic majority, that allows for politics that promote this regionalism. The best example of such politics of course is the recent news about comments from politician Raj Thackeray which enraged a lot of North Indians. Yet again it managed to divide a united city of Mumbai.
Today, as a citizen of free India, when I think of the above words I start to think "Are we Indians secular or racist ?". I think its one choice that each of us has to make consciously. I choose to be secular and hope that it is so for the rest of my countrymen.
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