A VERY NICE STORY WITH A GOOD MORAL….A GOOD MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM SAI GROUP… I AM SHARING WITH YOU ALL.

Natarajan.

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes.

Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates,

So the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended….

The teacher asked: “How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?” The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: “This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???”

Moral of the story: Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take!

True love is not loving a perfect person but loving an imperfect person perfectly!!

Few items from my old account note book!!!!!… Account note book for household expenditure was maintained when myself and my wife started our life after marriage in the early 1979…. i was in Bangalore at that time.. THE good old book reveals the cost of living then in a city like Bangalore!!!!..
After receiving the shock of electricity bill for APRIL AND MAY 2012 together with the super shocker of PETROL PRICE HIKE ON 23 MAY 2012 , i scanned thro MY account note book of 1979 and was wondering myself whether those days would comeback!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LET me share the cost of items recorded in that old note book for you to enjoy!!!!!

Morning breakfast …RS 1. 45…. TRAIN TICKET TO MADRAS RS.18.15….LUNCH FOR ONE PERSON .. RS. 1.70 ….COFEE FOR TWO RS. ….1.00……KUMUDAM ..TAMIL WEEKLY… 0.55 … AUTO FARE TO CANTT. STATION FROM INDIRA NAGAR RS.2.50….
PETROL FOR SCOOTER 5 LITRES. RS 22.00….SOAP ANS SHAMPOO…RS 8.50….BUS TICKET…LUXURY COACH… FROM MADRAS TO BANGALORE RS.50 FOR TWO PERSONS….. COFFEE AT BANGALORE AIRPORT RESTAURANT… RS.4.50… FOR TWO PERSONS… SUGAR 1KG…RS 2.20….APPLE IKG.. RS.6.00 … MILK COUPON BOOK FOR 1 MONTH…RS.33.10….SUJI WHITE.1KG.RS.2.20…CHUTNEYDHALL 1KG..RS 4.00….COFFEE POWDER HALF KG..RS 9.00…KEROSENE 5 LITERES RSRS 7.00 TIL OIL {NALLA ENNAI} 1 LIT.. RS 10…. THE HINDU PAPER RS 13.50 FOR A MONTH…WHEAT FLAVOUR 1KG.RS.1.60 TOOR DHAL 1KG 5.15…
SALT 1KG. 0.40… RICE 1 KG .RS 2.20…PETROL 3 LIT. RS 13.30..!!!!!!! BOURNVITA RS.14.85….GROUNDNUT OIL 1 KG. RS 8.90
BUTTER 500 GRAM….RS 5.75…..

Same account note book shows my takehome salary{net] RS.829.10 FOR APRIL 1979…!!!!!!. MY GROSS SALARY WAS AROUND RS 12OO AS CLASS TWO OFFICER WITH 3 YEARS SERVICE AT THAT TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Looking back i am admiring our life at that time and the value of MONEY those days…. What is so great in earning FIVE DIGIT SALARY EVERY MONTH now AND SPENDING MINIMUM 3 DIGIT AMOUNT FOR ONETIME LUNCH OR BREAKFAST for one person AND 4 DIGIT FIGURES FOR EVERY OTHER NEEDS OF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????….

Need of the day is stabilty in cost of living … any increase in emoluments SANS a check on the expenditure level….espicially on the basic needs of life like food , shelter . education and transportation, medical etc , has no meaning at all… . I am given to understand that SINGAPORE is able to control its cost of living of SINGAPOREANS by maintaining
the PRICELEVEL of almost all commodities incuding ESSENTIALS OF LIFE for more than a decade now!!!!!!!!!!! THAT IS THE BEST ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT…you see the value of $SG today against our INR …. Today ONE $SG is equvilent to RS 44 OF OURS …NO WONDER ONE DAY $SG MAY EVEN SURPASS AMERICAN $ !!!!!…..I wish one day we should be in a position reverse the present day situation with an equation of ONE INR = $SG 44 OR $US 56 …. I AM LOOKING FORWARD FOR THAT D DAY!!!!!!….

Natarajan

,

SOURCE…THE HINDU… METRO PLUS …21 MAY 2012

A NICE ARTICLE IN THE HINDU…. A POINT TO PONDER….
Natarajan

Old is gold, it is always said. When I was a five-year old, some 55 years ago, my elders said their olden days were gold. Today, my son, who is around 30, says, “old is gold.”

I always wonder why everyone’s olden days are better than their present. Old music and songs were good. Old films were outstanding. Old clothings were of better quality. Old craftsmanship was worthier. Old silk sarees were good. In the olden days, food was of high standards. Old vessels and wares were of high quality.

Old teachers were excellent. Old schools were better centres of learning. Old furniture pieces were more appealing. Old houses were user-friendly, airy and well ventilated. Old games with minimum but crude gadgets were more enchanting. The old All India Radio entertained us all with high quality programmes. Old friendships were more reliable. Old wine was tasty. Why this old kolaveri di and da? Is it something to do with one’s psyche? No. It cannot be brushed off or wished away simply like that. Old is, and was, really gold. But why?

Times are changing fast. Values are eroding. Goodness is replaced and it is now measured by smartness to get on with life. We have become excessively vigilant, touchy and more suspicious for no real reason. Today, we frisk everyone, inwardly at least. We take things with a pinch of salt. Though today’s material comforts — that could not even be dreamt of a decade ago — are aplenty, still something is amiss about life. What is it? Peace? Happiness?

Peace prevailed earlier, despite wars. There was trust. There was hope. People relaxed better. There was no clamour for things that one did not possess. The absence of those, that were not deemed essential to own, never made any difference to a happy life.

There was contentment. Competition was less cut-throat. There was concern, affection and true bonding. There was togetherness. More important, people were patient. No doubt, there were poverty and scarcity, paucity and difficulty. But there was beauty in life and comity among all. Disputes were quickly and amicably sorted out. Courts had fairly less business.

When China invaded us in the early 1960s, there was acute rationing of essentials. Sugar disappeared. But people were happy with jaggery. Wheat replaced rice in many south Indian families as a one-time staple food. Fasting and starving were daily affairs. People helped each other. There was a total blackout and people went without power for days on end. There was camaraderie.

Places of worship were serene and tranquil. There was no terror harboured, either in the mind or for real. All communities co-existed amicably and people waited for better times. They tolerated deficiencies in others and accommodated idiocies, shortcomings and pitfalls of others. They took oddities in their stride without murmur. Rank consumerism was non-existent.

Families were big and joint family was the norm. There were guests to partake of food and there was readiness to share whatever one had. Rains were original and smiles were natural. Air was fresh. There were few privileges to enjoy. Yet life was complete, meaningful and wholesome. People lent money to the needy without documents and paper. Debts were written off without protests and contests. Times were timeless. Values were invaluable and principles were priceless.

The main door of our house, located at the fag end of our small town in Andhra Pradesh, was never locked except during night. Windows were open 24 hours of the day. There were no double grills for the main door. We knew everyone in the town, though by nicknames (only the postman knew the real names). Today, not knowing the neighbour is an etiquette and norm. Privacy is mistaken for liberty and freedom. One is compelled to look at the tenants’ chart in the apartment complex to know about the neighbours caged in the matchbox apartments.

If it was lunch time, the guest would join us. Strangely, there was always enough food at home at least for one guest. Guests never brought their soaps, towels, hair oil or shaving sets. Visitors came with the minimum and left with the maximum that we could afford and spare for them. Today, it is “me and mine” culture. A guest is the most unwelcome soul, more so when the favourite TV serial is on.

We all walked to the school, miles away, barefoot in the scorching sun. We never felt the pain. There were tragedies in families. People took them in their stride. No one rushed to the media. The media were more responsible and mature. Silly stories were never entertained. There was no sensationalism. Natural calamities did occur and sufferings were more severe. Yet people breathed easy. Even one-plus-one families are suffocating today. There were not many telephones. Mobiles were non-existent. Yet, people conversed joyously.

There were no high-cc two-wheelers. Yet friends met each other every day. There were no superfast buses or trains. (Forget the planes). A 40-km travel took three hours. Yet none complained. Doctors were few and far between. Diseases were many. No big hospitals, leave alone super-speciality facilities, for miles and miles. No one grumbled.

There was give and take, and there were real tears during hard times. Roads were free of flashy four-wheelers. Dresses were tailor-made and not readymade. Hoteliers served fresh food. Food was never refrigerated. Fruit juices were fresh, never tinned. Home food was oven-hot, never re-heated.

Today, it is use and throw, be it a battery, a gadget, a gear, father or mother. Those days, it was use, remember and respect. Old homes of the past are old-age homes now. Donations to charities and orphanages are bountiful now. Temples are mushrooming in every colony. Yet, humanity is drying up, and about divinity, the less said the better.

Charity began at home then. Even beggars were dignified. They were humble and never greedy. People were self-made. They are self-centred now. Family elders were philosophers, guides and counsellors. Today, there are counsellors for every non-issue, at a price. Psychiatrists were unheard of then. Today, they proliferate, one for every two disturbed persons.

Health was not a worrisome issue. It is a psychic issue now. We market ill-health in so many names today. Medicines are a “buy-one take-two (diseases?) formula” now. Divorces were few and far between. Every wedding anniversary is a milestone now.

There was commitment in what one did those days.

There is commerce in every thing we do today. There are Valentine’s Day, sisters day, fathers day, mothers day, friends day, doctors day, nurses day, husbands day, wives day, water day, sparrows day, diabetes day, AIDS day, TB day and every other day. There were only Mondays, Tuesdays and so on earlier. Forget the past, someone said. Why should one? Is it because the present is unbearable that the mind should not be tortured with the glory of the past? It is said not for nothing that old is gold.

(pushpasaran@yahoo.co.in)

SOURCE… YAHOO FINANCE…

Seventeen dirty tricks normally played on prospective Buyers by Sellers… it is for us to safeguard ourselves from these traps…

Let us play safe in any procurement….you can not blame the seller after you are committed…. so think twice before any investment or procurement…

Natarajan

Imagine! On a dewy summer morning, as you return from your morning walk, you are greeted by your bank statement. The steep charges for your debit card, which you were not aware of, have you in a state of shock. You go to the bank to confront its staff, where you bump into your friend, who tells you that he has just booked a fixed deposit at 9 per cent. Your misery compounds-only yesterday did you book one at 7 percent, with the pushy banker giving no indication of this alternative. Even as you are recovering from the twin shock, your wife calls to tell you that she has been evicted from her flight as the airline said it could not ‘accommodate’ her. So she had to shell out a good three grand to buy another air-ticket.
Enough, you think! On your way back, you think you could do with some good news. You call up your real estate agent to inquire if you will get the possession of your flat on the promised date, but he comes up with a lame excuse.
Does all this sound like a series of horrible coincidences? Well, it definitely is one. Although the law of probability ensures that no individual shall suffer so much mental trauma in the span of a day, at some point in our lives, most of us are at the receiving end of each of them. The single thread that runs through these forgettable experiences is that all of them either cause damage to your finances, or make you miss out on the advantages that were there for the taking. And, each time, someone’s has got the better of you. The world outside is a minefield of deception and double-dealing.
No sooner do you throw caution to the wind than you turn vulnerable to dirty tricks-unethical practices of sellers where they push a financial product or service at your expense, often to save their own skin. Even in sectors as strongly regulated as mutual funds and banking, such practices are rampant. And they are even more common in sectors like real estate, which do not have a watchdog. On the following pages, we blow the lid off 17 such dirty tricks, discuss how they can wreak havoc on your finances and, more importantly, tell you how you can outsmart the sales personnel when he tries to take you for a ride again.

1. Banking: High debit card charges

Blame it on their stiff sales targets, but it’s very unlikely to come across sales personnel who will reveal the annual charges on a debit card at the time of account opening without you asking for it. Ditto for a debit card upgrade.
The damage. A high-end debit card has a slew of features, but it comes at a high cost, typically Rs 500-1,000 per year against Rs100 for a basic card. Often, you end up paying for services that you do neither require nor use.
The pre-emptive strike. While opening a savings bank account, fill out the application form yourself and read the details, including the fine print, carefully. Inquire about the annual charges on the debit card and cross-check it with what’s mentioned on the bank’s website. In case of upgrades, check the charges of the card concerned on the bank’s website and confirm that with the bank.

2. Fixed deposits Fixated on attracting capital

In the hunt for deposits, banks often advertise their best fixed deposit (FD) rates. Few know that those attractive rates are seldom for popular periods, such as six months or a year. For example, a major private bank gives an interest rate of 9.25 per cent on an FD booked for 1 year 16 days. However, for periods between 1 year 17 days and two years, the rate comes down to 8.50 per cent. Need we say more?
The damage. The unsuspecting customer will book an FD for periods such as six months or a year. By being unaware of this disparity in rates, he will miss out on the high returns that the bank offers, albeit as a trap.
The pre-emptive strike. Don’t book an FD without a long and hard look at the interest rate chart. That will fetch you the best possible interest rate for a tenure around your requirement zone. Before booking an FD, check the rates, across tenures, on the bank’s website.
SMART TIPS
– While opening a savings bank account, fill out the application form yourself and read the details, including the fine print, carefully
– Don’t book a bank fixed deposit without a long and hard look at the interest rate chart that banks display
3. Too many loan applications…

Direct sales agents (DSAs) are an endangered species, but they sure know how to flourish on your hard-earned money. When you apply for a loan through a DSA, he would, seemingly in earnest, encourage you to apply to many lenders, citing greater probability of getting a loan. And, innocent as you are, you give him several cheques as processing fee for each application. His cut: commission from the bank’s processing fee.
The damage. Besides paying processing fee to multiple lenders, you also end up doing near-irreversible damage to your credit history-applying for multiple lines of credit across lenders reflects a huge appetite for borrowed money.
The pre-emptive strike. Apply for a loan only when you satisfy all the eligibility criteria, and file an application with just one lender. If your application is rejected, find out the reasons. If there are things affecting your loan eligibility, rectify them first before you approach another lender.
SMART TIPS
– Apply for a loan only when you satisfy all the eligibility criteria, and file an application with just one lender
– Fix a reasonable credit limit on your add-on card and insist on SMS alerts for spends made through your primary as well as add-on card

4. Add-on cards: More ain’t merrier

When you apply for a credit card, the bank’s sales personnel are the sweetest guys on the planet. In fact, very often, they will even volunteer to fill out the form for you. What they sometimes do stealthily, however, is mark the box under the add-on card category. As a result, you receive an add-on card along with your credit card even though you never wanted one.
The damage. If you are not careful with spends on your add-on cards, it’s likely that you will be on a sticky wicket while clearing off the credit card bill before the due date. Besides, even if your spends (on primary and add-on cards) exceed your credit limit by a whisker, you will have to pay over-limit charges, which could be very high.
The pre-emptive strike. It’s best to fill out the credit card application yourself. But should you succumb to the lure of the sales personnel filling it out for you, be there in person when he is doing so. On the application form, strike off things you don’t require. And if you really require an add-on card for a family member, ensure that its holder is briefed about proper credit card usage. Importantly, fix a reasonable credit limit on your add-on card and insist on alerts through SMS/email for spends made through your primary as well as add-on card.

5. Insurance: Mis-selling of endowment plans

Thanks to a dearth of pension products in the country, insurance agents often mis-sell endowment policies to the same policyholder year after year, citing a regular income stream after retirement. Their cut: commission on every policy sold.
The damage. An endowment policy takes at least 6-7 years to break even, courtesy the high costs attached with the product. What that effectively means is that you keep giving the insurance company wads of cash in lieu of a measly sum assured (SA) and low returns.
The pre-emptive strike. Eschew the temptation to invest through endowment policies as they typically offer returns of 6-7 per cent per annum (p.a.). If you are risk-averse, go for Public Provident Fund (PPF)-it currently offers 8.6 per cent p.a. However, those open to risk can look at systematic investment plans (SIPs) in equity mutual funds (MFs) to negate the impact of inflation over the long term.

6. Insurance: Miss-selling health plans

Not many are aware of the benefits of a family floater (FF) policy, which is way cheaper than an individual health plan (IHP). Taking advantage of this, many agents sell separate IHPs for all family members. The motive: selling more policies means more commission.
The damage. Though IHPs serve the purpose of health insurance well in case of a mishap or an illness, the flip side is that you end up paying a much greater amount in premiums compared to what you would have paid for an FF policy.
The pre-emptive strike. Prefer an FF policy to an IHP. In an FF policy, the proposer can get health coverage for his spouse and children (up to 21 years old). If you have already bought an IHP, you can supplement your health cover with an FF, and include family members and dependents in it.

7. Insurance: Bypassing medical check-ups

While selling life covers, agents often advise you to keep the sum assured low so that you can dodge medical tests. That’s because if the results are unfavourable, the underwriter (insurance company) can decline the policy, and the agent will miss out on commission income.
The damage. There is nothing more nightmarish than your family struggling to make its ends meet after you have hit the proverbial bucket. An insufficient cover defeats the whole purpose of buying insurance.
The pre-emptive strike. Go for a higher cover even it means undergoing medical tests. There is nothing scary about it anyway-even if an ailment is discovered, it will make sure that your claim is not repudiated at a later stage.
SMART TIPS
Eschew the temptation to invest in endowment policies since they typically offer measly returns of 6-7 per cent per annum
– Go for a bigger life insurance cover even it means undergoing medical tests

8. Stocks: Fixed brokerage per trade

Intensifying competition has brought out the ingenious in e-brokers. Recently, many e-brokers have introduced fixed brokerage per trade. This means that for every transaction you are charged a fixed brokerage, irrespective of the number of shares you buy.
The damage. What the brokerages don’t reveal is that even if you buy one share, you will have to pay the fixed commission. Suppose you place an order for 200 shares at the face value of `20 each, but are allotted just one share. With the commission fixed at `10 per order, you will be paying 50 per cent of the share price towards it.
The pre-emptive strike. If you want to invest in low-volume stocks, avoid fixed commission contracts as partially filled orders will increase your overall brokerage cost. You can also operate two different brokerage accounts: one for small-caps and the other for large-caps. This will bring down the overall cost of transaction.

9. Mutual Funds: Demanding multiple cheques

Investments of Rs10,000 and above in mutual funds (MFs) attract a transaction charge of Rs100, which is pocketed by MF distributors. As a result, distributors often mislead investors into giving separate cheques for the same amount. When thirty-year old IT professional Ashish Ranjan wanted to invest Rs 50,000 in tax-saving MFs, the agent advised him to write five cheques of Rs 10,000. Ranjan realised that he had been deceived when he saw his account statement-it showed units amounting to Rs 49,500, with Rs 500 going towards transaction charge.
The damage. Agents usually say that they want separate cheques so that they can time the market for you. But it’s you who has to bear the brunt of an inordinately high transaction charge.
The pre-emptive strike. Invest in MFs through one cheque. If your distributor insists on multiple cheques, ensure that each cheque is for less than Rs 10,000. Alternatively, invest directly with the fund house or the registrar and transfer agent (R&T) to avoid any transaction charge.

10. Rigged Application Forms

Binay Kumar, 40, a government employee, visited an R&T office in Patna to make some investments. He was handed a systematic investment plan (SIP) application form with the stamp code of a national distributor. Kumar had absolutely no idea that an application form with an ARN (AMFI registration number) code will attract a transaction charge as he was investing directly through the R&T office. For another lump sum investment that he wanted to make in an existing folio, he was given a transaction form that had written in very small type: “Pay commission to existing broker”. Kumar ended up paying a transaction charge on both his investments even though he did not seek the services of a broker.
The damage. Such malpractices, where an R&T agent is in cahoots with agents, are relatively rare in bigger cities where customers are more aware. Should you fall into the trap, you will end up paying transaction charge, a significant sum.
The pre-emptive strike. When investing directly with a fund house or the R&T office, check the application form for any stamps, small type, and such like.

11. Dangling the dividend bait

Distributors persuade you to buy an MF scheme on the pretext that it is that likely to declare dividends soon.
The damage. If you buy the logic, you will end up investing in schemes that do little to facilitate the achievement of your financial goals. Unlike dividends from stocks, dividends from mutual fund schemes are something of a misnomer-you don’t get anything extra because the scheme’s net asset value (NAV) comes down in proportion to the dividend distributed.
The pre-emptive strike. Select a mutual fund scheme based on its long-term performance and don’t fall for dividends.
SMART TIPS
– When investing directly with a fund house or the R&T office, check the application form for any stamps, small type, and such like
– Select a mutual fund scheme based on its long-term performance and don’t fall for dividends

Real Estate

Probably no other sector is ridden with as many sales spiels as real estate. With commissions directly linked to sales, it is a notorious world of hard sell.

12. Glorifying the property’s location
Real estate agents often claim that the upcoming residential project is close to a proposed airport or metro station, which will provide it with excellent connectivity in future.
The damage. The completion of infrastructure projects often faces long delays. If the project in which you have booked meets the same fate, you will need to hold on to your investment for a long time before you actually see any meaningful increase in capital values.
The pre-emptive strike. Take a look at the project details on the website of the authority concerned. Besides checking things such as the expected completion date, look at the track record of the authority in charge of the implementation. Visit the location for a first-hand idea of the progress.

13. Hurrying you up
With half-truths and full lies, such as ‘few flats left’ and ‘book before prices go up”, the real estate agent is trying to get a psychological advantage over you. Misleading lines like this make the innocuous customer feel that he might miss the bus.
The damage. If you believe these claims and go ahead and book a property, you run the risk making a mess of your house purchase budget.
The pre-emptive strike. First, check how busy the real estate agent is-usually, it is a good indicator of the truth. Second, gauge the progress on the construction site. A project that’s in demand and has people lining up for it should also witness some activity on the ground. Finally, check the movement of capital values in the locality over the past one year. If they are increasing at a higher rate than in other areas of the city, and you can’t find the reason for it, give the property a miss.

14. Promising possession in a year
Agents and developers often promise possession of the property within a year of your booking it. What’s important to understand here is that when you invest in an underconstruction property, you cannot avoid the associated risk of project delay.
The damage. A hasty decision here has the potential to derail your wealth-creation process. Those buying their first house with a loan find themselves in an even tighter spot as besides servicing the home loan, they also need to pay rents. Moreover, the amount of compensation that developers promise to pay in case of a delay (according to the ‘Agreement To Sell’) is a pittance. Delays often result in cost over-runs and, if that happens, your budget might bulge out of your comfort zone.
The pre-emptive strike. Always prefer a ready-to-move-in project, even if it comes at a premium. If you cannot find one, look for a house where the developer promises delivery in 6-12 months. And don’t forget to check the builder’s background and reputation. If the firm is listed on the stock exchange, check its current financial position. Also, stick with projects that are funded through the foreign direct investment (FDI) route-their financial closure typically happens on time.

15. Guaranteeing assured return

A common practice in the commercial property space, here, the developer promises an assured return on your investment. Truth is, the developer is aiming to raise funds at a cheaper rate compared to, say, borrowing from banks and other lending institutions.
The damage. By investing in the project, you are taking not only construction risk but also market risk. If the developer fails to give you the assured return, there is not much you can do. Moreover, according to the Income Tax Act, 1961, the assured return offered by developers is considered as interest income under the head ‘income from other sources’. Thus, you are not allowed to claim standard deduction of 30 per cent on it, which you could have claimed on rental income from a tenant.
The pre-emptive strike. Do not fall prey to such marketing gimmicks. If you have spare cash and you are looking for an assured return, invest in bank FDs, which currently offer similar interest rates as developers.
SMART TIPS
– Always prefer a ready-to-move-in project, even if it comes at a premium. If you can’t find one, look for a house where the developer promises delivery in 6-12 months
– Don’t fall prey to the gimmick of assured returns for real estate

16. Travel: Putting you through flight
In the past, there have been several instances of airlines evicting passengers from a flight despite their having a valid air-ticket. Says Rajesh Rateria, chairperson, western region, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), and director, Cirrus Travels, a travel company: “During the peak season, airlines usually overbook flights to the extent of 100-120 per cent as they know that people do not show up on some routes during certain hours.” If they book seats in tune with the aircraft’s capacity, often they will have to fly with empty seats due to last-minute cancellations.
The damage. Such an event will not only throw your travel plan out of whack and cause mental trauma, but also result in additional expense for you. There have been instances where passengers had to shell out money, over and above the original price of the air-ticket, after being stranded at the airport.
The pre-emptive strike. Ho-hum! At the risk of sounding boring, we advise you to check the airline’s compensation policy before you book a ticket with it. Says Jehangir Gai, joint secretary, Consumer Welfare Association, an organisation providing guidance to consumers on various issues: “In India, compensation is provided to a passenger only if he demands for it. Recently, the director general of civil aviation issued a circular to all the airlines, directing them to compensate passengers for flight delays.” Also, make sure that you reach the airport well within time (i.e., 45 minutes and two hours before the check-in time for domestic and international flights, respectively).

17. Deceptive packaging
With holidays few and far between and life getting increasingly hectic, an attractive travel package gets our attention immediately. What doesn’t, however, is that there is no dearth of tour operators who overpromise and under-deliver. And, very often, you might have to pay for services that you assumed were free before you started the trip.
The damage. If the deal is not genuine, you might have to settle for sub-standard accommodation. Worse, the tour operator may skip a few places that were part of the original itinerary, or may ask you to pay extra.
The pre-emptive strike. Gai says: “Whether or not action can be taken would depend on the evidence in each case.” Before you start the journey, get the itinerary from the tour operator. It should have a list of exclusions under the package. Keep a copy of all the communication that has happened between you and the tour operator. Should you decide to approach the consumer court later, this will come in handy. Remember, it’s advisable to go for renowned and established players-usually they are more transparent when it comes to stating the exclusions upfront. All in all, it boils down to two things: not taking anyone at their word and being able to spot whenever someone tries to pull a fast one on you. Because it’s okay to be suspicious in a ruthless world.
SMART TIPS
– Check the airline’s compensation policy before you book a ticket with it – Before you start the journey, get the itinerary from the tour operator
– Go for renowned and established players while choosing a tour operator.
SOURCE… YAHOO FINANCE…..
(Contributors: By Ashwini Kumar Sharma, Kundan Kishore, Pheji Phalguhnan, Puneesh Garg, Naveen Kumar & Teena Jain Kaushal)
@YahooINFinance

SOURCE … THE HINDU… METROPLUS

Natarajan

From push carts to parlours, R.G. Chandramogan has built his ice cream empire bar by bar. HE is the man behind Arun and Ibaco

Juggling an ice cream in one hand and a notebook and pen in another isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially when you have to take down notes between mouthfuls of waffle cone. This is what I do when I meet R.G. Chandramogan at his office and start a conversation over an Arun ice cream as he traces the journey and growth of his company Hatsun Agro Products.

When Chandramogan was a school boy he would unfailingly put aside money for ice cream. Thirty-seven paise would be saved for an ice lolly and even though flavours weren’t many except vanilla, pineapple and strawberry, that was enough to bring a blissful smile to his lips.

Little did he know then that two decades down the line he would have an ice cream empire of his own. Surely, this is how Charlie must have felt when he inherited the chocolate factory. But in Chandramogan’s case he built it right from scratch, brick by brick or rather bar by bar.

“With a limited capital of Rs.13,000 I had to start something. So I started Arun ice cream in 1970. I was 21 then,” says Chandramogan. The factory was just an unassuming little place in Tondiarpet where three or four people worked and manually produced about 20 litres of ice cream per day. Ten paise candy was their first variety of ice cream and it was sold through push carts. Today of course it’s a different story. The automatic equipment produces 50,000 litres to 75,000 litres of ice cream per day.

Like most success stories that are laced with phases of initial struggle, his story too saw him plough through early hardships in the business. “We struggled a lot in the first 10 years. The top three players then were Dasaprakash, Joy and Kwality. They were financially ahead and had a bigger market. I lacked knowledge about marketing. I am not a graduate. So while I was struggling I did a course in marketing management, export management and personal management from Sabari College. In the first year our turnover was Rs.1,15,000. From 1981 we started growing and in 1991 Arun recorded a turnover of Rs. 3 crore,” he says.

Chandramogan began catering to ships, messes, colleges. Slowly he branched out to Pondicherry, Madurai, Sivakasi and Kumbakonam where his ice creams were a novelty and the other brands hadn’t yet tapped these markets.

While frozen dessert lovers were lapping up whatever came from the stables of Arun, Chandramogan busied himself with another venture — the dairy business. In 1995 he started Arokya milk. “We were procuring milk for our ice creams and so this idea came about. Today Arokya sees an annual turnover of Rs. 1,300 crores. We also manufacture butter, milk powder, ghee and curd. We are associated with 3,50,000 farmers and buy milk from 8,000 villages. We operate from nine different factories and our people travel 4,20,000 km to collect and distribute milk,” he adds. Hatsun dairy products are available across the country.

Hatsun has its dairy plants in Kanchipuram, Palacode, Salem, Madurai, Belgaum, Honnali. As for its ice cream, apart from Tamil Nadu they also have a plant in Seychelles. How does Arun sell in Seychelles, a market for other popular international ice cream brands? “We have a 70 per cent share of ice cream market in Seychelles. In Brunei we have a distributor who buys and sells our ice creams and there we are among the top four brands,” says the seasoned entrepreneur.

In 2012, Hatsun started yet another ice cream brand, Ibaco. This is the posh cousin of Arun ice cream and is based on the ice cream-by-scoop model. “Arun is a factory finished product and comes in cones, cups and sticks. As for Ibaco, it’s the scoop variety. You walk into an Ibaco parlour, choose the flavour and get it dressed with toppings. As of now Ibaco is available in Chennai, Bengaluru and Delhi. By next year I’ll be taking it to Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata,” says Chandramogan.

But the launch of a new brand in no way means that Arun has been ignored. This season Arun’s got quite a few new flavours to pep up its range. There’s Berry Storm, Vanilla with Chocolate Fudge, Lemon Bar, Cream and Cookies among others. With myriad options available his favourite still remains the classic Arun chocolate cone. “Earlier I used to eat an ice cream every day. Now I try out ice creams when I travel to get a taste of competing brands,” he smiles.

After a day of cream, dairy and deals, how does he unwind? “I go to the gym, read books. Earlier I used to play badminton. I was a fan of the game and would go to watch Prakash Padukone play at tournaments. I even like watching tennis especially when Roger Federer plays. I am going to London to watch him play in November.” Who knows maybe the Swiss player could be roped in as the brand ambassador for Hatsun? Now that’s a thought!

***

Hatsun produces 18 lakh to 20 lakh litres of milk per day. Twelve lakh litres are used up for milk and milk products. Sixty thousand litres are used for ice cream. The remaining is used for ghee and skimmed milk.

SOURCE: UNKNOWN…

Natarajan

9 Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime very soon……..
……………………………………………………………..

**Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to
them. But, ready or not, here they come.

1. **The Post Office**
Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in
financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term.
Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed

to keep the post office alive.
Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.

2. **The Cheque**
Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with cheque by 2018. It
costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process cheques.

Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of
the cheque. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you
never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post

office would absolutely go out of business.

3. **The Newspaper **
The younger generation simply doesn’t read the newspaper. They certainly
don’t subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of

the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready
to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused
all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have

met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a
model for paid subscription services.

4. **The Book **
You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand

and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music
from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I
discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving

home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You
can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you
buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the

convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of
the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can’t wait to see what
happens next, and you forget that you’re holding a gadget instead of a book.

5.** The Land Line Telephone **
Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don’t
need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they’ve always had it.
But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell

phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider
for no charge against your minutes

6.** **Music **
This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is

dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It’s the lack
of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would
like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and

the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music
purchased today is “catalogue items,” meaning traditional music that the
public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on

the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic
further, check out the book, “Appetite for Self-Destruction” by Steve
Knopper, and the video documentary, “Before the Music Dies.”

7.** Television **
Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the
economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers.
And they’re playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the

time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated
down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are
skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I

say good riddance to most of it. It’s time for the cable companies to be
put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online
and through Netflix.

8.** The “Things” That You Own **

Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives,
but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in
“the cloud.” Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your

pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD,
and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing.
Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest “cloud

services.” That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will
be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS
will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open

something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to
the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud
provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books,

or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That’s the good news.
But, will you actually own any of this “stuff” or will it all be able to
disappear at any moment in a big “Poof?” Will most of the things in our

lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet
and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD
case and pull out the insert.

9. **Privacy **

If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it
would be privacy. That’s gone. It’s been gone for a long time anyway. There
are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into

your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, “They” know
who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the
Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion

profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. “They” will try
to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
**
And moreover,.once we have pets in our home, and move with them daily,

we just forget our tension & worries for a while,as a way of diversion
and the pets do get some of our qualities sometime.

All we will have left that can’t be changed are “Memories”.
And then probably Alzheimers will take that away from you too !*

Once upon a time there was a girl who had four boyfriends.

She loved the fourth boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.

She also loved the third boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.

She also loved her second boyfriend. He was her confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.

The girl’s first boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend, although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him!

One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, ‘I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, will I be alone.’

Thus, she asked the fourth boyfriend, ‘I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?
‘No way!’, replied the fourth boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.

His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

The sad girl then asked the third boyfriend, ‘I loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?’ ‘No!’, replied the third boyfriend. ‘Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to marry someone else!’ Her heart sank and turned cold.

She then asked the second boyfriend, ‘I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!’, replied the second boyfriend. ‘At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.’
His answer struck her Like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.

Then a voice called out: ‘I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.’ The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the girl said, ‘I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!’

In truth, you have four boyfriends in your lives:

Your fourth boyfriend is your body. No matter how much time and effort you lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die.

Your third boyfriend is your possessions, status and wealth.When you die, it will all go to others.

Your second boyfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.

And your first boyfriend is your spirit. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, your spirit is the only thing that will follow you where ever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity.

and,

Thought for the day: Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you’re in the perfect position to pray.

Being happy doesn’t mean everything’s perfect. It means you’ve decided to see beyond the imperfections.

SOURCE….UNKNOWN…

Natarajan.

Dealing with insult…..

All our Epics explain how to handle insult and maintain compassion.
One day a Saint was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him. “You have no right teaching others,” he shouted. “You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake.”

Saint was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?”

The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”

The Saint smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.”

“If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy. But when you love others, everyone is happy……”

AND , SOME QUOTABLE QUOTES…..

If you are right then there is no need to get angry.
If you are wrong then you don’t have any right to get angry!

Patience with family is love…
Patience with others is respect…
Patience with one self is confidence…
and Patience with GOD is faith…

Never Think Hard about THE PAST,
It brings Tears…
Don’t Think more about THE FUTURE,
It brings Fears…
Live this Moment with a Smile…
It brings Cheers.

Every test in our life makes us bitter or better,
Every problem comes to make us or break us,
Choice is ours whether we become victim or victorious!

Search a beautiful heart not a beautiful face…
Beautiful things are not always good…
but good things are always beautiful…

Remember God is like a pressed flower in your Notebook.
It may not have any fragrance
but will remind you of HIS existence forever in your life!

Do you know why God created gaps between fingers?
So that someone who is special to you comes and fills those gaps by holding your hands forever!

SOURCE…..unknown….

NATARAJAN
–

source…unknown…

No one can hurt you without your consent

On the first day, as President Abraham Lincoln entered to give his inaugural address, just in the middle, one man stood up. He was a rich aristocrat . He said, “Mr. Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family .” And the whole Senate laughed; they thought they had made a fool of Abraham Lincoln.

But Lincoln and that type of people are made of a totally different mettle. Lincoln looked at the man and said, ” Sir I know that my father used to make shoes in your house for your family, and there will be many others here…. Because the way he made shoes; nobody else can. He was a creator . His shoes were not just shoes; he poured his whole soul in it. I want to ask you, have you any complaint? Because I know how to make shoes myself. If you have any com plaint
I can make another pair of shoes . But as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my father’s shoes. He was a genius, a great creator and I am proud of my father”.

The whole Senate was struck dumb. They could not understand what kind of man Abraham Lincoln was. He was proud because his father did the job so well that not even a single complaint had ever been heard.

Moral of the story:

“No one can hurt you without your consent.”
” It is not what happens to us that hurts us. It is our response that hurts us.”
__._,_.___

source….THE HINDU 11 may 2012…..an article on the eve of MOTHERS DAY….value of joint family… you may like to read and share .

Natarajan
Mom, super mom…..
In this age of nuclear families, 84-year-old Thankamma Job, mother of 14, basks in the pride of having kept her large family together

Padua House on Beach Road in Fort Kochi is 100 years old. Its century old walls harbour untold tales and unseen times. But closer to our time, in 1974, it was bought by V.V. Job, a coir exporter from Alappuzha. His wife Thankamma and he moved into the beautiful mansion with their children and rechristened it Padua House. It was named after Saint Antony of Padua in whom the couple had immense faith. Soon after moving in they visited the shrine in Italy in thanksgiving. As if in blessing, the couple soon had more children and the big house started buzzing with their prattle. Thankamma Job has14 children.

Raising a family

With nuclear families being the order of the day, Thankamma’s parenting, bearing and raising the children, seems no mean task. She attributes it to God’s blessings.

She had her first baby, a boy, when she was 19. After that, she bore 13 more children with a gap of a year and a half between each. Soon the colonial bungalow was full of voices of little ones playing in the garden, of rooms filled with laughter and tears, of cricket balls crashing through window panes, of football ruining the manicured lawns, of laundry ranging from baby nappies to teenage trousers, of little feet playing hopscotch or screeches of joy having spied the den!

Today the children have grown into men and women with children and grandchildren of their own. A whole generation has moved on. And watching this transition, sitting pretty in her tharavadu, is Thankamma, the big mamma at 84, savouring every moment. She vouches that she is only an “instrument in the Lord’s hand to bring forth and raise the family.” Her faith and love makes her world go round perfectly. “I am very proud of all my children. They help each other, they love each other and they love me the most,” she says proudly. Her daughters-in-law and sons-in-law, too, are in the family mould. “They are God fearing,” she says happily, something she had always wished for.

Thankamma’s confinements were easy; the deliveries normal and at home. A midwife assisted her through them. On raising the little ones, she says, “I raised them on my Christian beliefs. Those days there were a lot of people to help. Nowadays it is difficult.”

Praying together

Her 50-year-old son Antony, who walks in, is received lovingly as, “my naughty one”. He recalls that his mum was strict and loving at the same time. A family rule of praying together in the morning and evening is followed till date. Thankamma played the perfect mother and homemaker, playing hostess to her husband’s business guests, minding over the children’s studies and monitoring the kitchen where the fires were always lit. “My mother was active in the Rotary, also in the Inner Wheel. She used to travel overseas with my father and actively participate in all affairs,” remembers Antony. “These days one is not allowed to beat children,” says Thankamma with disbelief, she not having spared the rod on her boys, when required. “Boys are naughtier,” she says and more difficult to handle. Her advice on strictness is to temper it down with love.

In 1977, recalls Thankamma, her whole family was under this one roof. It was the most beautiful time for her, having her entire family, eating, sharing, laughing and praying together. Xmas and New Year time were other big family affairs. Antony remembers, “When we were growing up, Fort Kochi was a party zone. The Mariner’s Hall used to swing with dances. We boys loved to go there but had to be back in time for midnight mass. Amma was very particular about that.” The boys followed the rule. At the stroke of 12, they were back with the family in prayer and soon rushed back to the dance. It was prayerful togetherness that bound them, or so they all believe. One year, the only one year, when Thankamma was away, the boys took the liberty to stay away at the dance. “That year my father passed away. We feel it was because we did not pray together,” says Antony.

Thankamma took the jolt in her stride, remaining a pillar of strength for her family. She is recently back from Bangalore after attending her great, granddaughter Priyanka’s graduation in medicine. She is proud and happy. The grand lady of parenting says, “It’s love that has kept us together. We are glued to each other.”

As the cliché goes, “Behind every successful man is a woman,” here Thankamma has been the guiding light for her children, grand and great grand children.