Delay your tax payment says Government

Don’t get me wrong this is not our BBMP or Government of India talking. Zug a state of Switzerland has asked its citizens to delay paying taxes for as long as possible. What could be the logic behind this.

NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES – This is not something we are used to. Swiss Banks are asking account holders to pay almost 0.75% to keep the money in the Bank. The same story continues into much of the Eurozone, where the policy rate is negative -0.3%. Many of the Government Bonds are also carrying negative yield. WOW – what a new formula Loan money and also pay money for them to take loan from you. Height of bankruptcy of economic ideas!!

We are going through a hitherto unchartered economic waters where commodity prices are crashing, cash is aplenty, credit and consumer buying is lowest. Result it costs you money to keep your money. Reason – Major economies are moving in a directionless fashion, Fear in the mind of common man is at its speak, Trust is low.

Get out start something new today, don’t wait for ACHE DIN

 

 

 

David Bowie – The Economist

David Bowie’s musical approach was way way ahead of time that people took time to catch up with his thought process. We celebrate disruption and ascribe crazy valuation for disruptive approach. Bowie was master of disruption. Every album was in its own genre. He was Pop, Rock, Jazz and all that was Music. Many of the 80’s and millenial big bands swear by his influence.

From the 60’s when he started off to early last week when he released his last album online,he knew how to reach to his audience. The last album he released from his hospital bed.

What the world did not give him enough credit was for his “Bowie Bonds”. David Bowie securitised the future royalties on his music and issued a US$ 55 mio bonds. Moodys originally rated them Investment grade. He was one of the few artists who knew the time value of money besides knowing the pulse of his audience.

Take a Bow(ie).

Ghrelin-Leptin – The Hunger Games

Let me introduce you to two cousins Ghrelin & Leptin who react to hunger differently. Knowing them will change your life forever.

Ghrelin – Is a hormone that increases your apetite. When your tummy is empty it releases Ghrelin which immediately sends a message to brain asking for refill. This is when you feel the urge to hog.

Leptin – Is a hormone made of a fat cells and can suppress your hunger. So if you have had a good meal it sends a message to the brain to ask you stop eating.

The biggest challenge for the tummy is Ghrelin is stronger than Leptin so many times Leptin’s message is not heeded to by the brain which is why you overeat. If you want to win The Hunger Games and be healthy learn how to manage Ghrelin. By eating certain foods your tummy feels full and will refuse to release Ghrelin they are:

1. Egg
2. Oats
3. Boiled Potatoes
4. Apples

The biggest surprise for me was to learn that Rooibos Tea, a personal favourite of mine, also works.

 

 

Dose, Dosai, Dosha,Dosa Many names Different tastes where did it start

All of us Bengalureans love the sheer originality of the Dose fair you get to taste in town be it the legendary Vidyarthi Bhavan, Janata, CTR, Mylari, Balepet Srikrishna Bhavan, Janardana,  MTR or the several thousands of eateries around town.

Today we try to find out the origins of this humble crispy rice and urad dal combination which all of us grew up on.

One school of thought, based on the study of KT Acharya chronicled in his book “The Story of our Food”, traces its origin to Tamilnadu. There are enough reference  to the Dosa in the Sangam literature of 1 AD, apparently

Another noted historian & researcher PT Nair is of the view that Dosa originated in Udupi, which is seconded by Pat Chapman noted English food researcher.

From its small begining innovative cooks have evolved it into a Star Food. Different batters dish out Rava Dosa, Ada dosa, Appam etc. Some of the interesting varieties are:

Gold foiled dosa

Mysore masala dosa

Sunny Side up Dosa

Davangere Benne Dosa

Kutty Dosa

 

Nandi Hills – A river originates

Did you know that the Dakshina Pinakini river also known as Pennar River originates in Nandi Hills ??

The Pinakini river rises on the hill of Nandi Hills and travels north and east through the Andhra Pradesh on its way to the Bay of Bengal.  It is 597 km (371 mi) long, with a drainage basin 55,213 sq. km (21,318 sq mi) large. Pinakini is one of the Sanskrit name of goddess Parvati the consort of Lord Shiva. On the foothills of Nandi Hills is the famous Bhoga nandeeshwara temple where they are the presiding deities

This river basin occupies nearly 55,213 sq. km area. Pennar is an interstate river with 6,937 sq. km and 48,276 sq. km river basin area located in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh respectively. The river basin receives 500 mm average rain fall annually. The southwest monsoon in the catchment area and the northeast monsoon in Tamil Nadu are the main feeds to the river.

This water flow raises the water table throughout the river basin and feeds numerous reservoirs/tanks.The river basin lies in the rain shadow region of Eastern Ghats.

Kelavarapalli dam is built across this river near  Hosur. The Krishnagiri Dam( gross capacity of 1666.0 M.Cft at FRL) and Sathanur dam also built across this river.

The Pushkarni (step well) at the Nandi temple where the river originates is 3 km from Belmont.

 

How to Make New Year resolutions sticky

The morning sun rays have appeared and we are up with great hopes for a new year. All of us have some unfulfilled wish, a target to achieve, an ambitious goal, some simple plans for the family or just stay fit and healthy. Before you write down this years resolution let me share what you should have in your list:

Create time for family: In our 24/7 culture we work, entertain and live in that order. Please allot a non-negotiable time for your family and friends. There was a Billionaire entrepreneur who achieved Iconic status in the minds of Customers, Employees, Investors, Competitors and every aspirant. What he regretted the most was not being able to spend time with his family. His name was Steve Jobs.

Save Money & reduce debt:  With higher living costs and the death of the joint family we all need to be self sufficient and make life easier for our kids. Don’t wait for starting big. Take advantage of the power of compounding. Please make sure that you don’t spend before you earn. Invest into the safety of a home it is more valuable than changing a smart phone and TV every year.

 

Stay Healthy:  Remember the old adage “Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”. Don’t start with some fancy gym membership get started on a routine of brisk walking, jogging and mild physical exercises. Slowly increase the threshold.

Read:  It does not matter whether you read online, offline or on Kindle, please ensure you read because “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,  The man who never reads lives only one“.