tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89415372531171848382024-02-02T02:17:02.366-08:00Life Speaking"Life is like an ice cream cone ...better eat it quick or will be long gone" - LifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-52564210389519521232011-05-12T11:53:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:47:14.633-07:00think loud: An old story with a new twist<a href="http://arvindsdad.blogspot.com/2009/07/old-story-with-new-twist.html#links">think loud: An old story with a new twist</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-67341878077418619302011-05-12T07:13:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:47:14.584-07:00PMP Exam Tips<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: maroon;">Improving Your PMP<sup>®</sup> Exam Score</span></h2><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Read</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> the question, along with each answer, in one flow.</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">You may be able</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> to detect incorrect answers by <span style="font-size: 10pt;">detecting grammatical errors. This may be</span> effective in “guessing” at the correct answer.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read all of the choices</span>, even when you believe that the right answer is obvious.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don’t read anything into the question or an answer that isn’t stated</span>.<span style="font-size: 10pt;">We all</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> have a set of beliefs; yours may </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">influence you to read something into the</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">material that the author didn’t intend so try to avoid this.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Try to anticipate the correct answer after reading the question</span> and before</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">reading any of the answers. This will help you to verify you’ve read the question and directions for answering correctly: if the answer you’ve anticipated does not appear in the choices, re-read both the question and directions carefully.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cover the answers as you read the question</span> to eliminate the possibility of</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">“cheating” by reading the answers before you can anticipate an answer.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">If the question contains a negative </span>such as “none”, “not”, “never”, or</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“neither”, the correct answer must be a fact or an absolute; other answers may be correct statements but cannot be the correct answer.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">If the question contains a superlative</span> such as “every”, “all”, “none”,</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">“always”, or “only”, the correct answer must be an undisputed fact. Qualifiers such as “usually”, “often”, “generally”, “may”, or “seldom” might indicate a true statement.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Try labeling the answers with a true or false label</span> in the context of the</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">question, then look for a pattern in the labels. Remember to consider any modifiers in the question when determining the correct answer. For example, if the modifier is always and there is only one “true” answer, it should be the correct answer. If the modifier is a word like “never” and only one answer has a false label, it should be the correct one.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Look for key words in the question</span> that appear in the answer. If only one</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">answer contains the key words, this may be an indication it is the correct one.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">If 2 answers are very similar</span> (called “partner” choices), this is usually an</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">indication that one of them is the correct answer.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">If you’re having trouble choosing the “most correct” answer between 2</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">choices</span>, compare each of them with the course terminology. The correct answer should be the one that most accurately mimics it.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="color: maroon; list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Study the sentence structure of the question</span>. Identify the subject and verb</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">and then identify the adjectives and adverbs. This approach helps you to determine whether you’re looking for an answer in the form of an absolute.</span></li>
</ul><ul style="list-style-image: url(http://threeo.ca/images/checkmark_bullet_12px.jpg); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="color: maroon; line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beware of double negatives</span>. Phrases like “not never” should be translated</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">into “sometimes”. If “not” appears in the question and “never” in the<span style="font-size: 10pt;"> answer, this grammatical error may indicate a wrong answer.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: maroon; line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beware of extraneous information</span> not directly related to the question. Try re-phrasing the question without these “distractors”.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: maroon; line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ask yourself if the answer you’ve selected requires an assumption</span>. If the</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> answer is yes, there is a very good chance this isn’t the correct choice.</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></li>
<li style="color: maroon; line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">If the question appears to you to be a “trick” question</span>, try reading the question and directions over again to eliminate any misunderstandings. Multiple choice exams do not use deception to encourage wrong answers.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: maroon; line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be on the lookout for questions which answer other questions in the exam</span>. This is mainly a memory exercise, but if a question you’re having difficulty answering, triggers the memory of a previous question, it may be worth your while to review the previous question and answer.</span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="color: maroon; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don’t shy away from changing your answer</span> to a question if you identify a problem with the original answer.</span></span><br style="color: maroon;" /><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></li>
</ul></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-70964530152195517722010-09-22T12:18:00.000-07:002010-09-22T12:18:02.859-07:00Professional development tip: Keep a project journal<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><h4 class="itemtitle" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.25px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BridgingTheGapBetweenBusinessAndIt/~3/YaLQW1EGu-w/" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">N</a>ice article from "Bridging the Gap"</h4><div><br />
</div><div><h4 class="itemtitle" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.25px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BridgingTheGapBetweenBusinessAndIt/~3/YaLQW1EGu-w/" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Professional development tip: Keep a project journal</a></h4><h5 class="itemposttime" style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;">Posted: </span>Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:00:34 +0000</h5><div class="itemcontent" name="decodeable" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; width: 693px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">As Business Analysts, we are professional change practitioners. We are experts in the field of “change” and should expect to add maximum value to the organisations we work for. To be effective in this role I believe we must manage change in our own professional development and take every opportunity to reflect on our experiences, and crystallise the knowledge we gain whilst working on projects.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It is important to have a conscious professional development strategy and this is likely to involve a number of activities. However, it is good practice to <em>build in</em> professional development to your weekly and monthly schedules. Professional development doesn’t have to be costly or time consuming, and it’s important not to overlook the experience we gain in our project work.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One of the single biggest ways we develop as BAs is through the work that we carry out day-to-day, and I have found that <strong>keeping a project journal</strong> is an incredibly useful professional development tool. It can be tempting to move straight from project to project without taking any time to reflect on what has been learned, but consciously recording relevant information in a journal (acronyms, terminology, lessons learned etc) can be an effective way of crystallising knowledge and storing it for future use. This can become excellent reference material if you work on a similar project in the future. The act of reflecting on your progress and recording it, is useful in itself, as it helps you to consolidate your knowledge and consider what you might do differently in future. It can also be useful to review the journal periodically, to reflect on previous projects and ensure any knowledge is carried forward.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can spend as much or as little time on this activity as you like. It would be valuable even if you only spent 15 minutes writing a summary after every project engagement.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A very light-weight journal might include:</div><ul style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Project name</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Date started/date completed</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Techniques used</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Stakeholders worked with</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3 things that worked well</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3 things you’d do differently next time</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Biggest learning point</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Acronyms & terminology</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Other relevant information</li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can tailor your journal to your particular needs and preferences. I keep an incredibly light-weight journal. By keeping the journal short, this makes it very quick to update (which means I am much more likely to do it!).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A project journal can also form a useful part of your stakeholder management strategy. For example, you might learn that a particular stakeholder likes to receive information in a particular way (perhaps they prefer diagrams, or value telephone calls over e-mails). It can be incredibly useful to record these preferences, so that you can keep this in mind for any future engagements.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The journal itself can be kept in any format you like. You could keep it on paper, electronically or even on your iPhone. I personally keep mine in Excel, as it is easy to sort, search and update. The important thing is to get into the habit of updating it, and allowing time to reflect on your progress. Why not put a monthly reminder in your calendar, blocking out 15 minutes for reflection?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One final benefit of a project journal is that it provides an excellent repository of information which you can use to periodically <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/does-your-resume-tell-a-story-of-your-career-experiences/" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">update your CV or resume</a>. It will also help you if you decide to <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/help-a-ba-how-do-i-document-work-experience-requirements-for-the-cbap-application/" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">apply to become Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP ®) qualified</a>, as you will need to provide evidence of your project experience.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">However you address your <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/category/business-analyst-career-advice/professional-development-strategy/" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">professional development strategy</a>, I hope that you have found this article useful, and I hope that you consider reflecting on your experiences and keeping a project journal.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong><em>Do you keep a project journal, or do you have any other professional development tips? I’d love to hear them – please feel free to contact me directly or reply to this post.</em></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Related posts:</div><ol style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 2.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/professional-development-time-survey/" rel="bookmark" style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" title="Permanent Link: How do you invest your professional development time?">How do you invest your professional development time?</a> <small>A great question was delivered from an audience member on...</small></li>
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</ol></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-34451615998920693892010-08-23T11:08:00.001-07:002010-08-23T11:08:30.554-07:00Nice article on BA-Tech vs. Non-Tech<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); "><div class="headline_area" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: 0px; "><h1 class="entry-title" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 2.5em; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); line-height: 1.4em; ">Why do we see technical skills in business analyst jobs?</h1><p class="headline_meta" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: italic; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.8em; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); ">by <span class="author vcard" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px; "><a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/author/laura-brandau/" class="url fn" rel="nofollow" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); ">LAURA BRANDENBURG</a></span> on <abbr class="published" title="2010-08-23" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1em; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; cursor: help; font-style: normal; ">AUGUST 23, 2010</abbr> · <span style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px; "><a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/why-do-we-see-technical-skills-in-business-analyst-jobs/#comments" rel="nofollow" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); ">2 COMMENTS</a></span></p><p class="headline_meta" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: italic; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.8em; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); ">in <span style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px; "><a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/category/business-analyst-career-advice/how-to-become-a-business-analyst/" title="View all posts in Becoming a BA" rel="category tag" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); ">BECOMING A BA</a>,<a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/category/business-analyst-career-advice/business-analyst-roles-and-responsibilities/" title="View all posts in Roles and Responsibilities" rel="category tag" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); ">ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES</a></span></p></div><div class="format_text entry-content" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.667em; "><div class="linkedin_share_container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; float: right; "><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bridging-the-gap.com%2Fwhy-do-we-see-technical-skills-in-business-analyst-jobs%2F&title=Why+do+we+see+technical+skills+in+business+analyst+jobs%3F&summary=Why+do+we+see+technical+skills+in+business+analyst+jobs%3F+We%2C+as+members+of+the+business+analysis+profession%2C+know+that%C2%A0to+be+a+business+analyst%2C+you+don%27t+have+to+be+an+IT+person.+Doug+Goldberg+has+covered+this+topic+thoroughly+and+I+don%27t+have+anything+to+add+to+his+angle.%0ABut+this+doesn%27t+resolve+what+many+experience+%5B...%5D&source=Bridging+the+Gap" class="linkedin_share_button" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); "><img src="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/wp-content/plugins/linkedin-share-button/buttons/01.png" alt="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; " /></a></div><div class="tweetmeme_button" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; float: right; "><iframe src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/button.js?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bridging-the-gap.com%2Fwhy-do-we-see-technical-skills-in-business-analyst-jobs%2F&source=llbrandenburg&style=normal&service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "></iframe></div><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">Why do we see technical skills in <em style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">business</em> analyst jobs? We, as members of the business analysis profession, know that <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/must-a-ba-align-with-an-it-organization/" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">to be a business analyst, you don’t have to be an IT person</a>. Doug Goldberg has covered this topic thoroughly and I don’t have anything to add to his angle.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">But this doesn’t resolve what many experience in the job market. New and experienced business analysts alike will start researching jobs, only to discover that an overwhelming number of positions require specific technical skills. Or, they speak with a recruiter who has a myopic view of the role, and are told that if they can’t write code [or insert your favorite technical skill here], they’ll never make it as a BA.</p><h2 style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.875em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625em; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); font-size: 1.333em; line-height: 1.25em; ">Why we see BA jobs requiring technical skills</h2><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">In the real-world job market, business analyst roles are messy. There are a specializations, unique qualifications, extensions, and partitions. “I want to be a business analyst” is not an adequately defined career goal. You’ve got to dig a bit deeper. This is a process I lead mentees in my current<a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/business-analyst-career-resources/business-analyst-resume-evaluations/" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); "> resume evaluation program</a> through and also address in <em style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/business-analyst-career-resources/the-promotable-business-analyst/" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(128, 0, 128); ">The Promotable Business Analyst</span></strong></a></em>. I’m also developing a comprehensive mini-course to help individuals prepare for a job search or a career change. (To receive notifications about this new course, be sure <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/enewsletter-sign-up/" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">sign-up for the eNewsletter</a>.)</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">The short answer is you can find a BA role that does not require technical skills. Prepare to wade through and <em style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">ignore </em>those jobs with technical qualifications. As soon as I find a job with an absolute requirement for SQL or a coding language, I stop reading and move on. If you don’t want to be doing those things, applying to jobs that require those skills is just a waste of time. So is fretting over their existence. Remind yourself that BA roles are messy and set them aside.</p><h2 style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.875em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625em; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); font-size: 1.333em; line-height: 1.25em; ">Sorting through the technical skills requirements</h2><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">You may notice that not all jobs with specific technical skills listed <em style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">require</em> the ability to use those skills. Sometimes these skills are preferred. Sometimes they are not mapped to any of the job responsibilities in the description. Sometimes you can ascertain a bit about the position by looking for the context around the qualification. Consider the following two hypothetical examples:</p><ul style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 1.667em; list-style-type: square; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Write SQL reports. Requires SQL report writing experience with deep knowledge developing complex queries across multiple tables.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Prior experience in SQL preferred. Understanding of database concepts and information models critical.</li></ul><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">While the first requirement indicates day-to-day SQL responsibilities, the second does not. Vague or “preferred’ requirements often indicate a desire for a business analyst to think logically and understand big picture technical concepts. Other times, they have seen business analysts trampled by developers because they don’t ask the right questions. The assumption becomes if you can write code now or could write code in the past, you are less likely to be trampled by the developers.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">When technical skills are couched in conceptual or communication-related contexts, the technical skill may be less important than system thinking competencies. And as a business analyst, IT-focused or not, you must have good systems-thinking skills. Read the comments in this discussion about the <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/difference-between-a-business-analyst-and-systems-analyst/" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">difference between a business analyst and a systems analyst </a>for an insightful separation of systems knowledge from systems thinking.</p><h2 style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.875em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625em; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); font-size: 1.333em; line-height: 1.25em; ">Technical understanding vs. technical skills</h2><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">While we are starting to see a growing number of jobs focusing specifically on business process and organizational changes, the reality is that most business analyst jobs involve working on IT projects. By an IT project, I mean that a larger part of the solution is implemented in software. To perform BA work on an IT project does not require the ability to write code. I’ve spent most of my career working on IT projects and I haven’t written a line of programming code since high school when I took a class on PASCAL.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">As a business analyst on an IT project, it is important to have a general understanding of software systems. Basic knowledge of servers, databases, and client side technology, augmented with solid logical, systems-thinking will do. Combining both will lead to more effective communication with the implementation team.</p><blockquote style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0.833em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0.833em; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">Quick Test: Select a software application (client or web-based) that you use often. Select 2 or 3 activities you use it for. Can you identify the main sub-systems and interactions that are in place to enable these activities? If yes, you probably have enough software knowledge for a pure BA position on an IT project. If no, or if this test confused you, find an introductory book to read.</p></blockquote><h2 style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.875em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625em; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(39, 69, 105); font-size: 1.333em; line-height: 1.25em; ">The final word.</h2><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; ">My advice to you as a job seeker or career changer is to pick a <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/finding-a-career-direction/" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">direction for your business analyst career</a>. Decide with some certainty if technical activities are part of your target position. If yes, then go about discovering the coveted technical skills and positioning yourself to build these qualifications. If no, then start ignoring the positions with these requirements. Focus on discovering the gems for which you are qualified and interested in.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><em style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">What are your thoughts? Why do you think we see technical skills in business analysis positions?</em></strong></p><div class="authorintro" style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; width: 435px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; float: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(214, 214, 214); border-right-color: rgb(214, 214, 214); border-bottom-color: rgb(214, 214, 214); border-left-color: rgb(214, 214, 214); "><table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><tbody style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><tr style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><td width="30" height="30" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><img alt="" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/85db1fe87b4071937844800af77624d2?s=100&r=g" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; " /></td><td width="20" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "></td><td style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.667em; margin-left: 0px; "><strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">By <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/about-laura-brandenburg/" target="_blank" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">Laura Brandenburg</a>. </strong>Laura Brandenburg is an independent business analyst consultant. She is passionate about the BA profession and is committed to contributing by supporting this blog as a forum for business analysts to build on each other's experiences. View more <a href="http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/author/laura-brandau/" target="_blank" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(35, 97, 161); ">blog posts by Laura Brandenburg</a></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-19776700411346142502010-06-14T10:35:00.000-07:002010-06-14T10:36:35.688-07:008 Steps to Starting a Start-UpHere is a good post which I read in a blog from Ben Casnocha<div>"</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "><h3 class="entry-header" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left; ">8 Steps to Starting a Start-Up</h3><div class="entry-content" style="position: static; clear: both; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><div class="entry-body" style="clear: both; "><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left; ">As good as <a href="http://venturehacks.com/articles/startup-principles" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">a list</a> as I've seen from VentureHacks:</p><ol style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; "><li><a href="http://startupboy.com/2010/01/17/why-you-need-to-be-in-silicon-valley/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">Move</a> to Silicon Valley. <em>[BC: Not mandatory]</em></li><br /><li><a href="http://venturehacks.com/articles/pick-cofounder" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">Pick a great co-founder</a> with complementary skills.</li><br /><li>Select people with intelligence, energy and <a href="http://twitter.com/thomask/statuses/10655284958" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">integrity</a>.</li><br /><li>Pick a <a href="http://startupboy.com/2009/11/09/the-returns-to-entrepreneurship/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">big market</a>.</li><br /><li>Develop the <a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/26979.html" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">minimum viable product</a> to test your hypothesis about what the market needs. Preferably it’s a product that you’re passionate about since you’ll need to stick with it to an irrational point (the Internet especially is <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=930612" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">efficiently arbitraged</a>).</li><br /><li><a href="http://venturehacks.com/archives#customer-development" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">Iterate like crazy</a> until you find <a href="http://pmarca-archive.posterous.com/the-pmarca-guide-to-startups-part-4-the-only" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">product/market fit</a>. If you don’t find it, do not raise money, do not pass go. Start over.</li><br /><li>If you have found product/market fit, <a href="http://venturehacks.com/angellist" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">raise money from high-quality people that you trust</a>. <a href="http://venturehacks.com/articles/one-way-control" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">Keep control</a>.</li><br /><li><a href="http://voices.allthingsd.com/20100317/the-case-for-the-fat-startup/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">Scale</a>. Hang on.</li></ol><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left; ">The links within the list are good as well.</p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: left; ">###</p><ul style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; "><li>Interview <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm61svN4U5g" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">with Australian teen</a> who had a party when his parents were out of town and refuses to apologize on TV.</li><li>Clint Eastwood <a href="http://www.karthickgopal.com/2010/04/clint-eastwood-on-doing/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">lists</a> three reasons why he will never win an Oscar.</li><li>Chris Yeh <a href="http://ben.casnocha.com/2010/04/what-makes-something-interesting.html?cid=6a00d8341c85c753ef0133ecbba389970b#comment-6a00d8341c85c753ef0133ecbba389970b" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">comment</a> on my post on interestingness: "Things are interesting when they are both novel yet strangely familiar. It's like when you meet a new person, yet it seems like you've known them forever."</li><li>Interesting <a href="http://www.renaldi.com/photographs/touching/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">photo project</a> of strangers touching each other.</li><li>Mexico's <a href="http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100405_mexico_and_failed_state_revisited" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); ">conflicting interests</a> when it comes to the drug trade. Another masterful analysis from Stratfor."</li></ul></div></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-43082316625263670182010-05-25T07:44:00.000-07:002010-05-25T07:45:06.517-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><h1 style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 69, 112); font-weight: normal; position: relative; "><span id="_SE_FLD" _se_fld="tcm:Content/custom:Content/custom:Headline" style="display: block; ">xiting your car lease gracefully</span></h1><div class="byline mar5 marTop" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 12pt; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; position: relative; ">By <a href="mailto:editors@bankrate.com" style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; ">Pat Curry</a> • Bankrate.com</div><div class="clear" style="clear: both; "><span></span></div><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span id="_SE_FLD" _se_fld="tcm:Content/custom:Content/custom:Page[1]/custom:Paragraph[1]/custom:Text" style="display: block; "></span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "></p><div><table><tbody><tr><td align="left" colspan="2" valign="top"><p align="left" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "> </p><p class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">The friendly letter arrives from the leasing company with the news you've been expecting. Your auto lease is coming to an end in a few months.<br /><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Before you start dreaming of the next car, however, it's time to get out the magnifying glass and reread that lease agreement, because there are important decisions to be made. Make the wrong ones and the lease might snag you in the pocketbook on your way out the door. The right moves -- some of which the dealer was unlikely to mention -- could actually give you an unexpected bonus.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Start by deciding, 45 to 60 days before the lease ends, what you want to do with the car. You have five options available to you if, like the vast majority of lessees, you have a closed-end lease. According to Michael Kranitz, author of <em>Look Before You Lease: Secrets to Smart Vehicle Leasing</em>, you can:</span></p><ul><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Return the car to the lessor and walk away from it. Not surprisingly, this is called a "walk-away."</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Buy the car, usually for the amount of the "residual," or buyout, value set in the lease.</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Extend the lease for a limited amount of time, usually at the same monthly rate.</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Re-lease it, via a used-car lease, or</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Trade your leased vehicle in on a new lease. If the car is worth more than what you would have to pay the leasing company to buy it, it shouldn't cost you anything to acquire it and trade it in on a new vehicle. In theory, this shouldn't happen because leases are designed to yield zero equity at lease-end, but with certain vehicles, you could wind up making money on the deal.</span></li></ul><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Decided? Good. If you're turning in the car, it's time to get it ready to go.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; "><a id="Check your mileage" name="Check your mileage" style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; "><strong><span class="subhead" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 69, 112); font-weight: normal; ">Check your mileage</span></strong></a><strong><br /></strong>The first thing to check as soon as you get your inspection letter is your mileage. If it looks like you're going to go over your mileage limit, try to minimize the vehicle's use. Trade cars with your spouse, your parents -- anybody you trust who drives a shorter distance than you do.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"Mileage is a big deal," says W. James Bragg, founder and CEO of <a class="body-link" href="http://www.fightingchance.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; ">Fighting Chance</a>, an information service for new vehicle shoppers and author of the <em>Car Buyer's and Leaser's Negotiating Bible</em>. "I had a college roommate who went on to be the CEO of a company. He leased a Lexus for 45,000 miles and had 90,000. He had to write a check for $9,000 to give his Lexus back. A lot of dealers will say, 'Don't worry about it, we'll roll it into the next cap cost,' so you wind up paying interest on your excess mileage."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Here's some potentially bad news. When you reread your lease, you may find that you've volunteered to pay an extra charge for the privilege of giving them back the car -- the disposal fee. About half of the carmakers charge them, and the price can be stiff -- $350 with BMW and Land Rover leases, for example.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">The amount should be specified in the lease, sometimes with a different name, such as "turn-in fee." Leases signed after Jan. 1, 1998, have to spell out the fee on the front page of the contract, but you might have to get out a magnifying glass on older leases. It sometimes is waived if the customer signs up for a new lease.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">If you've volunteered to pay it, all you can do is make sure you don't get overcharged.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; "><strong><a class="subhead" id="Prepare for an inspection" name="Prepare for an inspection" style="color: rgb(26, 69, 112); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="subhead" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 69, 112); font-weight: normal; ">Prepare for an inspection</span></a></strong><br /><br />When you get your letter, you'll receive instructions on how to bring your car in for an inspection, unless you're going to buy the car, in which case there's no inspection. It may take place at the originating dealership, a nearby dealership or an independent inspection firm. The inspector will check the car's interior, exterior and mechanical condition.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">The leasing company expects you to return the car with "normal wear and tear," but each one has its own standards.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Ford, for example, tells customers that "normal" includes dings, minor dents, small scratches, stone chips in the paint finish and reduced tread on the tires. It defines excessive wear to include such items as broken or missing parts, dented body panels or trim, damaged fabric, cracked or broken glass, poor quality repairs, unsightly alterations, tire or wheel damage or less than 1/8-inch tread, or mechanical or electrical malfunctions.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Before the inspection takes place, you can help yourself with a minimal investment by having the car professionally cleaned, waxed, vacuumed and detailed.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Tire wear is particularly important. Don't bring the car in with less than one-eighth of an inch of tread, or with mismatched tires. If you do, you'll find yourself charged for a new set of tires.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Once the inspection takes place, you usually have few methods besides the courts to dispute its findings. New York is an exception -- a state law went into effect in 1995 giving customers the right to a second appraisal, if they pay for it.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; "><strong><a class="subhead" id="Lessen the damage" name="Lessen the damage" style="color: rgb(26, 69, 112); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Lessen the damage</a><br /><br /></strong>Outside the Empire State, lessees can still lessen the bite of damage charges.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">First, don't tell the dealership to just take the cost out of your security deposit. You're responsible for the repairs, but you don't have to pay the dealership's service department prices. Shop for repairs yourself and save.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Also, check to see if you have coverage remaining on your warranty; some mechanical repairs still may be covered.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">The contract may contain strict language about damage, but it doesn't always mean the inspection will be white-gloved and nitpicky.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"Lease contracts written in the last couple of years are much more specific about what 'normal wear and tear' means, although the definitions tend to be fairly strict in the leasing company's favor," says Al Hearn, author of <em>Automobile Leasing: The Art of the Deal</em>. "Even if the contract is strict, the inspection can be loose and liberal. I personally have never had a problem even though I've returned cars with cracked windshields, worn tires, dents, dings and scrapes."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">It all becomes a moot point if you decide to buy the car. Then, there's no inspection, no fees for extra mileage or excess wear and tear, no disposition fee and you get your deposit back.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; "><strong><a id="When to buy your leased car" name="When to buy your leased car" style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; "><span class="subhead" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 69, 112); font-weight: normal; ">When to buy your leased car</span></a></strong><br /><br />When does it make sense to buy a car you've leased for the last two to three years? Here are some questions to ask yourself, courtesy of Remar Sutton, president of the Consumer Task Force for Automotive Issues:</span></p><ul><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Do you like the car?</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Has it generally done what you've asked it to do with a minimum of unexpected cost and repair? Don't go on history alone. Take the car to your mechanic, just like any other used car you're considering buying.</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Will it still fit your future needs? If you're driving a convertible and planning a move to Rochester, N.Y., probably not. If you're the proud parent of a budding tuba virtuoso and driving a minivan, then it's probably going to continue to be a good fit for you.</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">What is the lease-end buying price? You'll find the figure in the lease's small print. This buyout price is often called the residual value.</span></li><li><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">What is the car actually worth, or its wholesale value? <a class="body-link" href="http://www.edmunds.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; ">Edmund's Automobile Buyers Guide</a> and the <a class="body-link" href="http://kbb.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; ">Kelly Blue Book</a> are good places to start looking. Both sites let you estimate wholesale and retail prices for a used car.</span></li></ul><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">From there, you need to research your market.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"Auto retailing is an extremely local business," Bragg says. "A guy in Oregon has a pickup. Everybody drives one, so there's a glut of them and there's a depressed value. You drive down the road 80 miles to the big city and you can get $2,000 more."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Bragg suggested picking up a copy of a regional auto classified magazine or walking dealership lots when they're closed.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"The average new-car dealer sells as many used as new," he says. "See what they're asking, then mentally adjust that down 10 percent to 15 percent for realistic pricing."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Sutton recommends taking the car to three used-car operations and tell them you're thinking about selling -- not trading -- and ask what they'll offer you for your old car in cash. That's the wholesale value. If the amount the dealer is willing to pay you is more than your lease says you can buy the car for, it's a good deal for you.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">If your leased car has performed well, meets your needs and you can buy it for no more than $1,000 over wholesale value, Sutton says that's a very smart buy.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; "><a id="If residual is high . . ." name="If residual is high . . ." style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; "><strong class="subhead" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 69, 112); font-weight: normal; ">If residual is high ...</strong></a><br /><br />What if the residual is higher than the actual value, but you still want the car? Your dealership or leasing company won't offer this information, but you can try to negotiate a better price.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"You'll find that banks and captive finance companies have an incentive to keep you in the car," Kranitz says. "They don't want it back. There's a glut of off-lease vehicles and they'll lose money on it every which way to Sunday.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"Say the market value is $13,000 and the residual value in the lease to buy is $16,000. What you could do is call the bank and say, 'Look guys, you're going to eat $3,000. We'll split the difference.' "</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">Sound improbable? According to the Consumer Bankers Association's 2001 Automobile Finance Study, 95 percent of the leased vehicles returned to lessors in 2000 were sold at a loss, to the average tune of $2,342.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; "><a id="If residual is low . . ." name="If residual is low . . ." style="color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; "><strong><span class="subhead" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(26, 69, 112); font-weight: normal; ">If residual is low ...</span></strong></a><br /><br />You can also come out ahead under the opposite scenario, in which the market value is well above the residual value. This is more likely if you've stayed well below your mileage cap, or the car has become coveted in the market.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">It's unlikely the dealer has mentioned this, but you can resell the car yourself while it's under lease.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"You may want to think about reselling it," Kranitz says. "If you put it in the paper, you could make more money than the payoff. If you've leased for 15,000 miles a year and only driven it 10,000 miles, it has a value to the dealership and the consumer market. You can use the dealer's retail price on those cars on what the market will bear. Most people don't lease so they can play the used-car game, but it's there."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">The offer had better be a great one: Many leases carry early termination penalties in addition to disposition fees, so you'll have to figure them in when calculating if you'll get a profit.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">The other two options you have on the table are to extend the lease short-term, or re-lease your used car. Extending the lease makes sense, Bragg says, if you're at a point of uncertainty in your life. Maybe you're getting transferred, anticipating starting a family or you know you'll be getting a bonus in the next month or two.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"Will they extend it a couple of months? I think leasing companies will," Bragg says. "No wonder. You're making level payments based on the depreciation for the first three years. They're making more profit on your payment."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">The final option is to re-lease your car. That should result in a considerably lower residual, a lower capitalized cost, less depreciation and a lower payment.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><span class="body" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; ">"You have to decide if leasing still makes sense if you like the car, and you think it's likely to hold up for another three years," Bragg says.</span></p><div class="left width200 mar8 marTB" style="float: left; margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; width: 200px; "><div class="adLine" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(218, 218, 218); float: left; width: 115px; font-size: 9px; line-height: 9px; margin-right: 3px; margin-top: 9px; "></div><div class="adText" style="float: left; font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; color: rgb(189, 188, 193); line-height: 9px; margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; ">advertisement</div><iframe id="ctl00_well_ctl01" width="182" height="152" border="0" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true" src="http://www.bankrate.com/system/ads/Ad.html?ad=AAMB2&adwidth=180&adheight=150" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; "></iframe></div><div><div class="relatedlinks width250 left mar20 marTop" style="float: left; margin-top: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 250px; "><strong>Related Links:</strong><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><li class="mar3 marTB" style="margin-top: 3px; 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font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><table class="infobox vevent" cellspacing="5" style="text-align: center;font-size: 11px; color: black; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em; padding-top: 0.2em; padding-right: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0.2em; padding-left: 0.2em; clear: right; width: 22em; line-height: 1.5em; "><tbody><tr class=""><th style="vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Directed by</span></th><td class="description" style="vertical-align: top; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese" title="Martin Scorsese" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Martin Scorsese</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px;"><b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Plot :</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In 1954, two </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marshals_Service" title="United States Marshals Service" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">U</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.S. marshals</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Teddy Daniels (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_DiCaprio" title="Leonardo DiCaprio" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Leonardo DiCaprio</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">) and Chuck Aule (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Ruffalo" title="Mark Ruffalo" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mark Ruffalo</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">) investigate the disap</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">pearance of a patient from a hospital fo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">r the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense" title="Insanity defense" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">criminally insane</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> on an island in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts" title="Massachusetts" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Massachusetts</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. They run into trouble when they are deceived by the hospital's chief psychiatrist and administrator Dr. John Cawley (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Kingsley" title="Ben Kingsley" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ben Kingsley</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">), a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane" title="Hurricane" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">hurricane</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> hits, and they uncover a series of sinister human experiments.</span><sup id="cite_ref-trio_3-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_Island_(film)#cite_note-trio-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[</span></a></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_Island_(film)#cite_note-trio-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">4</span></a><span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutter_Island_(film)#cite_note-trio-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 43, 184); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">]</span></a></span></sup></span></b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; "><sup id="cite_ref-trio_3-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></sup></span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; "><sup id="cite_ref-trio_3-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile Teddy looks for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Andrew Laeddis the man whom he suspects is the reason behind his wife's death.Did he find Andrew Laeddis or did he uncover the mystery behind the lost patient all forms the rest of the movie. In the end waits an awesome suspense. </span></span></sup></span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; "><sup id="cite_ref-trio_3-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></sup></span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; "><sup id="cite_ref-trio_3-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kudos to the director for taking such a wonderful movie. </span></span></sup></span></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-29124954883372544792008-11-14T06:23:00.000-08:002008-11-14T06:25:41.582-08:00Tax credit for first time buyers and Nehemiah Corporation of America( down payment loan)<strong>MarketWatchTax credit for first-time buyers giving little boost to housingMonday November 10, 12:14 pm ET By </strong><a href="mailto:ahoak@marketwatch.com"><strong>Amy Hoak</strong></a><br />Even with bigger incentive, economic worries could be tough to overcome<br />ORLANDO, Fla. (MarketWatch) -- Over the summer, many in the housing industry applauded the temporary first-time home buyer tax credits written into the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. But apparently buyers weren't as impressed.<br /><br />The tax credit gives first-time home buyers up to a $7,500 credit for buying a home between April 8, 2008, and July 1, 2009. Realtors say it hasn't been effective in getting people to buy homes, which would reduce the excessive inventory on the market.<br />The problem, they say, is that buyers are turned off by the repayment requirement of the credit. The credit needs to be paid back over a 15-year period, beginning on a buyer's 2010 tax return. In effect, it's really an interest-free loan.<br />"For the economist, even with the repayment feature, it was a clear benefit. Money today is better than money tomorrow. You receive the money today, put the money in the bank, earn interest, and pay it off over time," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.<br />"It was a clear benefit, but nonetheless, the average Joe Homebuyer does not see it that way," he said, speaking at NAR's annual conference, held in Orlando over the weekend. The conference concludes on Monday.<br />To entice more first-time buyers, the industry group is lobbying lawmakers to tweak the tax credit, removing the repayment aspect. They also want all home buyers to be eligible -- not only those who haven't been homeowners for the past few years.<br />The National Association of Home Builders is suggesting an even heftier incentive. It wants a 10% home-buyer credit, up to $22,000, depending on the Federal Housing Administration loan limit in the market, according to a NAHB news release. It also wants that credit to be available to all home buyers who make a purchase in the next year, and for the repayment feature to be removed.<br />Yun said that $7,500 is a substantial amount of money in moderately-priced markets like those in the Midwest, yet home sales aren't really picking up there.<br />Economy trumps incentivesBut it's clear that buyers have more on their minds than tax credits these days. Fears about the overall economy and job security are holding back many Americans who might otherwise buy a home.<br />Forty-one percent of those who are interested in purchasing a home said that overall economic conditions were holding them back, according to survey results released on Monday by Move Inc., the company that operates Realtor.com. The poll was conducted in mid-October.<br />Another telling response: When asked about the top housing priority for the new president, participants were most concerned about foreclosure prevention.<br />Half of the 1,000 people polled say that President-elect Barack Obama's No. 1 housing priority during his first 100 days in office should be to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure, according to the survey. <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/external/cbsm/xref/SIG=13mdtnvlp/*http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/yhoo/story.asp?source=blq/yhoo&dist=yhoo&guid={C7101925-4895-4543-A103-7948252D3494}">Read more on housing's prospects in Obama's administration.</a><br />On this, NAR also says more can be done and that objectives of the government's $700 billion rescue package haven't been realized.<br />"The idea was to essentially stabilize the banking system with the thought that it would trickle down into Main Street. Fast forward to today, it's really not trickled down," said Jerry Giovaniello, the Realtors' chief lobbyist.<br />In the Move survey, other housing issues took less focus. About 23% of participants said that making more affordable credit available should be the top housing priority for the next president, and only 16% said the same about assistance for first-time home buyers.<br />Affordability improvesBut there's a reason for all this industry attention to first-time buyers; their purchases allow current homeowners to sell their homes and move as well. More first-time home buyers in the market would start a chain reaction to reduce high inventories of for-sale properties, which has been putting downward pressure on housing prices.<br />Already, first-time buyers are making up a larger share of all home buyers, due to improvements in affordability but also the difficulty that current homeowners are having in selling their homes. With fewer home sales overall, first-time buyers account for a larger piece of the pie.<br />Between July 2007 and June 2008 41% of all buyers were first-time buyers, up from 39% the year before, according to the NAR's Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, released at the conference. The survey involved 133,000 home buyers and sellers throughout the country.<br />But while tumbling housing prices have increased affordability, that wasn't the biggest reason these buyers made a purchase. Fifty-two percent of first-time buyers said it was just the right time for them to buy a home, 16% said it was the best time to buy because of the affordability of homes and 8% said it was the best time because of the availability of homes for sale.<br />Only 3% of people who bought for the first time wish they would have waited.<br />Still, there were discounts to be found, according to the report. Consider the following:<br />Seventeen percent of all sellers surveyed said that they sold for less than 90% of their asking price. Twenty-one percent of sellers said they sold for between 90% and 94% of their asking price, and 38% said they sold for 95% to 99% of their asking price.<br />Sixty percent of sellers said they had to cut their asking price at least one time before they were able to sell their property.<br />The percentage of all buyers who purchased a home in foreclosure rose to 6%, up from 1% in last year's survey. About 38% considered buying a foreclosure, but didn't because they couldn't find one that met their needs.<br />Lately, some of the markets that have been getting the most attention from all buyers are those that have suffered the most severe price declines, according to search data from Realtor.com.<br />"Where search increases were the greatest, they tended to be clustered in markets which had seen price reductions. So top markets were Stockton, Calif., Naples, Fla., Detroit, the metro D.C. area and so on," said Errol Samuelson, president of Realtor.com.<br />Financing issuesIt's worth noting that the window of time that the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers covers mutes some of the financing challenges that people had as the year-long time frame went on.<br />For example, 34% of first-time home buyers in the survey said they financed the entire purchase price, but no-down payment loans became virtually nonexistent by the end of the survey, Yun said. Last year, 45% said they put no money down.<br />Plus, down-payment assistance programs such as those available through The <a href="http://www.getdownpayment.com/">Nehemiah Corporation of America</a> are no longer available to buyers as of Oct. 1. In fact, some advocates for down payment assistance believe that the deadline for that assistance was a factor that helped home sales to rise in September.<br />"Some may be misinterpreting the spike in September home sales to be a potential turning point in the housing and financial crises," said Scott Syphax, president and CEO of Nehemiah, in a news release. "Driving this increase was the swell in demand for down-payment assistance by American families scrambling to take advantage of these programs before the October 1st ban."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-52698113739088557032008-09-04T06:23:00.000-07:002008-09-04T06:24:39.450-07:00Basic Financial PlanningBasic Financial Planning<br />A step by step financial plan for Non Resident Indians (NRI) planning to return back to India<br />1. Basics 2. Setting Goals 3. Establishing an Emergency Fund 4. Funding Short Term Goals 5. Asset Allocation Plan for Long Term Goals 6. Maintaining Your Asset Allocation 7. Common Investor Mistakes<br />1. Basics Introduction<br />No one would rush to buy building materials for a house without first planning and developing a detailed plan for it. Yet investors frequently buy and sell stocks without having any plan. This is exacerbated by sheer quantity of advice of questionable quality from a vast financial services industry with deep conflicts of interest. Often the interests of the financial services industry and investors are in direct conflict with each other. This makes investors vulnerable to a variety of poor investment decisions with disastrous financial consequences.<br />Fortunately investing is a simple process despite frequent attempts by wall street to convince investors otherwise.<br />Saving vs Investing Saving and Investing represent two distinct ways of managing money. Understanding the difference helps you make informed choices for your financial needs.<br />Saving means seeking to preserve assets that you accumulate over time. Stability of principal is a higher priority than return potential. Principal is guaranteed but offer only very low return potential. There is a risk of principal not keeping up with inflation resulting in loss of purchasing power.<br />When you invest your money, you are seeking growth. Investing usually involves greater risk to principal than saving and offers higher return potential. Principal is not guaranteed but it offers possibility of higher returns with greater inflation protection.<br />Why Should You Invest? Investing is a good tool for building up the funds needed for buying a house or putting children through college. Long-term investing is an essential element of retirement planning, since most people do not have pension plans or cannot accumulate enough savings without some long term growth of principal.<br />Risk and Reward One of the more basic relationships in investing is that between risk and reward. Investments that offer potentially high returns are accompanied by higher risk factors. There is no free lunch. This is the cornerstone of modern finance and forgetting this often gets investors in trouble. High returns and low risk just don't go together. Don't waste your time looking for any such investments. If you do find one, it is a scam.<br />Basic Investment Options There are three basic asset classes that one can invest in are 1. Cash 2. Bonds 3. Stocks<br />Asset Class Comparison<br />Asset Class<br />Historical Returns<br />Maximum loss in one Year<br />Comments<br />Cash<br />3-4%<br />NA<br />The risks are low and principal is preserved, but cash equivalents generally do not provide returns high enough to outpace inflation especially after tax.<br />Bonds<br />4-6%<br />-15.5<br />Bonds represent loans to a government or business. They offer limited potential for increasing returns. Rising inflation can cause substantial losses.<br />Stocks<br />10-12%<br />-38.6<br />Stocks represent ownership of a company and are a claim on the corporation's earnings and assets. Historically, stocks have provided the best opportunity for long-term growth of principal. Very volatile in short term.<br />RiskRisk is part of the investment process. Risk is never going away and any investor who thinks he has eliminated risk is just fooling himself. Risk in its most basic form means possibility of losing some or all of the original investment.From the prespective of an investor risk takes three basic forms and investments should be choosen to balance aganist each of these risks.1. Market Risk: Volatility of your investments. Your investments could go down in value just when you need them. Stocks have high market risk, bonds have low market risk and bank savings accounts have zero market risk.2. Inflation Risk: Inflation reduces the purchasing power and over the long term could severely reduce the value of your assets. Seemingly safe savings in bank accounts have a high inflation risk.3. Currency Risk: The currency of your investments might lose its value.<br />2. Setting Goals<br />Before you start any investments you need to have a clear understanding of what your financial goals are.<br />The first step in this process is to list all your assets and liabilities. Then calculate your net worth and your net liquid assets (cash, stock, bonds).<br />The second step is to create a list of your goals along with estimates of how much is needed for each and when you plan to reach them. Examples of goals are downpayment for a house or car, kids college tution, retirement, etc.<br />3. Establishing an Emergency Fund<br />The main reason to set up an emergency fund is to help you to meet your monthly expenses in case you lose your job. So how much you save in the emergency fund is primarily determined by how long you expect to be able to find a new job. Three to six month of living expenses should be set aside for this purpose. It would be a good idea to have a separate account from your regular bank account for this purpose so you would not be tempted to use this money for other needs. This should be in a taxable account as you would not be able to withdraw money quickly from a tax sheltered account like an IRA or a 401K.<br />A money market account would be an excellent choice. Personally I would recommend Vanguard Prime Money Market fund. A key factor in this selection is your access to this money. You should have instant access to this money since you would be using this primarily for emergencies. Other slightly more aggressive options include using a short term bond fund like Vanguard Short Term Corporate or an I Bond. Choose the one you are comfortable with, there is no one right way for this.<br />4. Funding Short Term Goals<br />Identify your short term goals like saving for a house, a car down payment or money you plan to take back to India within a short term. These are goals for which you expect to spend money within the next 2-10 years. If you do not have any such goals you can skip the rest of the section.<br />Calculate how much you need for all of your short term needs. Determine how much you need to save each month to reach your goal. Then choose how you need to invest based on the following table. <br />Criteria for Choosing Asset Classes<br />Time Frame<br />If you goal is more than 5 years away you can consider investing 20-40% in stocks. For less than 5 years you should be in CD/Short Term Bonds/I-Bonds/EE-Bonds.<br />How flexible are you regarding time frame.<br />If you willing to be postpone your goal by a few years in case of investment looses you can consider investing in stocks.<br />Need to take risk<br />If your goal can be achieved without any need to take risk then you can avoid investing in stocks. The difficult case is you are planning to build a dream house and more often then not you can always use a little extra money. In this case you can invest a small portion in stocks (20%).<br />Relative size of the goal compared to long term portfolio.<br />If your short term goal is only a small fraction of your retirement goal you can take more risk. If you do suffer loses you can use money from retirement goal for the short term goal and avoid selling the losing investment in the short term goal.<br />If you do decide to invest in a portion in stocks, invest the very first few years into stocks and then invest the remaining in bonds. This would give the money invested in stocks to work longer for you. Choose the following for short term goals in increasing order of risk/reward. The only exception to this is I/EE Bonds which should be the preferred choice as they defer taxes.<br />1. I/EE Bonds 2. Vanguard Short Term Corporate or Vanguard Ltd-Term Tax-Exempt for 28% tax bracket and above 3. Vanguard Total Bond Market Index or Vanguard Ltd-Term Tax-Exempt for 28% tax bracket and above 4. Vanguard Total Stock Market Index 5. Vanguard Total International Stock Market Index<br />Start reducing your stock holdings 1-2 years before you plan to withdraw. The same steps as in the next section apply if you plan to hold stocks.<br />5. Asset Allocation Plan for Long Term Goals<br />Asset allocation is the strategy of dividing up your assets based on a tradeoff of risk and return. This is a central tenet of Modern Portfolio Theory which attempts to maximize your return for a given level of risk. Several studies have concluded that the most important determinant of a portfolio's return is its asset allocation. However asset allocation is still an art rather a science and it involves making personal choices to balance risk and rewardBy combining assets with different characteristics in a portfolio an investor can achieve higher returns with lower risk over the long term. Adding high risk asset classes and investments to a conservative portfolio may seem risky but its effect will be to both increase returns and lower the overall risk of the portfolio. Each asset class has a different exposure to each specific type of risk. Dividing you investments into different asset classes reduces risk by balancing aganist each type of risk. Diversification is the investor’s primary defense against risk in their portfolio. <br />Investors should use as few funds as possible in their portfolio to simplify management. A simply well diversified portfolio could be developed with as few as three funds representing US stocks, International stocks and bonds. Such a portfolio would by definition beat the returns of the average investor and over the long run can be relied on to beat 90% of the investors.<br />Developing an Asset Allocation Plan<br />An asset allocation plan should be chosen based on three criteria: 1. Need to Take Risk: The basic idea is that if your goal can be met without taking any risk then there is no need to take risk. Hence in this case we would choose a portfolio with very low risk. But for the majority of the investors there is a need to take risk as they would not be able to save sufficient money for retirement without some growth of principal. 2. Ability to Take Risk: A long investment horizon means you have greater ability to take risk. Investment horizon means how long you are planning to hold on to the investment. Suppose you plan to take money back to India in three years when you go back, your investment horizon is only three years. Even thought you might plan to use it to fund a long term goal in India its invesement horizon in US is still three years (short term goal). Hence it should be invested as a short term goal. When you have a very stable job with high earning potential your ability to take risk is high but if you have no source of income ability to take risk would be low.3. Willingness to Take Risk: Your tolerance for risk. Basically your ability to sleep well at night with the level of risk. A conservative person would be less willing to take risk and hence should have lower percentage of stock. Your risk tolerance is not static, it will change as your age. <br />For a Non Resident Indian (NRI) planning to go back to India it would be a good idea to keep a portion of the investments in US. In this case you should consider only the portion that you plan to hold in US for the long term (10+ years) as long term investments in US. If you plan to go back to India in less than 5 years and do not plan on holding investments in US you should not hold any stocks.<br />Take Advantage of NRI Benefits<br />After you return back to India for good you are treated as a Returned but Not Ordinary Resident (RNOR) for a period of 2 years. During this time all your foreign income is exempt from taxes in India. Once you return back to India and become a Non Resident Alien as per US IRS regulations you can also avail of several tax benefits of US. The most important of which are the 0% capital gains on stocks and mutual funds. You pay 25% on dividends. This provides an ideal opportunity to convert all your retirement money (from 401K and IRA) into a taxable account. A suggested approach is to convert your 401K into a rollover IRA before you go back to India. Once in India you can withdraw this money (paying 10% penality for early withdrawal) and pay tax in a lower tax bracket. Depending on the the amount you have in your retirement account you can choose to withdraw this money in 1-2 years to avoid paying any tax to India. Thus it is a good idea to contribute to a 401K even if you plan to return to India in the near future.<br />For an average conservative investor one suggested way to allocate is to have a 50/50 stock/bond mix. Based on your ability, willingness and need to take risk you can increase or decrease the stock percentage in your portfolio. Within the stock portfolio it is better to allocate between 30-40% of the stock portion into international stocks. This is especially important for investors who might be spending the money finally in Rupees. Having atleast 15-20% of one's long term assets in international stocks provides good hedge against any dollar depreciation. Thus the final suggested portfolio is 35/15/50 US/International/Bond.<br />If you invested $10,000 in 1970 in 35/15/50 in US/Int/Bond mix it would be worth $264,000 as of December 2002. This is an annualized return of 10.44% with 11.71% standard deviation. The best return in any year was 53.28% and the worst loss in any year was -23.57%.<br />You should be very careful in selecting your asset allocation. If you are not capable of handling a 50% loss of your stock investments you should reduce it to the level that you would be comfortable with. The time to decide your risk tolerance is before you make your first investment. Once you choose an asset allocation you should not change it unless need, ability or willingness has changed. But resist the temptation to change your asset allocation in an attempt to market time.<br />Dangers of Market Timing<br />A study conducted by Dalbar found that between 1984-2000 the average mutual fund investor gained 141% while S&P 500 gained 1201% in the same time frame. Money market funds returned 161% during the same time frame. The study found that investors did not get the entire return because of failed attempts at market timing.<br />While asset allocation has determined the majority of the returns in theory (and would hold in practice if buy and hold is followed), in reality investor behavior is a much more important determinant of returns.<br />The idea behind market timing is to buy stock when prices are low, hold onto your investment until the market peaks, and then sell your stock investments moving into cash until the market hits bottom. It does sounds simple enough. But as shown above the consequences have been disastrous to investors. So resist the seductive call of market timing. You will be severely tested during bear markets when you would you distinctly get the feeling of flushing your hard earned money down the toilet. You should fight the impluse to rush into safe investments during bear markets.<br />It is important to look at the performance of the whole portfolio rather than focus on individual holdings. At any point of time some asset would be under performing and you should resist the temptation to sell the under performing asset in an attempt to buy it back later. Don’t let short-term volatility drive your long-term investment planning. Your best defense against a fluctuating market is a well diversified portfolio and a disciplined program of periodic investments.<br />Consider any stock/bond investments in India also as part of the total portfolio. Any type of retirement fund in India like Public Provident Fund should be treated as a bond holding in your portfolio. Any pension plans or annuities either in India or US should also be treated as bond holdings. Avoid holding large percentage (25% or more) of your total assets in Indian stocks. India does not yet offer the necessary level of investor protection nor quick recourse to legal remedies in case of outright fruad. However stock/bond markets in India provide attractive investment opportunities for the careful investor. Stick to large mutual fund companies with large asset base and keep a close watch on expense ratios when investing in India.<br />Once you decide on an asset allocation write it down and sleep on it for a week. This would give you time to think and understand your risk tolerance. Most investors would realize their true risk tolerance only during severe bear markets. Many overestimate their true risk tolerance as it is difficult for anyone to accept that they are not daring risk takers. Financial planning is not an arena where you can bluff yourself.<br />Implementing your Asset Allocation Plan<br />Once an asset allocation decision has been made you can proceed with the mechanics of implementing your plan. Here we need to consider asset location and expenses for implementing the plan. Asset location simply means allocating your stocks and bonds between retirement accounts and taxable accounts. The optimal tax strategy is to allocate all your bond holdings in tax deferred accounts (IRA and 401K) and stock holdings in taxable accounts.<br />You can implement this plan at Vanguard by using these three funds 1. Vanguard Total Stock Market Index (35%) 2. Vanguard Total International Stock Market Index (15%) 3. Vanguard Short Term Corporate (50%) or I/EE bonds in taxable account<br />Why Vanguard?<br />The Vanguard Group is owned entirely by its fund shareholder - not by a separate company looking for profits. Vanguard's profits accrue to the owners of Vanguard portfolios. This unique structure enables it to offer mutual funds with the lowest expense ratios in the industry. In addition Vanguard offers a wide selection of index funds with low minimum investment requirements. For these reasons Vanguard should be the fund group of choice for all investors.<br />During the height of the Technology boom as almost every mutual fund company brought out new technology based funds Vanguard refused to follow suit. This is one example of its high ethical standards.<br />You can hold your investments in Vanguard after you go back to India. You need to fill out a change of address and a W-8 form before you leave. <br /><br />Follow these steps to implement you asset allocation plan 1. If you have an IRA or 401K invest your bond portion in these accounts. Select an any available short or intermediate bond fund. 2. If you do not have a tax deferred account or do not have a bond fund in your tax deferred account or you need to invest more money than you can fit into your tax deferred account, invest in I/EE bonds (or Vanguard Short Term Corporate if you do not want to invest in I/EE bonds or have maxed both I/EE bonds). 3. If you can invest more in your tax deferred account even after allocating the bond potion then invest in an index fund. Most plans have an S&P500 index fund and you can use this as a substitute for the Total Stock Market Index fund. 4. Invest the remaining amount with Vanguard in Total Stock Market Index and Total International Index fund. 5. Allocate your monthly investments in the same 35/15/50 ratio.<br />6. Maintaining Your Asset Allocation<br />Your asset mix should be periodically reviewed and rebalanced to in order for asset allocation to work best. Market fluctuation can easily throw your carefully planned asset mix out of balance. For example, if stocks outperform your other investments they may eventually represent far more than the original target percentage that you set up, which in turn could expose you to more risk than you would like. To bring your portfolio back in balance in this situation, you might choose to sell stock and reinvest in cash equivalents or bonds.<br />Set a specific day each year when you would review your portfolio against your asset allocation plan. Since rebalancing involves transaction fees and potentially taxes it should only be done with new investment funds are available or if your allocation differs by more than 5% from your target allocation. Say you have $100K with 50K stock and 50K bonds and the next year it becomes 45K/55K stock/bond then you should sell 5K worth of bonds and invest the 5K in stock. But if you are going to invest new money of 15K in the next year you can invest the first 10K into stocks only to make it 55K/55K and then invest the remaining 5K in 50/50 ratio between stock/bond. This rebalancing is more important between stocks and bonds than between different stock classes i.e. between US stocks and international stocks.<br />Sticking with an investment plan sounds easier than it really is. It is pretty simple to stick with your investing strategy when your financial and emotional life is happy and stable. However, it's the challenging times that you need to think about. An investment plan is successful only if you are able to stick with it through good times and bad. Altering your investment plan should never be done on a whim.<br />7. Common Investor Mistakes<br />Keep the following things in mind as you invest as these are some common mistakes new investors make.<br />Avoid sector funds, even if you think a particular sector would do well in future. A sector can have a very bright future yet deliver poor long term returns.<br />Avoid active funds at all costs. Active funds are much more expensive than their expense ratio indicates. Active funds add more than 1% in hidden expenses that can only be calculated by analyzing its financial statements.<br />Be wary of financial advisors. If you want to hire a financial planner read up on investing before going to the planner. Choose only a fixed fee planner.<br />Avoid the temptation to tweak your portfolio or alter your plan.<br />Avoid investing in individual stocks. Individual stocks have company specific risk that can be diversified away and thus there is no additional reward for taking this type of risk. While risk and reward are related, you are not rewarded for taking all types of risk. <br />Ignore advice of mainstream financial press. They are in the business of selling interesting and captivating news not providing sound financial advice.<br />Watch the fees you are paying for funds. You should not be paying more than 0.5% in total fees as expense ratio, brokerage costs or annual fees per year.<br />Do not postpone investments because you are afraid of market volatility. There will always be some event that is a cause for concern and if you allow this to delay your investment plan you will never be able to get started in investing. You will forever be waiting for the perfect time to invest.<br />Understand the Effect of Expenses on Returns<br />At first glance it would seem that a 1% additional expense for a financial planner or a active mutual fund is not a big deal. But even a small additional expense has a huge impact on final returns and comes as a shock to new investors. Say you invest $10,000 in an active mutual fund that has an expense ratio of 1% higher than an index fund or you pay this to an advisor. After 30 years your return would be $81,000 (at 7% return). The same amount without the additional expense would return $109,000, fully $28,000 more than the high cost fund. Note that this amount is much larger than your initial investment. Expenses are one of the few things under your control and you should strive to reduce them as much as possible.<br />Disclaimer<br />I am not an investment professional and have no background in finance. I strongly advice all to read up on several of the investments books listed before getting started in investing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-79058549808334920302008-07-28T05:52:00.000-07:002008-07-28T05:54:29.312-07:00Nice article about Programming and about learning:<div align="left"><br /><strong>Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years</strong><br />Peter Norvig</div><div align="left"><br />Why is everyone in such a rush?Walk into any bookstore, and you'll see how to Teach Yourself Java in 7 Days alongside endless variations offering to teach Visual Basic, Windows, the Internet, and so on in a few days or hours. I did the following <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/468558/104-5938873-6579160">power search</a> at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ix=books&rank=%2Bfeaturedrank&fqp=power%01pubdate%3A%20after%201992%20and%20title%3A%20days%20and%0D%20%28title%3A%20learn%20or%20title%3A%20teach%20yourself%29&sz=25&pg=1/ref=s_b_np">pubdate: after 1992 and title: days and</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ix=books&rank=%2Bfeaturedrank&fqp=power%01pubdate%3A%20after%201992%20and%20title%3A%20days%20and%0D%20%28title%3A%20learn%20or%20title%3A%20teach%20yourself%29&sz=25&pg=1/ref=s_b_np">(title: learn or title: teach yourself)</a>and got back 248 hits. The first 78 were computer books (number 79 was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781802245/">Learn Bengali in 30 days</a>). I replaced "days" with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ix=books&rank=%2Bfeaturedrank&fqp=power%01pubdate%3A%20after%201992%20and%20title%3A%20hours%20and%0D%20%28title%3A%20learn%20or%20title%3A%20teach%20yourself%29&sz=25&pg=3/ref=s_b_np">"hours"</a> and got remarkably similar results: 253 more books, with 77 computer books followed by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0028638999/">Teach Yourself Grammar and Style in 24 Hours</a> at number 78. Out of the top 200 total, 96% were computer books.<br />The conclusion is that either people are in a big rush to learn about computers, or that computers are somehow fabulously easier to learn than anything else. There are no books on how to learn Beethoven, or Quantum Physics, or even Dog Grooming in a few days.<br />Let's analyze what a title like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1556225679/4094-7934802-027992">Learn Pascal in Three Days</a> could mean:<br />Learn: In 3 days you won't have time to write several significant programs, and learn from your successes and failures with them. You won't have time to work with an experienced programmer and understand what it is like to live in that environment. In short, you won't have time to learn much. So they can only be talking about a superficial familiarity, not a deep understanding. As Alexander Pope said, a little learning is a dangerous thing.<br />Pascal: In 3 days you might be able to learn the syntax of Pascal (if you already knew a similar language), but you couldn't learn much about how to use the syntax. In short, if you were, say, a Basic programmer, you could learn to write programs in the style of Basic using Pascal syntax, but you couldn't learn what Pascal is actually good (and bad) for. So what's the point? <a href="http://www-pu.informatik.uni-tuebingen.de/users/klaeren/epigrams.html">Alan Perlis</a> once said: "A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing". One possible point is that you have to learn a tiny bit of Pascal (or more likely, something like Visual Basic or JavaScript) because you need to interface with an existing tool to accomplish a specific task. But then you're not learning how to program; you're learning to accomplish that task.<br />in Three Days: Unfortunately, this is not enough, as the next section shows.<br />Teach Yourself Programming in Ten YearsResearchers (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/034531509X/">Bloom (1985)</a>, <a href="http://norvig.com/21-days.html#bh">Bryan & Harter (1899)</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805803092">Hayes (1989)</a>, <a href="http://norvig.com/21-days.html#sc">Simmon & Chase (1973)</a>) have shown it takes about ten years to develop expertise in any of a wide variety of areas, including chess playing, music composition, telegraph operation, painting, piano playing, swimming, tennis, and research in neuropsychology and topology. There appear to be no real shortcuts: even Mozart, who was a musical prodigy at age 4, took 13 more years before he began to produce world-class music. In another genre, the Beatles seemed to burst onto the scene with a string of #1 hits and an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. But they had been playing small clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg since 1957, and while they had mass appeal early on, their first great critical success, Sgt. Peppers, was released in 1967. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) thought it took longer than ten years: "Excellence in any department can be attained only by the labor of a lifetime; it is not to be purchased at a lesser price." And Chaucer (1340-1400) complained "the lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." Hippocrates (c. 400BC) is known for the excerpt "ars longa, vita brevis", which is part of the longer quotation "Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile", which in English renders as "Life is short, [the] craft long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgment difficult." Although in Latin, ars can mean either art or craft, in the original Greek the word "techne" can only mean "skill", not "art".<br />Here's my recipe for programming success:<br />Get interested in programming, and do some because it is fun. Make sure that it keeps being enough fun so that you will be willing to put in ten years.<br />Talk to other programmers; read other programs. This is more important than any book or training course.<br />Program. The best kind of learning is <a href="http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/nodes/NODE-120-pg.html">learning by doing</a>. To put it more technically, "the maximal level of performance for individuals in a given domain is not attained automatically as a function of extended experience, but the level of performance can be increased even by highly experienced individuals as a result of deliberate efforts to improve." <a href="http://www2.umassd.edu/swpi/DesignInCS/expertise.html">(p. 366)</a> and "the most effective learning requires a well-defined task with an appropriate difficulty level for the particular individual, informative feedback, and opportunities for repetition and corrections of errors." (p. 20-21) The book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521357349">Cognition in Practice: Mind, Mathematics, and Culture in Everyday Life</a> is an interesting reference for this viewpoint.<br />If you want, put in four years at a college (or more at a graduate school). This will give you access to some jobs that require credentials, and it will give you a deeper understanding of the field, but if you don't enjoy school, you can (with some dedication) get similar experience on the job. In any case, book learning alone won't be enough. "Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter" says Eric Raymond, author of The New Hacker's Dictionary. One of the best programmers I ever hired had only a High School degree; he's produced a lot of <a href="http://www.xemacs.org/">great</a> <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/">software</a>, has his own <a href="http://groups.google.com/groups?q=alt.fan.jwz&meta=site%3Dgroups">news group</a>, and made enough in stock options to buy his own <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_Lounge">nightclub</a>.<br />Work on projects with other programmers. Be the best programmer on some projects; be the worst on some others. When you're the best, you get to test your abilities to lead a project, and to inspire others with your vision. When you're the worst, you learn what the masters do, and you learn what they don't like to do (because they make you do it for them).<br />Work on projects after other programmers. Be involved in understanding a program written by someone else. See what it takes to understand and fix it when the original programmers are not around. Think about how to design your programs to make it easier for those who will maintain it after you.<br />Learn at least a half dozen programming languages. Include one language that supports class abstractions (like Java or C++), one that supports functional abstraction (like Lisp or ML), one that supports syntactic abstraction (like Lisp), one that supports declarative specifications (like Prolog or C++ templates), one that supports coroutines (like Icon or Scheme), and one that supports parallelism (like Sisal).<br />Remember that there is a "computer" in "computer science". Know how long it takes your computer to execute an instruction, fetch a word from memory (with and without a cache miss), read consecutive words from disk, and seek to a new location on disk. (<a href="http://norvig.com/21-days.html#answers">Answers here.</a>)<br />Get involved in a language standardization effort. It could be the ANSI C++ committee, or it could be deciding if your local coding style will have 2 or 4 space indentation levels. Either way, you learn about what other people like in a language, how deeply they feel so, and perhaps even a little about why they feel so.<br />Have the good sense to get off the language standardization effort as quickly as possible. With all that in mind, its questionable how far you can get just by book learning. Before my first child was born, I read all the How To books, and still felt like a clueless novice. 30 Months later, when my second child was due, did I go back to the books for a refresher? No. Instead, I relied on my personal experience, which turned out to be far more useful and reassuring to me than the thousands of pages written by experts.<br />Fred Brooks, in his essay <a href="http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/context/7718/0">No Silver Bullets</a> identified a three-part plan for finding great software designers:<br />Systematically identify top designers as early as possible.<br />Assign a career mentor to be responsible for the development of the prospect and carefully keep a career file.<br />Provide opportunities for growing designers to interact and stimulate each other.<br />This assumes that some people already have the qualities necessary for being a great designer; the job is to properly coax them along. <a href="http://www-pu.informatik.uni-tuebingen.de/users/klaeren/epigrams.html">Alan Perlis</a> put it more succinctly: "Everyone can be taught to sculpt: Michelangelo would have had to be taught how not to. So it is with the great programmers".<br />So go ahead and buy that Java book; you'll probably get some use out of it. But you won't change your life, or your real overall expertise as a programmer in 24 hours, days, or even months.<br />References<br />Bloom, Benjamin (ed.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/034531509X">Developing Talent in Young People</a>, Ballantine, 1985.<br />Brooks, Fred, <a href="http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/context/7718/0">No Silver Bullets</a>, IEEE Computer, vol. 20, no. 4, 1987, p. 10-19.<br /><a name="bh">Bryan, W.L. & Harter, N. "Studies on the telegraphic language: The acquisition of a hierarchy of habits. Psychology Review, 1899, 8, 345-375</a><br />Hayes, John R., <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805803092">Complete Problem Solver</a> Lawrence Erlbaum, 1989.<br /><a name="cs">Chase, William G. & Simon, Herbert A. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=dYPSHAAACAAJ&dq=%22perception+in+chess%22+simon&ei=z4PyR5iIAZnmtQPbyLyuDQ">"Perception in Chess"</a> Cognitive Psychology, 1973, 4, 55-81.</a><br />Lave, Jean, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521357349">Cognition in Practice: Mind, Mathematics, and Culture in Everyday Life</a>, Cambridge University Press, 1988.<br /><a name="answers"><br />Answers</a>Approximate timing for various operations on a typical 1GHz PC in summer 2001:<br />execute single instruction<br />1 nanosec = (1/1,000,000,000) sec<br />fetch word from L1 cache memory<br />2 nanosec<br />fetch word from main memory<br />10 nanosec<br />fetch word from consecutive disk location<br />200 nanosec<br />fetch word from new disk location (seek)<br />8,000,000 nanosec = 8 millisec<br />Appendix: Language ChoiceSeveral people have asked what programming language they should learn first. There is no one answer, but consider these points:<br />Use your friends. When asked "what operating system should I use, Windows, Unix, or Mac?", my answer is usually: "use whatever your friends use." The advantage you get from learning from your friends will offset any intrinsic difference between OS, or between programming languages. Also consider your future friends: the community of programmers that you will be a part of if you continue. Does your chosen language have a large growing community or a small dying one? Are there books, web sites, and online forums to get answers from? Do you like the people in those forums?<br />Keep it simple. Programming languages such as C++ and Java are designed for professional development by large teams of experienced programmers who are concerned about the run-time efficiency of their code. As a result, these languages have complicated parts designed for these circumstances. You're concerned with learning to program. You don't need that complication. You want a language that was designed to be easy to learn and remember by a single new programmer.<br />Play. Which way would you rather learn to play the piano: the normal, interactive way, in which you hear each note as soon as you hit a key, or "batch" mode, in which you only hear the notes after you finish a whole song? Clearly, interactive mode makes learning easier for the piano, and also for programming. Insist on a language with an interactive mode and use it. Given these criteria, my recommendations for a first programming language would be <a href="http://python.org/">Python</a> or <a href="http://www.schemers.org/">Scheme</a>. But your circumstances may vary, and there are other good choices. If your age is a single-digit, you might prefer <a href="http://alice.org/">Alice</a> or <a href="http://www.squeak.org/">Squeak</a> (older learners might also enjoy these). The important Nthing is that you choose and get started.<br />Appendix: Books and Other ResourcesSeveral people have asked what books and web pages they should learn from. I repeat that "book learning alone won't be enough" but I can recommend the following:<br />Scheme: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262011530">Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (Abelson & Sussman)</a> is probably the best introduction to computer science, and it does teach programming as a way of understanding the computer science. You can see <a href="http://www.swiss.ai.mit.edu/classes/6.001/abelson-sussman-lectures/">online videos of lectures</a> on this book, as well as the <a href="http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/book/book.html">complete text online</a>. The book is challenging and will weed out some people who perhaps could be successful with another approach.<br />Scheme: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262062186">How to Design Programs (Felleisen et al.)</a> is one of the best books on how to actually design programs in an elegant and functional way.<br />Python: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1887902996">Python Programming: An Intro to CS (Zelle)</a> is a good introduction using Python.<br />Python: Several online <a href="http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide">tutorials</a> are available at <a href="http://python.org/">Python.org</a>.<br />Oz: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262220695">Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming (Van Roy & Haridi)</a> is seen by some as the modern-day successor to Abelson & Sussman. It is a tour through the big ideas of programming, covering a wider range than Abelson & Sussman while being perhaps easier to read and follow. It uses a language, Oz, that is not widely known but serves as a basis for learning other languages. <<br />NotesT. Capey points out that the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805803092">Complete Problem Solver</a> page on Amazon now has the "Teach Yourself Bengali in 21 days" and "Teach Yourself Grammar and Style" books under the "Customers who shopped for this item also shopped for these items" section. I guess that a large portion of the people who look at that book are coming from this page. Thanks to Ross Cohen for help with Hippocrates. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Courtesy :<a href="http://norvig.com/21-days.html">http://norvig.com/21-days.html</a></div><div align="left"><br /> <br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-57763908819140993862007-10-30T13:23:00.000-07:002007-10-30T13:56:25.930-07:00Inventing Faith!!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRc3YGQwH3jOryKvh51hkSR2QowPMgTGYXc6rPgPdbSRfNSGEHJCFlCRzpbus7dTvVNolzUh2B4oMOc_SEfNZwR3RRMvrmQl_QbG_xXoaafqj30cAPyhGOOlL8Ty4UKZwuqyQbbT9SuJPx/s1600-h/250px-Touched_by_His_Noodly_Appendage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127232462359748178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRc3YGQwH3jOryKvh51hkSR2QowPMgTGYXc6rPgPdbSRfNSGEHJCFlCRzpbus7dTvVNolzUh2B4oMOc_SEfNZwR3RRMvrmQl_QbG_xXoaafqj30cAPyhGOOlL8Ty4UKZwuqyQbbT9SuJPx/s320/250px-Touched_by_His_Noodly_Appendage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>A group of people at the Oregon state university headed by Bobby Henderson invented a new deity called " Flying Spaghetti Monster" ( also known as Spaghedeity) as a measure of protest against Kansas state board of education's decision to teach intelligent design as an alternate to biological evolution. Flying Spaghetti Mosnter (FSM) which resembles spaghetti and meatballs is believed to be the super natural creator of the universe, </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Due to its recent popularity and media exposure, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is used by atheist, agnostics (known by Pastafarians as "spagnostics"), and others as a modern version of Russell's teapot ( a contemporary belief !! that there is no god) atlast there is onething the atheist do believe!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlz21vJtRTWTCUvjld5ZTxRVbW0k842aPPz8g1wI4CK6V0nA5FpNIOY39udpHhiJWNsq7Ar295QIbQNNudj1thFVnnVp-dtmxNmH8YCt6cR2u5Gk3FFIeHgTg_TCjno-n-gt9qtbhhiE_/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127235954168159842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 169px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px" height="101" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlz21vJtRTWTCUvjld5ZTxRVbW0k842aPPz8g1wI4CK6V0nA5FpNIOY39udpHhiJWNsq7Ar295QIbQNNudj1thFVnnVp-dtmxNmH8YCt6cR2u5Gk3FFIeHgTg_TCjno-n-gt9qtbhhiE_/s320/images.jpg" width="225" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>May be if Henderson would have visited India he would have believed Spaghetti monster really exists and it rules or may be Spaghetti would have become the new superstar in Indian movies ;) with fans poring milk ( should they try pasta sauce!!) on him </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-34979207507006980252007-09-16T11:57:00.000-07:002007-09-16T12:01:14.526-07:00Reading between linesReally Nice…..<br /><br />* There are some things that money can’t buy. For everything else, my salary isn’t sufficient!!<br />* I try to go the extra mile at work, but my boss always finds me and brings me back.<br />* They can’t fire me, slaves have to be sold.<br />* Home is where the television is.<br />* Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need more.<br />* Death is hereditary.<br />* Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them.<br />* Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.<br />* When you’re right, no one remembers. When you’re wrong, no one forgets.<br />* Experience is what a comb gives you after you lose your hair.<br />* Well done is better than well said.<br />* Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make them when nobody is looking.<br />* Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.<br />* You’re not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.<br />* I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.<br />* If you can’t see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.<br />* Pessimist: A person that looks both ways when crossing a one way street.<br />* The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an approaching train.<br />* Where there’s a will there are five hundred relatives.<br />* I have a drinking problem - I can’t afford it.<br />* Everyone should have a spouse, because there are a number of things that goWrong that one can’t blame on the government.<br />* There are three sides to every argument: your side, my side and the right side.<br />* An expert is someone who takes a subject you understand and makes it soundConfusing.<br /><br />And finally<br /><br />* Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.<br /><br />Courtesy (Copied from) : <a title="View all posts in Analysis" href="http://wordpress.com/tag/analysis/" rel="category tag">Analysis</a>, <a title="View all posts in Enjoy Life" href="http://wordpress.com/tag/enjoy-life/" rel="category tag">Enjoy Life</a>, <a title="View all posts in Humor" href="http://wordpress.com/tag/humor/" rel="category tag">Humor</a>, <a title="View all posts in Information" href="http://wordpress.com/tag/information/" rel="category tag">Information</a>, <a title="View all posts in Life" href="http://wordpress.com/tag/life/" rel="category tag" modo="false">Life</a>, <a title="View all posts in Quotations" href="http://wordpress.com/tag/quotations/" rel="category tag">Quotations</a>, <a title="View all posts in Random Thoughts" href="http://wordpress.com/tag/random-thoughts/" rel="category tag">Random Thoughts</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-79202561980896435772007-09-12T08:07:00.000-07:002007-09-12T08:25:38.225-07:00Mortgage Basics<strong>1. Introduction</strong><br /><br />Buying a home is the biggest financial investment most of us will ever make. As with any large project or goal, it requires dealing with a variety of complex issues. The best approach is to divide the process into manageable tasks. The following deals with the first steps of gathering your records, determining what you can afford, and understanding mortgage options.<br />Back to top<br /><br /><strong>2. Put Your Own Financial House in Order</strong><br />Before you go looking for a home, you should determine how much home you can afford. Most lenders will prequalify you to borrow up to a certain amount. Prequalification allows you to focus in on a realistic price range and makes you a more attractive buyer. Whether or not you want to prequalify, eventually you'll need to complete a loan application and it may take some time to gather and assemble the required information.<br /><br />It's also a good idea to review your credit report. Contact local lenders to determine which credit bureaus they use. Then contact the credit bureaus and request a copy of your credit report (in most states, credit bureaus are required to provide individuals with a free copy of their report). Review your report to ensure that all information is correct. If you have past credit problems, don't lose hope. Be prepared to present a rationale for each slipup, and demonstrate an improvement in your ability to pay bills on time.<br />Back to top<br /><br /><strong>3. How Much Mortgage Can You Afford?</strong><br />The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) is a government-sponsored organization that purchases mortgages from lenders and sells them to investors. Two income-to-debt ratios established by Fannie Mae are standard requirements for conventional mortgages. The first requirement is that monthly mortgage principal and interest payments (P&I), plus insurance and property taxes, cannot exceed 28% of the buyer's gross monthly income (some exceptions may apply to increase this limit to 33%). The second requirement limits total monthly debt payments (housing, credit cards, car payments, etc.) to 36% of gross monthly income. In addition to these requirements, you may have to pay 10% to 20% down on the total purchase price to qualify for a conventional mortgage.<br /><br />Mortgage Rates and Minimum Incomes Needed to Qualify<br /><br />Interest Rate Monthly Payment Minimum Annual Income<br />4% $454 $21,770<br />5% $510 $24,479<br />6% $570 $27,340<br />7% $632 $30,338<br />8% $697 $33,460<br />9% $764 $36,691<br />10% $834 $40,017<br />11% $905 $43,426<br />12% $977 $46,905<br /><br />Mortgage companies use ratios to analyze your mortgage payment. The above example shows the monthly payments of principal and interest, and income needed to qualify for a $95,000 mortgage at various interest rates, amortized on a 30-year schedule, assuming a payment ratio of 25%.<br />Source: National Association of Home Builders, Economics Division.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>4. Types of Mortgages</strong><br />How much house you can buy also depends on your mortgage's term and interest rate. The term is the length of time (usually 15 or 30 years) over which payments will be paid. The rate can be fixed (meaning it doesn't change over the loan's term) or adjustable (it fluctuates with market conditions). Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages remain the most popular. The longer term lowers the monthly payment, while the fixed rate provides stability over the life of the loan. Given relatively low interest rates, these mortgages are attractive to buyers planning to stay at least six or seven years in their new home. The drawbacks are low principal payments in the early years, and the risk that market rates will decline over the term. However, if your credit history is sound and you have sufficient income, you can usually refinance your mortgage when rates decline.<br /><br />A 15-year term lowers the interest rate, reduces total interest payments, and increases principal payments. But it also increases monthly payments. If you can't afford the higher payments now, you might opt for a 30-year mortgage. If there are no prepayment penalties, you can make additional principal payments as your income increases. Making just one extra monthly payment a year will pay off a 30-year mortgage in less than 22 years and can save tens of thousands of dollars in interest costs. If you plan to stay in a home no more than three years, you might want an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). ARMs offer initial rates that are lower than fixed mortgages. At some point, usually after the first year, rates are tied to market conditions and are subject to potential rate increases. Most ARMs include a cap on rate increases in any given year, as well as over the life of the loan. Some ARMs offer initial rates at least 2% below fixed rates and limit increases to 1% annually and 5% to 6% over the life of the loan. Many home buyers are attracted by the affordability of an ARM during the initial period. However, you should be confident that your future income will be sufficient if both interest rates and your monthly payments increase.<br /><br />Another popular mortgage involves a balloon payment. A balloon is a lump-sum payment that pays off the loan in full after a fixed period of time. Generally the rates on balloon mortgages are 1/4% to 3/4% less than on 30-year fixed mortgages, but during an initial period of between 3 and 15 years, payments are similar. After this period, the remaining outstanding principal balance is either due in full or subject to refinancing. This is a good option for home buyers who plan to sell before the final payment is due. But because property values fluctuate, you may not be able to sell when you want. You may also face higher payments if you are forced to refinance at a higher rate, and there is also a risk that you may not be in a position to refinance when the balloon becomes due.<br /><br /><strong>Three Steps to Finding the Right Mortgage</strong><br /><br /><br />Estimate how long you expect to live in the house. If the answer is less than three to five years, consider an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM), which typically starts out with a lower rate. If you plan to live in your new home longer than five years, a fixed-rate mortgage offers protection against rising interest rates.<br />Shop around for mortgage rates. Banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies all offer mortgages. Compare at least six lenders in your area.<br />Add up all the costs for each lender. Include fees, points, closing costs, etc., to arrive at the total mortgage cost for each lender.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>5. Interest Rate Points</strong><br />Points are interest paid in advance to reduce the rate on a loan. One point is equal to 1% of the mortgage amount. The general rule is that 1 point is worth 1/8 of 1% off the loan rate. The decision to pay points for a lower rate is based on how much the seller is willing to contribute to points, how long you plan to stay in the house, and how important lower payments are compared to higher closing costs. You will need to calculate the long-term value of points based on these factors, keeping in mind that points are generally tax deductible in the year paid.<br /><br /><strong>6. Other Alternatives</strong><br />If you cannot afford a conventional mortgage, there are a variety of alternatives. An anxious seller will sometimes offer owner financing. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans offer down payments as low as 3%, but may require the buyer to purchase mortgage insurance. (The FHA is a government agency responsible for insuring affordable housing mortgages.) The Veterans Administration (VA) offers no-money-down mortgages to qualified veterans of the U.S. military. Finally, there are local affordable housing advocates that offer low-cost, low down-payment loan alternatives. For further information, contact the FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, or your local mortgage lender or real estate broker.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Summary</strong><br />The first step in acquiring a home mortgage is to gather the information you'll need to include in a mortgage application.<br />Review your credit report by ordering a copy from the credit bureaus used by local mortgage lenders.<br />Prequalifying for a mortgage lets you know how much you can afford and makes you a more attractive buyer.<br />Conventional mortgages limit housing costs to 28% of gross income and total debt payments to 36% of gross income.<br />Mortgage terms are usually 15 or 30 years. The longer the term, the lower your monthly payment, but the higher your overall interest costs.<br />Thirty-year loans often permit additional principal payments. One additional monthly payment per year will reduce a 30-year loan to 22 years.<br />Interest rates are fixed or variable over the term of the loan. Variable rates may be best for buyers who plan to sell within three years.<br />Generally speaking, one point is worth 1/8 of 1% off the loan rate.<br />A balloon payment is a lump sum payable at the end of a specified term.<br />Points and interest on mortgages or home equity debt are usually tax deductible.<br />Checklist<br />When your credit reports arrive, review them for accuracy. Correct any mistakes immediately.<br />Get prequalified for a loan. Paying off debts ahead of time might qualify you for a better mortgage.<br />If you're a veteran, contact the U.S. Veterans Administration to find out whether you're eligible for a no-money-down mortgage.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Tips:</strong><br />If you are wanting to buy a home, stop , think, study. Owning a home is costs more than just the P and I. Even a new home will require major expenses in 5 - 10 years. Painting, A/C system, hot water heater, etc. Save up the 20% or more down payment. Buy a little less house than you can afford. Then when those expenses come around you can pay for them. Avoid ARM and low or no down payments, your payment will be higher. By saving the down payment you are proving to yourself that you had the disiplan to own a home. Can't wait, then stay in a rental. Otherwise you may wake up and be bankrupt some day.<br /><br />Coutesy : yahoo finance : <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/how-to-guide/loans/12822">http://finance.yahoo.com/how-to-guide/loans/12822</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-47272516446460109902007-05-31T19:59:00.000-07:002007-05-31T20:00:30.484-07:00ha ha ha ha ha .....<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5P6UU6m3cqk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5P6UU6m3cqk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-61155395639770971092007-04-05T07:28:00.000-07:002007-04-05T07:30:53.742-07:007 Steps for motivationDaily Motivation: 7 Methods by <a href="http://www.lifedynamix.com/articles/author/StevenG.html">StevenG</a><br /><br />Isn't a lack of daily motivation one of the biggest problems we face when trying to better ourselves? We often know what to do, or at least the first few steps. But we hesitate, something else catches our attention, or we just don't feel like doing what we need to do.Want some help?<br /><br /> Here are seven ways to get motivated - ways that have worked for others. If you find only one or two here that work for you, you'll be on your way.<br /><br />Seven Methods For Daily Motivation<br /><br />1. Create desire. See the rewards of your effort clearly. This motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. A good salesman can have you living in your imagined dream home in minutes, and you'll feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Learn to be your own salesman.<br /><br />2. Create pain. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming they teach you to link pain with not acting. An imaginary scene of your wife walking out the door with another man, as you sit there silently - that might motivate you to have that talk you've been avoiding.<br /><br />3. Talk about your plans. By the time I tell my wife about the newsletter I'm going to write, I'm out of my slump and back at the keyboard.<br /><br />4. Have a true interest. No interest at all might mean you need to do something else, but if it's just a task you dislike, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal. I don't like to drive, but when I remember those mountains I'm going to, I get motivated to drive.<br /><br />5. Have energy. Caffeine will substitute for health for a while, but one way or another, you need some energy to have daily motivation. Exercise, sleep well, and watch out for sugary foods - the "sugar blues" will kill your motivation.<br /><br />6. Create the proper mental state. It's hard to be depressed and motivated. Resolve some of your negative feelings, or at least do your important work when you are in a better mood.<br /><br />7. Take a small step. Commit to raking up one bag of leaves, and soon you'll want to finish the yard. Any small step towards your goals feeds your daily motivation.<br /><br /> Now you have seven ways to self-motivation, but you have to actually use them. How do you get motivated to do that? Oh the irony! You'll have to figure that one out yourself.<br /> By the way, here's a bonus motivation method: Humor. Laughter often breaks up the feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away motivation.Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at <a href="http://www.selfimprovementnow.com/" target="_new">http://www.selfimprovementnow.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-61371667653386402972007-01-31T07:31:00.000-08:002007-01-31T07:34:31.285-08:00Nice story to think aboutA young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?" The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother, "he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.<br />It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.<br /><br /><em>If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.<br />If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.<br />He sends you flowers every spring.<br />He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about you! </em><br /><br /><strong><em>God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.<br />If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.</em> </strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-3936526406005365612007-01-30T08:17:00.000-08:002007-01-30T08:46:59.201-08:00Radical measures - Remarkable resultsLife is like cooking, if you put the normal ingedients and cook it is just the normal example if you cook dosa, if you just cook the normal way u get the normal dosa only if you add something ( like onion ) it increases its value<br /> similarly, if we do the normal things like work same 8 hrs , save some money , get married have children get a house, get ur kids educated ...get retired, chant manthra and die , of course even to do this in this fashion requires lot of hard work and planning but in the last ...but we miss something called life , what is life?..life is not all this regular chores, is the world changed a little bit after you, atleast the world which is known to you ...has anybody benefited from your life in a good way <br /><br /><em>if you can make your parents life better ...you become a good son<br />if you can make your kids life better ...you become a good father<br />if you can make your village prosper ...you become a leader<br />if you can make your nation prosper .....you become mahathma</em><br /><br />but how many people take a break and think out of the box ...everybody is caught in the routine and you dont live for urself nor you live for any purpose!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-12762751693528377922007-01-28T06:51:00.000-08:002007-01-28T06:52:37.859-08:00skeleton<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/obYXrwfkfy4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/obYXrwfkfy4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-84517708039749684262007-01-19T12:28:00.000-08:002007-01-19T12:33:54.694-08:00Yoga in busy lifeBelow is the extract taken from <a href="http://rajinifans.com/articles/vikatan_thodar.asp">Rajini's interview</a> to Ananda Vikatan at the end of Rajini's Travelogue to Himalayas (2005) which got published in Ananda Vikatan that year.He talks about Dhyanam here.<br /><br />It is a simple and neat explanation of how to start dhyanamJust go ahead...Question:<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">யோகாசனம், தியானம் பழகின பிறகு உங்களுக்குள் என்னென்ன மாற்றங்கள் நிகழ்ந்தன... அதுபத்திக் கொஞ்சம் சொல்லுங்க?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Answer:</span> நிறைய! அது வந்து... நேரடியா எக்ஸ்பீரியன்ஸ் பண்ணணும். அப்போதான் அந்த சக்தி... பவர் புரியும். சும்மா யோகா, தியானம்னு பேச ஆரம்பிச்சா, அட போப்பா!ன்னுட்டுப் போயிடுவாங்க. யோகா உடம்புக்கு... தியானம் மனசுக்கு!எல்லோருக்கும் டென்ஷன், பிரச்னை, அவஸ்தை, தலைவலி இருக்கு. காலைல வெளியே கிளம்பறப்போ,இன்னிக்குப் புதுசா பிறந்தோம்டா!னு நினைச்சுக்கிட்டு கிளம்புங்க. ஈவினிங் வீட்டுக்கு வந்ததும் அப்பிடியே உட்காருங்க... சும்மா ஒரு அஞ்சு நிமிஷம் கண்ணு மூடி உட்காருங்க. இன்னிக்குக் காலையிலிருந்து சாயந்திரம் வீடு திரும்பற வரை என்னவெல்லாம் நடந்துதுனு நெனச்சுப் பாருங்க.ஜஸ்ட் திங் அபௌட் இட்! நீங்க யாரையோ காயப்படுத்தி இருக்கலாம். உங்களை யாரோ சந்தோஷப்படுத்தி இருக்கலாம். ஒரு வேலை நல்லபடியா முடிஞ்சிருக்கும். செய்ய நினைச்ச எதையோ மறந்துபோயிருப்பீங்க. அது எல்லாத்தையும் மனசுக்குள் ஒரு ரீப்ளே பண்ணிப் பாருங்க.முதல் நாள் இது நாலஞ்சு நிமிஷத்தில் முடிஞ்சுபோயிடும். அப்புறம், அதுவே இன்னும் டைம் கூடும். எங்கியோ ஒரு மொமண்ட்ல தடக்குனு நீங்க உங்களை மறந்து ஒரு சூன்யத்துக்குள் போய் வருவீங்க. அந்த அனுபவம் தனி எனர்ஜி தரும். கிரியா யோகாவை முறையா கத்துத் தர நல்ல மாஸ்டர்ஸ் இருக்காங்க. யோகுடா சத்சங்கில் போய்ப் பாருங்க. கத்துக்கிட்டா இன்னும் நல்லா இருப்பீங்க... இது என் எக்ஸ்பீரியன்ஸ்!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:+0;">so simple and so good !!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8941537253117184838.post-49856238811290920322007-01-16T12:31:00.000-08:002007-01-16T12:34:07.387-08:00Hi AllThis is my first blog ...had this thought for along time ..but today I spent my time to create a blog , 'spent my time' ..seems quite odd.. yea this is the whole theme of this blog . As per me, Life in itself is kind of barter system, for everything in this world there is a "price tag" so you always spend ups osmething to get something , taking this thought let us start ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0