THE BYSTANDER

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Showing posts from 2008

Diabetes Type 2: Nursing case study

The following study or observation was carried out during my service with a leading hospital and research centre in the suburb of Mumbai. It had a day clinic and with 50 bedded general ward for patients suffering from various illness but not infectious. A section of the ward comprising 5 beds was earmarked for patients suffering from acute diabetes or problems related to it. Though usually there were one among ten patients were diagnosed with diabetes. I have been working as a stuff nurse in that hospital or facility. I was surprised to find patients of all age group suffering from diabetes. They specially visited the day clinic for check up or advices but some acute cases were admitted in the hospital for further care and investigation seeking the extent of damage the disease caused. Many of them were diagnosed with other ailments caused by diabetes being unchecked due to lack of client’s awareness. So I felt the patients of diabetes need more awareness to check or control the pr...

Horrible Chimney of Bajaj Electricals

While making up your mind to buy any consumer durables, better not to go for the product that has come to market lately. Even it is backed by renowned brand name or company of repute. In India, time and again it is observed many companies try off line products (the products which they do not manufacture), and subsequently abandon it, leaving their customers to meet their fate. So happened, when Philips started selling fridge decades ago. It was not a successful venture for them, so they stopped. Imagine the plight of those who bought their fridges being wooed by Philips brand name! With Indian consumer protection laws being elusive, the gullible consumers are treated like guinea pigs practically. My recent experience with kitchen chimney manufactured by Bajaj Electrical Products is equally bitter. From their web site it appears that they too have abandon their chimney venture. It was in the month of March I bought their kitchen chimney from one of the Kolkata’s most reliable show room...

TATA SKY OR TATA SQUEEZE!!

This is my debut article in the interest of Indian consumers. Just my humble contribution; to enlighten them about the product or service of famous TATA SKY. Amir Khan, the brand ambassador or Mr. Ratan Tata, the person at the helm of all TATA affairs, would be ashamed of TATA SKY, once they know instead of making the life “JINA LALA”; it is turning the life “JINA HARAM” with TATA SKY at times. With much expectation I switch over to TATA SKY from local cable operator in the month of May this year. Within six months twice I they have replaced their set top box. They went out of order and it is under warranty for one year. Every time I called their customer care, they receive they call as if your are naïve. They take no less than half an hour, to guide you to switch off and on , take out their digi-card and put it back, whether you are young or old caring a fig for that! Surprisingly their call centre’s number is not toll free! You are put on hold for ten minutes and another twenty m...

Changing Focus : Consumer's Interest

After a long break I am back to blogging again. In between I had a short stint as a copy writer with some American agency. I fell short with my little knowledge in English to meet the demand of their language churning machines. Well said by one of my friend, they are out to make mass production of literature with that software, as Ford started assembly line of production of his cars, early in the last century. Anyway, I too am thinking to focus on different areas of discussion. Consumer movement is still in nascent stage in our country. Though the relevant laws are framed, many seminars, workshops are held with lots of drum beatings. Still we are there now where we were 20 years ago. Thanks to our system which puts snails ashamed! Getting judgments for your genuine grievances, the time factors saps all your energy. That offers the field day here to manufacturers, service providers, professionals’ et al to loot the gullible consumers. You know the medicine you buy should cost much les...

The sub-prime crisis that triggerd global economic destabilisation

The recent tsunami what has devastated the economy of the United States and with it many other west European economies and finally more or less the global economy as whole. It started from the sub-prime crises. That relates to housing finance in US. In fact we all by now know that. But what is a sub-prime crisis! It is the loan offered at an interest rate which is lower than the prime lending rate, fixed by the central bank. In India, Reserve Bank of India, review and fix it in every quarter. So, when the loans offered at a sub-prime rate of interest went bad (not paid back), that created the crisis. But how come that happened, is bit difficult to understand for them who are only exposed to prudential banking norm as it is in India. We know when we approach for housing loan to any banks or housing loan finance companies, as a security they take the housing unit as a collateral or hypothecation for the same loan. In case the loan going bad, the housing unit is sold off, the money real...

The Global Financial Crisis

Here I give underneath the discussion took place with Bill Moyers with investment guru George Soros; this will give you the idea how global financial crisis is perceived the by him; October 10, 2008 BILL MOYERS:Welcome to the Journal. You are not alone if you are worried about the financial melt down. So is my guest George Soros, one of the world's best known and successful investors, making billions in times of boom or bust. He's been warning for years of a financial melt down fueled by easy credit and sleepy regulation. Now he's out with this timely book, "The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means." In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I served three years on the board of George Soros' foundation, the Open Society Institute, dealing with such issues as a free press, the rule of law, and human rights. But I've had no involvement in his political activities and nothing to do, with his business i...

CHEAP METAL ART ,CANVAS ART

Hale and Hearty

Here was a chat, arranged by WIPRO for its employees, with Dr.Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Heart Specialist) Bangalore. The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Qn: What are the five thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart? Ans: 1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil 2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime 3. Quit smoking 4. Control weight 5. Control blood pressure and sugar Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart? Ans: No Qn: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective? Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups. Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary? Ans: Yes Qn: What are the ways in which the heart ...

INVESTMENT GUIDE PART - II (For young buddies)

In the first part I discussed why I thought of writing this article. The current generations, many with their thick pay packet know not how to spend or invest prudently. Their working conditions will hardly permit them to continue till superannuation. Most of them are likely to take early retirement form their professional life (but not from life). So what harvest they will have depends upon how they reap now. First of all budgeting is most important factor in young professional’s life. Unless you do that you wonder where your money goes! Writing a budget shows actually how do spend and shows the area and how you can control them. You can identify the area needs to be controlled. Never forget to add the expenses you do on shopping and entertainment and include your savings too. Keep a track on your utility bills and keep comparing them. Mind you the plastic money or credit cards are major boosters to spending. Not that they do not have any role to play. At an odd hours, god forbid, ...

INVESTMENT GUIDE PART ONE (FOR THE YOUNG BUDDIES)

I have a son, last year he grabbed his B.Tech degree and a job with a coveted company. Like any father I was happy to see my son being successful in getting degree as well as a job with software industry. Knowing nothing; about the software industry. It was ok, till I saw his job offer letter. I was surprised to find the amount of initial remuneration as a trainee with that company. After serving for no less than 37 years in a nationalize organization, which was reputed as one of the best pay master when I joined; what I get now, my son is likely to get little less than that amount. His mother was too happy finding her only son starting with such a thick pay packet. I thought what goes so high that falls with more acceleration and may get crushed! Naturally I started enquiring about the industry where he found a berth. My enquiry with my contemporaries did not yield much. After all, at the time when they joined the industry, then the software industries was never heard off! However, f...

The Computer Woes

Excess everything is bad…thus goes the old adage. Last century saw the emergence of deadly HIV virus as a result of free-sex; now it is one of the great threats to humanity. This century is taking the toll on our young generations, especially in the developed and developing countries. They are stripped off their capacity to scribe legibly! Obviously this is due to their overexposure to computers. The present generations are introduced to e-culture. They usually communicate more through SMS, e-mail or use likes MS Words to write anything they need to. A recent report suggests that thousands of teenagers are seeking `scribes’ to help them write their A-level and GCSE paper because they are incapable of answering questions in longhand themselves, a study has revealed. The number of people, in UK seeking `ghost writers’ to help do exams rose from 28324 in 2005 to 40215 in last year. The number of students asking to use a word processor or computer also soared by more than 50 per cent, to 2...

Saving earth by Geo-engineering

Geo-engineering is subject what is least discussed about. In fact recently when I came across an article on environmental issues where geo-engineering was mentioned; I remotely remembered having heard the term earlier Nothing much I knew about it. As the name suggests; later I came to know it has to do with the climate changing technique or technology with scientific knowhow. Obviously, since it concerns the global climate control, the size and enormity of project is beyond our imagination. Steve Connor of The Independent, London reported the recent proposed activities related to geo-engineering. Fears that not enough is being done to cut carbon dioxide emissions have caused a lot of concern and scientific community are considering to “to think the unthinkable”. They are toying with an idea to alter global climate artificially with mega-engineering projects. Royal Society, later this year, will launch a study aimed at reviewing the possibility of saving the planet by “geo-engineering” ...

FREE TRADE REGIME - A TRAP

Free trade regime – what is advocated by the developed countries in WTO; the developing nations are not agreed to that for several reasons. However, let us see how the worked for other countries in the globe who accepted it to the letters. Let us take very recent example of Ghana. Ghana implemented the “liberalized economic system” in the early 8s, at least 10 years before India. The country was projected by the World Bank and the IMF as success story of Africa. But the reality was exactly otherwise. The liberalized economy in Ghana has ruined its agriculture and at the same time failed to boost any substantial manufacturing industries. The mantra of consumerism has failed there too. The poor consumers in Ghana were denied the price stability and pushed to further predicament. The free trade meant lack of price stability for the people of Ghana, since the government has bowed out of price-setting to make way for the market. Likewise the poor producers face highly uncertain prices, they...

POOR INDIA; POORER WORLD !

Everyday those of us belong to third world or developing countries like India, Pakistan, China, Brazil, Russia or any countries in the continent of Africa come across of poor. In many of these countries they are found, living in shanties, ghettos either sitting idle with a vacant look or working hard to keep their soul with body. Since this I write for my blog, presumably the readers do have access to internet, so for all of us it is difficult to imagine how it is to earn only $1 or $1.25 per day or how to live with that paltry sum of money! Believe it, as per a recent World Bank report no less than 723 million people are just pulling on with that kind of earning, there are more who even do not earn that amount! Their plight is unimaginable. There have been big successes I the fight to overcoming extreme poverty but economic estimates show that there are now more poor people around the world than it was thought previously, the World Bank said in study recently. The revised estimates s...

STOCK MARKET TREND

Indian stock market after its long journey through bull phase, according to some experts, is entering its tryst with bears with mid to long term association. “We are likely to see a sideways movement for the next one year at least” says Edelweiss Capital Chairman and managing director Rashesh Shah, adding that the next 3-4 months could be tough. “There are no positive triggers in sight. Inflation and crude oil prices are still not under control, and corporate earnings are set to plateau over the next couple of quarters” he added. Bears seem to be tightening their grip over the stock prices, as evident in the recent trend and technical analysis of stock indices, and they are forwarding in for the kill. The micro as well as macro condition are in their favor. On the macro front inflation escalated to a new 16-years high to 12.63%, creating expectation that the interest rate is due for a further hike. The global situation is more gloomy since the experts feel that worst of sub-prime crisi...

BANKING AND TRADE UNIONS IN INDIA

In India, banking industries are taking a paradigm change to compete with the global and private banks playing here. In Indian nationalize banking s scenario the White elephant State Bank of India, with its largest network and manpower sharing the market share much lesser than emerging private banks like ICICI Banks, or HDFC Banks. Though the nationalize banks are off late trying to shake off their slumber but as it seems unless the dead woods are out it is difficult to fall in line. On 18th August the Officer`s Union of State Bank of India and its other associate banks have given a strike call, protesting against merger. The most surprising part of it that most the staff members of the Associated Banks are in favor of merger with State Bank of India, since that will accrue them lot of benefits, like pension as 3rd benefits, higher pay scale , local transfer et al. So how come the Unions have given strike call? The union leaders, who are primary from political parties and most of them...

GOLD VS LIQUID GOLD

Contrary to the apprehension global oil price instead of going higher is coming down. The reason being he demand supply scenario is changed as the experts believe and off course the speculative forces are receding as well. But there is another story cooking up behind the curtain. It is reported “ a powerful relationship measured by gold/oil ratio (GOR) --- has been a trigger for the sell-off in oil contracts by investors, mainly global hedge funds, on overseas exchanges”—by informed sources. It is believed that in addition to selling oil contracts, these investors have created long positions in gold. It is presumed that yellow metal is relatively inexpensive vis-a-vis the black gold. Most of the analysts think that gold may outperform oil in the near future. This is because yellow metal is considered a hedge against higher inflation, what is driven by higher oil price. Sean Darby, the Asia Pacific strategist of Nomura International says “ It (GOR) normally represents good tool for in...

TERRORISM - AN INHERITED CURSE!

The serial blasts that rocked places in two consecutive days, first it was in Bangalore, next Ahmadabad was the target in India shows that the terrorists are hyper active in more or less any part of India. The lives lost in the blasts, were of innocent civilians, passersby, all were ordinary citizens. The whole world expressed the sympathy and anger against such heinous acts. But the lives lost will permanently damage the prospects of those families whom they belonged to. The vacuum created by the blast victims, none can make up. With the passage of time, it will be mentioned as another terrorist attacks. The terrorists are no different people than their victims. The only difference is what they are paid for planting the explosive. Obviously the front liners in the terrorism are ignorant enough to comprehend any ideology. It is the small bucks what they get, doing such acts, matters. It is their sole point of consideration. So far the most of the people convicted for such acts confirms...

THE ONLOOKER: Global Stock Markets; the difference

CURRENT ECONOMIC SCENARIO : INDIA

Sooner the political uncertainty is over; stock indices looking upward, the bulls are back in Indian burses. The FIIs are watching the situation with caution. The macroeconomic condition is still not bright, global crude oil price; reduced corporate earnings, inflationary pressure and rising trend of interest rates are the factors bothering them. It is reported this year FIIs till date have been net sellers amounting $7 billion dollars (Rs 27614.20 crores). However, the stability of government ushers a strong hope for going ahead firmly with more economic reforms. Institutional investors domestic as well as international all are expecting in the same line. It is reported again that Institutional investors invested in gold and companies associated with it have shown good returns. Though the near term sustainability is uncertain but long term trend of their investment is bullish. General public or investors in general may wait for number of Public Sector Undertaking issues in the pipeli...

GORKHAS AND GORKHALAND

An article in my another blog "BUGULE" earned a lot of comments with criticisms. In fact the recent hue and cry raised over the GORKHALAND issues , inspired me to search the history of Gorkhas in India, particularly in West Bengal, Darjeeling and its adjoining areas. So the article is the result. The Gorkhas whom, at least, I never felt ( and I know there are many like me)alien, all of a sudden became hostile, specially who were tourists and travelers received their wrath and suffered. It is a stupid action for any one to agitate pressing for any demand that makes the tourists to suffer ,in their place. The very economy of the locals depend upon what tourism. It is the tourists help many hearth burning there. However, the comments the article received merits worth reading. Hope that will impart you some deep understanding about their contribution and standing .

A NEW FACE OF WORLD BY 2050 A.D

The recent summit of G8 in Hokkaido, Japan is drawing lots of attention world over. G8 is the world elite nation`s club, naturally US being the top dog of it. The summit is currently drawing out the plan to control world`s carbon emission and charting a plan extending up to 2050 A.D. The most develop countries of the world must have say on these issues. After all they consume more, emit more carbon in the atmosphere; so they must ensure other do not follow their suit to further pollute the planet earth. Wise thoughts! No doubt. But 2050A.D is still far off. I doubt by the time we complete half of the current century (though many of us will not be here to witness!), this G8`s program will become irrelevant. Not that I am a soothsayer, Mr., Jim O`Neill, the chief economist of Goldman Sachs has drawn a future economical map of the world that spells so. According to him Brazil, Russia, India and China; these four emerging economy, acronym given to them is Bric, are all the way likely to o...

INDIAN STOCK MARKET

Indian burses are yet to be stabilized. Though national political unstable conditions arisen due to ‘nuke’ deal is apparently averted. Still bears are too strong. The inflationary trend is still exerting upward thrust, last Govt. admitted that its hovering around 11.63%, highest for last 13 years. Bank rate is increased for both; deposit and credit. Industrial growth is likely to suffer, since debt is costlier and market is favorable for raising funds. Silver lining is the monsoon; it seems to have arrived in time and dose is normal. So, inflationary pressure is likely to be curbed provided harvest is good. But, how about the burses, have them to wait till things look up! The small investors have abandoned the market, the institutions are sitting on the pile of cash; the FIIs are dumping their holding with every opportunity and withdrawing their funds to be utilized at their own country or for oil speculations. If it continues further (and very likely to), the share indices will dip ...

MULTIPLE CREDIT CARDS HELPS

Inflations is eating away much of your monthly salary check. All the bills, like grocery, garments, launderer`s, conveyance and every other thing are north bound. Every other day they are going high. For you and me, the earning remains same, for many like us there is no scope to increase it . The pensioners, the elderly people who runs on meager pension and interest on their fixed deposit with banks are suffering the most. No immediate sigh is visible for restoration of price stability. Though the economists are forecasting that in the next year, provided the monsoon is good, the inflation is likely to be controlled. Let us hope so. By this time let us see how with multiple credit cards you can meet the cash crunch. Off course, for that there should not be any interest burden. Most of the credit cards companies offer the balance transfer facilities from other credit cards these days. Having multiple credit cards and using them wisely may help you to meet sudden expenditure and enjoy ...

The Alternative Fuel

As if it is a natural judgment! The industrial revolution, that started way back in late eighteenth or early ninetieth century and delivered a hordes of inventions to mankind for better living, have been exploiting the nature all along. See; the steam engine could initially not run without the fire woods, later coal. With the invention of automobile, exploitation of nature further increased by way of fossil oil pumping out of underground. Gradually the whole world has become dependent onfuel so much so, that without it the world is not even imaginable! The usage of burning woods and coal found exit to some extent because of electricity. But again for power generation, if not a hydel power generation system, then again to generate electricity fossil fuel or coal is needed. Off late, solar power or wind power generation system is gaining popularity with many countries where nature permits them. In India, wind power is being generated along it`s southern coastal provinces by a corporate. ...

GOLD IS FOR EVER

Inflation is that when too much of money chases too little of things. The gap between demand and supply increases thus causes inflation. During inflation, what happens, you find the price is ever rising with no immediate sign of halt. It may continue for years some time. The flood, draught, or other natural calamities may act as an additive. These days, in the era of globalization it is practically impossible to insulate oneself (read here any country or nation) against global trend. Be it inflation or recession or deflation; when a major economy is struck by any one of them, it has to infect many other countries, whoever has trading relations with them. This is having a cascading affect as those countries would infect in turn others who are in dealings with them. So the chain continues. As this is evident at present, the fuel price hike by OPEC countries has affected developed, developing and poor countries simultaneously. This has triggered the food crisis surreptitiously. Strange is...

Human Warmth

Thursday last, 22nd May 2008 I went to attended a post marriage bride reception party call “ Bohubaht ” in Bengali, at Katwa a small sub-divisional town in the province of West Bengal, India. This is the first time ever I happen to visit this part of India or better say Bengal. Traveling by local train to cover the distance of little more than 100 kilometers in 4 hours is exhaustive. There is no provision of toilet in the railway coaches designed to ferry the local passenger. What transpired they never expected one to travel from the train`s starting to destination point! However, when you get out of your city, what has transformed itself in a concrete jungle, the greenery is bound to absorb your mind to forget the rest. In the month of May, the climate offered bit cool, since the sky was cloudy. So the journey was pleasant. More so , when I met my hosts there. The people in this big mega city, Kolkata, have become long ago , mechanical. They force laugh or greet mechanically and we a...

UN`s inaction for Gypsy`s inhuman plight in Kosovo

Those of us live in any part of Asia or Europe, one time or other , most of us have met Gypsies. Here in this part of globe, India, we are likely to find them on road sides, in busy cities. Camping and littering all around, kids are tottering, women cooking and the male members of the group smoking tobacco or busy in some odd jobs. This nomadic tribe practically left no clear cut history behind them to find their family tree or their origin. However, the evidence suggests, they migrated from Asia to Europe through land routs thousands of years ago. Geographical boundaries carry no meaning to them until recent decades. Where the borders are not porous and strict vigil maintained, there they get stagnated. Off late it is found at some places in Europe they have settled in the outskirts of few cities, as they did in Mitrovica, a town in northern Kosovo. This town is on the bank of Ibar river which separates physically Serbians and Albanians as border. Askhkali, Roma and Egyptian are thre...

Think of a different world

Some time, in idle hours, it crosses my mind, had Mr. Md Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, been a Hindu, then the post independence history of India must have been quite different. Such thought crossing my mind is not totally baseless. It was Jinnah’s grandfather who embraced Islam. Ironically, Gandhi and Jinnah both originally belonged to the same caste; Guajarati Baniah! It was truly tryst with destiny, as Pt. Nehru use to say while referring Indian freedom. Had Jinnah continued to be a Hindu, the very Pakistan would have been with in India. Off course till this 20 ::20 matches take off, we would have missed all these cricketers on the same field for quite some time. However, lots of other misery, like partisan, then couple of wars, between two cousins ( or brothers !) could be avoided. And to the envy of the developed world , India would have excelled long ago economically. All these I write, because as I use to think such change in the course of history, and happenings thereaft...