Negotiation Skill

No matter what you may be doing in life, you are always negotiating.

It may be with a cab driver to drive you to your destination or with the restaurant hostess to get you your favorite table. Negotiating is unpleasant, but can be learnt quickly.


Ten simple ideas:

1. Use Silence as a weapon.
One of the toughest things to handle is 'silence'. If you notice, most people begin to ramble immediately if you remain silent. Silence is very uncomfortable in between active conversations and that disarms many people. I remember a very tense conversation in 2001 when I was negotiating a small VC round for Contests2win. I proposed my valuation and expected the VC to reply. She didn't. I kept quiet too.
The silence was deafening.
I almost cracked and was about to say, 'so why don't you suggest what's on your mind', but I just held back. I heard breathing at the other end and then she said 'ok'. Silence won me a well priced round of Venture Capital for my Company!

2. Listen!!
So many negotiations can be handled by just listening. Usually, the more talkative person will do anything to keep the conversation going. This also means that the person lands up negotiating against himself! If you are attentive and train yourself to listen carefully, lots of insights and idiosyncrasies of the other party become evident. If you are negotiating with say, a middle level executive, then just by listening, you can find out whom he calls Sir, how does he speak to his spouse and what makes him giggle. Use all these finer learnings in your future negotiations with him.

3. Research, research, research.
Ashish Patil (ex MTV India) told me something amazing about Niren Hiro (Now CEO of Crowdstar - at that time GM of MTV India and Ashish's boss). He recalled a pitch that both of them were going for to Frito Lay India (Delhi). Ashish told me that Niren had researched everything about the marketing person they were meeting at that time - where she had studied, what she enjoyed talking about, her kids and her passions. They even rehearsed what would be the discussion if the lady was in a good mood/bad mood/no mood. In the conversation that followed, Niren just used his knowledge of the person to become supremely comfortable with her. Frito did massive business with MTV India in the years that followed.
4. Role Playing.
If you are going for a meeting with a colleague, carve out role-playing way before the meeting starts. I love the concept of 'good cop, bad cop'. I always play the bad cop and remain aggressive in meetings and keep blaming my colleague for all kinds of things. He usually wins the affection of the client whom we actually came to negotiate with and the ending is always positive for us. The Client subconsciously 'aligns' with my colleague and hence the net negotiation always becomes positive for us.

5. Refuse what you want!!
I learnt an amazing lesson from a Steel Scrap buyer at the office of the Jindal Iron and Steel Company atPeddar Road, Mumbai. I used to run a transport Company at that time and the Scrap buyer and I would often land up negotiating with this rather tough business manager at Jindal. What the Scrap dealer taught me was amazing. He knew WHAT (let's say X) he wanted to buy from the Business manager but directly asking for X never gave him the best price. So, he adopted an amazing 'negative negotiating strategy'.
In the first few seconds of meeting the Business Manager, he would immediately tell the Manager 'I am OK buying all the rest of the material but NOT X. Please don't ask me to buy X'. The truth was that the Scrap dealer wanted ONLY X, but refused it as part of the buying strategy. The business manager got a high stuffing people with the stuff that they didn't want - so he would retort by telling the Scrap Dealer 'No - you have to buy X first'!!

6. Buy me or sell me.
In partnership discussions, when businesses sometimes need to get divided, valuing the share of the partner becomes very touchy and difficult. Assuming that you are an equal partner and selling out, the best stance is to approach say your partner and say 'I am fine selling you my entire stake at, say, $100'. Remember to be reasonable and fair in your demands. Assuming that your partner is also fair, she will buy you at $100 or maybe say $95 or worst-case $90. Then it's a small friendly discussion to wrap up the negotiation.
What happens if your partner says, '$100 is ridiculous. Sell me everything at $35'. Rather than arguing and creating acrimony, you should then completely change your stance and say 'Fine, at $35, I am ready to buy your entire stake. Since that's the price you offered to me, I assume that's the same value for your stake'. This immediately drives home the point and lets the consenting and reasonable partners reach an amicable settlement.

7. Don't say Yes/No on the spot.
I still remember a historic lunch with Gaurav Deepak (ex ICICI Ventures and now founder of Avendus Capital),Rajesh Jog (VC and Founder of eVentures) and my financial advisor Sushanto Mitra (Founder of TechcapFinancial and now CEO of IIT Mumbai Incubator) at the MIG club at BKC Mumbai in 1999. I was negotiating my first ever funding in my life and could not contain the excitement when I was offered a couple of crores by each party in exchange for equity in my then cashless start-up. The moment they made the offer, I stood up, said'Done' and shook hands with both Gaurav and Rajesh. Sushanto was destroyed by my impulsiveness.
I don't care if I sold out cheap or not, but the lesson learnt was to have been much more patient while negotiating.

8. Test the seriousness of the intent.
Are you negotiating with someone who is really serious and not just wasting you time?
Test them!
In 2000, Softbank China approached us and stated that they wanted to do a JV with us to replicate Contests2win.com in China. They invited us over for discussions. It was very tempting to have gone visiting China, but Ranga - then COO of c2w had a very interesting principle. He said 'Alok, if they are serious, they should come to our office and pitch to us, rather than the other way around'. I agreed grudgingly. Softbanktook the hint, arrived in our offices the next week, stayed at their cost for a few days and eventually funded what became Mobile2win.

9. Explain the negotiation logic clearly.
I explain the concept of salary appraisals and increment % to junior employees in 2win via examples. I ask them the price of vegetables and essentials that their parents buy and then ask them to imagine what would happen if the milk seller suddenly increased (appraised) his prices by 50% and asked their mothers to pay 50% extra overnight. Most of them agree that it's unimaginable. That's how I then drive the point that salaries are also based on a Country's inflation and should be increased proportionately. Most folks get the point and understand why 40 and 50% increments never make sense.

10. Make it a Win - Win.
Deals where you fool the other party (either due to their ignorance or foolishness) usually land up broken.
The GOOD KARMA of deal making and negotiation is Win - Win.
Make sure that even if you have the upper hand, you are fair and honest to the other party and that way you will enjoy the benefits of the deal for as long as you want to. Badly negotiated deals always get unwound and then the loser typically is the one who was not fair. In my case, Softbank taught me a beautiful lesson very early in life - they told me that the fairest deal structure in the world is 50-50. It makes both partners work equally hard and enjoy the fruits of the toil without discontent.
In India and so many other parts of the world, Mobile Telco's butchered mobile content providers (VAS content business providers) by offering very unfair, non-negotiable revenue sharing terms (typically 20-25% to the content owner). The Telcos thought that they gotten away with a kill; until iTunes and Apple Apps store came along. Apple offered 70% revenue share to content providers completely decimated the model of the Mobile Operator Deck Monopoly.

Being unfair also proves to be unprofitable.

Heres How You Can Create That Perfect Meal

A guide to create a a lovely meal for your loved ones. The menu is an interesting blend of Indian and Western cuisine. A real treat for true foodies.

Christmas is that special time of the year, when everyone wants to spend time with their loved ones and make the most of those happy and cheerful moments. With Christmas round the corner everyone is busy preparing their signature goodies and works of art. People are planning out their special menus for the big day.
Preparing for the feast can be really easy if you plan out your menu with precision. Are you bored of making the same old dishes time and time again? This time round do you want to try out something new, easy to prepare and a mouth watering treat that will get everyone eating out of your hand.
Well heres a menu that you can never go wrong with and that will never let you down. Its more of an Indo-western spread. If you're not too comfortable with spicy aspect, you may want to adjust the spice bit as per your taste. But I promise you from my personal experience, that if done and planned carefully it will surely be a hit with everyone.
Starting with that special drink: Chocolatini. For this one you can pick up the baileys chocolate liquer.

Chocolatini

For one serving
Drop several ice cubes in a shaker
Pour 50 ml of Baileys irish cream, 10 ml of vodka n 15 ml of the chocolate syrup over the ice.
Shake together
Stain the drink into a chilled glass
And you are ready
To go with this drink we can have some bite sized cottage cheese appetizers.
Indian style Paneer on a stick

(you can make a variation with just chopped vegetables)
Serves 8
Get ¼ kg of soft paneer
½ tsp garam masala (A ground mix of cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves)
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp of chaat masasla
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp of coriander powder
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ cup curd
Salt to taste (since the chaat masala is slightly on the salty side, check the taste before adding more salt)
Small tooth picks or you can pick up skewers their size
Two big dark green capsicums
1 packet of mushrooms
A bowl of mint leaves
Method
Cut the paneer (cottage cheese) into 1/2 inch long thick cubes
Cut the capsicums into similar sized cubes
Slice the mushrooms
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and keep aside
Apply some of the marinade to the capsicums
The rest of the marinade to be added to the paneer cubes and refrigerate it for 3 hours.
Take the skewers
First pierce in the one cube of capsicum
Then pierce in 2 -3 leaves of mint
Then pierce a slice of mushroom
Followed by some mint leaves
Then pierce a chicken cube
Some more mint leaves
A slice of mushroom
Followed by mint leaves
And finally by a capsicum cube
Your skewer is ready to be shallow fried
Heat some oil in a pan and place the skewers you have prepared in the pan.
Keep turning the skewers regularly till well done on all sides.
Now for the main course
Spicy chicken appetisers

Ingredients


1 kg chicken (legs and boneless breast only)
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
For the marinade
450 ml of plain yoghurt
½ an onion coarsely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
2-5 cm of fresh ginger
1-2 roughly sliced hot green chillies
2 tsp of garam masala
Lime wedges
Method
Cut the chicken leg into two pieces and make small decent sized pieces of the breast. Make gashes in the pieces to aid in the marination process.
Make the marinade, combine the yoghurt, onion ginger garlic and garam masala in a blender. Strain the paste through a course sieve into a large bowl pushing through as much liquid as you can.
Put the chicken into the bowl containing the marinade. Rub the marinate well into the chicken pieces so that the chicken is well coated with marinade.
Keep the marinate mix in the refrigerator for around 3 - 4 hours.
On completion of the marination you can either choose to shallow fry the pieces or bake it in the oven for 20 -25 mins.
Lamb Lahori

(you can use chicken)
Ingredients
1 chicken
Salt , divided use 1 ¼ tsp
Turmeric divided use ¾ tsp
Cayenne pepper ¾ tsp
Onions roughly diced 1 ½
Garlic cloves 5 nos
Ginger 2 inch piece
Oil 3 tbsp
Cinnamon stick 1
12 cardamom pods
8 whole cloves
Black pepper 8
2 large tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
Coriander chopped for garnishing
Juice of one lemon
¼ cup beaten yoghurt
Water 1 cup

Method
Combine chicken , ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp cayenne in a bowl. Stir to coat the chicken with the spices and let it stand.
Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns to it. Cook till the cardamom burst
Add onion mixture and 1 tsp salt. Cook stirring until onion browns around the edges. Roughly for around 10 - 15 mins.
Remove and discard the cinnamon, stir in remaining turmeric and cayenne. Add tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for 5 mins. Blend the mixture into a paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add chicken and cook stirring for around 2 mins.
Add the curd 1 tbsp at a time stirring well after each addition. Cook till it becomes slightly thick.
Add pureed tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Add the water. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and cover it partially and cook for around 25 - 30 mins.
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander and lemon wedges.
Tip : the above dish can be accompanied by either some lovely naans or some nice saffron and jeera flavoured rice.
To wrap up this divine meal, what more can you ask for than
Mocha mousse

Serves 6 - 8
15 g powdered gelatine
60 ml of water
175 g dark chocolate broken up
10 ml good quality instant coffee dissolved in 50 ml boiling water
4 largeeggs separated
100 g castor sugar
300 ml double cream
Sprinkle the gelatine over 60 ml water in a small sauce pan.
Heat very gently until dissolved completely
Put the broken chocolate and the dissolved coffee into a heat proof bowl over a sauce pan of hot water, until the chocolate has melted.
Carefully stir the melted chocolate and the coffee liquid together.
Whisk the egg yolk gradually adding the castor sugar and continue to mix the mixture till it is very thick.
Stir in the melted chocolate and coffee and the liquid gelatine and leave it to cool
Then fold in half the cream which has been whipped until it just holds its peak.
Lastly whisk the egg whites until they are very stiff and using a large metal spoon fold them quickly and thoroughly through the mouse.
Pour into a serving bowl and leave for several hours.
Then cover with the remaining whipped cream.

That's it. Viola ! it's a really simple but mouth watering spread. Use your creativity and make this meal a lovely one which everyone will remember.

Dreams: A Gateway to Self-Exploration

About the powerful medium of dreams and how one can successfully try to tap this medium to gain a better understanding about oneself. 

Image Courtesy Of Internet.

We seem to have everything figured out around us, don't we? We have answers to almost all the events that we may encounter, either on a daily basis or at some point in our life time. Substantial amount of research is being done to gain clarity on many other things that still continue to elude us or haven't been satisfactorily explained.

Our dreams are such unexplainable events which we haven't yet completely understood. Dreams are such a universal phenomenon, which unite one and all due to their intriguing and mystifying nature. Universal because every one of us dreams. Not remembering what we dream might be a common problem, but we all dream for sure. Some of them make sense, whereas some are just too confusing with an unconnected sequence of events.

One of the revolutionists, Sigmund Freud, tried to piece this puzzle together in order to get a better insight into people's personalities and relate them to their pathology. He was one of the pioneers of a later to be christened group of individuals known as psychoanalysts. He had carried out in depth studies to explore the mysterious and intriguing world of dreams. Freud believed that our dreams are symbolic representations of our anxieties and hidden or suppressed feelings. Most of these feelings remain latent in the course of our struggle to fit into the social framework, which we very much want to be a part of. It is mainly due to the pioneering work done by Freud that these unexplainable events called dreams came to be established as a science.

A few years down the line, this area attracted the interest of many more scientists and researchers who wanted to provide a better understanding of these astral events. These extensive studies slowly started unraveling different facets of these events which occur in the REM (Rapid eyeball movement) phase of our four stage sleep cycle. Research showed that we often dream about things we tend to overlook or pay less heed to. Dreams may even be indications of change that is needed to be brought about in our lives or inner revelations about one's self. Thus dreams are far from being insignificant, trivial events. They seem to withhold the answers of several questions about our lives that seem to be unanswered.
All we need to do is learn to tap this unusual body of knowledge, as the key to all our troubles and problems seems to lie within us itself.

A simple and effective way to begin would be to maintain a dream log. However to successfully track our dreams it's important for us to make a note of them the first thing in the morning. For, our dreams are stored in our short term memory and soon seem to vanish from there. This kind of a log will help us analyze our dreams in a better way. With the help of useful literature in the form of dream dictionaries available online or by referring to different books by reputed publications, one can try and uncode their complex dreams.

Similarly, when being plagued by any problem which you don't seem to find any solution to, you could turn to your dreams for some valuable insight. How can you do this? Well it's simple again. All you have to do is set aside some time before you fall asleep to ponder on a specific issue that might be concerning you. Chances are that you might picture the solution to this problem in the form of symbols in your dreams. And by recording it in your dream log and subsequently analyzing it, you might just uncover the solution.
Thus dreams are a powerful medium and can reveal some very useful and potential insight on a person's personality. And these hidden truths can help us either improve, by focusing on our strengths or by overcoming our weaknesses.

Obesity & 10 Ways to Ensure You Cut That Undesired Flab

The article brings focus on the health hazards that overweight and obese people are susceptible to and suggests some simple but useful ways to battle this issue.

Obesity is slowly creeping on to be a raging health issue, of serious concern. Having both immediate and long term impacts, it is one critical issue that we as individuals, the society and the government need to tackle at the earliest so that we can successfully nip it in the bud. The health hazards associated with it range from diabetes, hypertension, respiratory disorders, infertility and the list can just go on. Considering these hazards, one can just imagine the amount of economic burden a nation will have to bear, in terms of mounting healthcare costs.

The current phenomenon of Globalization and Urbanization, which I feel is more like the east blindly aping the west, has drastically altered the lifestyles of people in this part of the Globe. Most of the jobs today are desk jobs, with little or no physical activity involved. In addition to that, our busy schedules and increasing levels of stress at work have altered our eating habits and the level of adequate physical activity.
With little time on our hands we often turn to quick fix or ready to eat food, which are not always the healthiest of options. Even the Kids today, spend most of their pocket money and most of the time, prefer to binge on junk food and Colas rather than eat a healthy meal. Even certain surveys carried out by different educational institutions in India, indicate that 30% of the adolescents today in the urban areas are overweight and going forward this group of individuals are going to add to the growing population of Diabetics and Cardiovascular patients in the country.

Sedentarism seems to be the new trend that's really catching on these days. With most of our daily chores being substituted by maids and sophisticated machines, we are left with a lot of inappropriately utilized time. We often spend this free time, by either being glued to the television sets or to our latest obsession our ‘mobile phones.'

Thus all or most of the above discussed factors seem to taking a huge toll on our health status. Following a sedentary lifestyle and being careless about what we eat, is just making it very easy for us to pile on those extra kilos of weight and extremely difficult to lose it thereafter.
Often when we realize that we have gained a considerable amount of weight or gone out of shape, we tend to fall prey to the ‘Lose Fast' gimmicks that are part of most weight losing advertisements. We register ourselves for rigorous weight loss exercise programs, go on crash
diets which promise to help lose weight in a weeks time and some even turn to easier but not so safe options of fat metabolizing drugs.

To what extent the above mentioned options really work, is your and my guess. Needless to say, once you stop with these routines you are simply headed back to square one. All these quick fix options only give you temporary results and if you can't keep the momentum going then its just like being caught up in a vicious cycle. Thus its very important to realize the vital role that a simple thing like Motivation can play in all of this. By just thinking positive and motivating oneself to achieve the set goals, one can not only beat those extra kilos gained but also maintain a healthy lifestyle going forward.

So it finally just boils down something as basic as motivation. You don't have to refer to different catalogues or go shopping for it. It's a force within you. All you have to do is learn to use it to for your benefit.
Through this article I mainly wanted to bring to your attention the health hazards that overweight and obese people are susceptible to and some simple but useful ways to battle this issue. I have enlisted 10 simple ways, that I think can really help you get back into shape and maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle. I call them;

The 10 simple mantras of change

1. Maintain a food log

Carry a small pocket diary with you all times. Every time you eat or drink anything, pen it down in the diary. You can then analyze this log and identify the times that you have literally gone overboard on your binging spree.

2. Invest in a pedometer

This is one investment which you really won't regret. A pedometer basically tells you the number of steps you walk. It has been proven that walking is one of the best possible exercises the body can have. On an average, walking around 3000 to 3,500 steps a day can do a great deal to the body. While in the market looking for a pedometer you have some good options to choose from. You can either, hit your local China Goods Market, go to a gym equipment store or just opt to order one online.

3. Buy yourself a Blue plate

Various Color studies have suggested that the color blue acts like an appetite suppressant. And that's why you find that it has little or no place on adverts of food chains. Thus going by the research done, I think you could successfully try to control the amount of food you eat at your meals.

4. Put up a huge mirror in your bathroom

Examining the way you look in the nude will help you a great deal to identify your flaws and focus on them specifically.

5. Chant positive thoughts in the morning

Positive thinking can take you a long way in all that you do. By merely telling yourself that you can lose the extra weight you have put on and that you will walk or exercise for certain amount of time, will take you step forward in achieving it.

6. Challenge yourself

Set yourself a weekly target as to how much weight you plan to lose. Let it be a realistic one so that you can motivate yourself to achieve it.

7. Buddy up

Many a times, people find it difficult to do things by themselves and simple love the idea of company. If you fall in that category, then buddy up with a friend of yours who has the same concerns. This way you can both push one another to achieve your goals.

8. Chart out a tight weekly Budget

This step will ensure that you be careful on the amount you spend on junk food and unnecessary binging sprees. Make this deterring fact work in your favor.

9. Make appropriate comparisons

At regular intervals compare yourself to individuals similar to you, but those who are in better shape than you. This can be a great way to motivate you to keep up the good work done so far.

10. Put on a motivation ring

It can be any ring that you like, or in case you don't have a favorite one then you can simple go shop for one. Every time you see the ring or fiddle with it, it will remind you about your resolve and will simply act as a motivator to keep going at it.

The Amazing Benefits of Bamboo

Image Courtesy of Internet.

The article mainly deals with a newly developed fabric from bamboo. It explores its different useful properties like it being wrinkle free, antibacterial, excellent wicker and considerable UV protection. It also illustrates its sustainability aspect.

Bamboo fabric is the new exquisite offering from the garment industry. It is a result of extensive studies and research carried out, in bid to develop a new and useful fabric. This fabric is soon catching on in a big way in markets across the globe. There are a number of reasons why people are turning to this fabric for their clothing needs, and we will soon discover them in a while.

As intriguing and unimaginable it may sound, a potential process has been successfully developed to make a soft, silky and wearable fabric from a hard material like bamboo. And it's the Chinese who have come up with a patented process of extracting a pulp of pure cellulose from the blend of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin which is the composition of Bamboo. The process is a several step one, involving multiple bleaching and purification procedures. The subsequent pulp obtained is then separated into thin fibers and woven into yarns, which are then turned into fabric.

With awareness and demand increasing the world over, this new addition is all set to make its presence felt in the global markets in a big way. There are a lot of positive attributes associated with this fabric. However to what extent they prove to be true is left to the results of further studies and on feedback from the consumers.
The species of bamboo used for fabric production is the Phyllostachy Pubesence, the same one from which the Thai delicacy of Bamboo shoot is prepared. Since sustainability is the "It" word these days, this grass fits the sustainability bill in all respect. It can be planted every year and just takes around a month and a half or two to reach an astonishing height of almost 75 feet.

It has been observed that this fabric has a considerable amount of antibacterial and UV Protection properties. The Anti bacterial property is a result of a chemical known as "Bamboo Kun" which is naturally present in Bamboo. It is this inbuilt defense mechanism, which acts as a repellant and keeps away insects and pests from the bamboo plantations.

So far no hypersensitivity problems have been found to be associated with it. In fact people allergic to other fabrics like wool or silk, have found this option to be more convenient and feasible to wear.
Another feather in its ha is its excellent wicking property. Wicking is nothing but a property of the fabric to move the sweat from the body to the outer surface of the fabric, from where it easily gets evaporated. This property makes Bamboo fabric a good option for Gym Clothing line.

Bamboo falls in the category of regenerated cellulose fibers, which have shown to have a certain amount of anti wrinkle properties associated with them. It also has a unique property, wherein it can keep you cool when it s hot and warm when its cold.

With such unique and favorable qualities bamboo seems to be all set to invade our wardrobes in the days to come. So don't be surprised to find your favorite T-shirt, Trouser, Kurta or saree made of bamboo fabric. Get ready and set to Bamboo On.

Whats Your Caffeine Quotient

The article throws light upon the facts and myths about caffeine consumption and how we should monitor its intake.

Tea, coffee, soft drinks, chocolates and a variety of other things that we consume on a daily basis, contain varied levels of caffeine. On account of the versatility of its presence in our dietary components, monitoring its levels of intake is rather difficult. Thus many a times unknowingly perhaps we tend to consume high levels of this psychoactive stimulant.

When it comes to caffeine consumption moderation seems to be the right approach. Thus like any other drug, if consumed in the right amounts it can produce the desirable effects of increasing your levels of alertness, giving you a boost in your energy levels and increasing you concentration ability.

Its due to the above mentioned attributes that coffee which is a rather concentrated source of caffeine, is the choice of most jet setting travellers embarking on long distance travels or even people who work in erratic shifts. Its ability to prevent sleep and effects of enhancing concentration are reasons why students turn to caffeine containing refreshing drinks of tea and coffee to keep them company while they burn the midnight lamp.

Amidst all these favourable effects that caffeine has to offer, one should also be aware that like any other drug it shouldn't be abused. If consumed in high concentrations it can produce some really undesirable effects. Like its rightly been said "Too much of any thing is bad".

Research has shown that high levels of caffeine consumption have shown to cause anxiety, restlessness, tachycardia and insomnia in normal individuals. Individuals who are sensitive to caffeine have demonstrated the above mentioned effects of a greater intensity.

Various studies were carried out to investigate if this potent drug had anything to do with causing cancer or pregnancy related problems. However the results of these independent studies haven't been able to establish any such link.

Even the US FDA and the American Medical Association have gone on record to vouch that moderate caffeine consumption does not cause any significant health hazards. However this holds good provided ones diet, lifestyle and alcohol consumption are also moderate.

So how much of caffeine should one restrict ones self to? Is it safe to consume uncontrolled levels of caffeine to in order to keep adjusting our cardinal clocks so that we can keep going?

The answer to the above and all other questions that must be clouding your minds is a simple word "moderation". On an average, 200mg of caffeine which is equivalent o 2 cups of coffee is a moderate amount. However for those again who are sensitive to caffeine need to consult their physicians or health care providers about its consumption.

If you are consuming 500-600 0f caffeine on a daily basis and seem to be having any of the above mentioned undesirable effects, its time to cut down that consumption and control your caffeine intake.

Lets just take a look at the caffeine levels in the food and beverages we consume on a daily basis.

Soft drinks

Soft drink brand (12 ounces)	Caffeine (milligrams)
7Up	0
A&W Creme Soda	29
Barq's Root Beer	23
Cherry Coca-Cola, Diet Cherry Coca-Cola	35
Coca-Cola Classic	35
Code Red Mountain Dew	54
Diet Barq's Root Beer	0
Diet Coke	47
Dr Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper	41
Diet Pepsi	35
Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi	38
Fanta	0
Mello Yellow	53
Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew	54
Pepsi	38
Sprite, Sprite Zero	0
Sunkist Orange Soda	41
Tab	47
Wild Cherry Pepsi	38

Sources: The Coca-Cola Co., 2007; Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc., 2007; Journal of Food Science, PepsiCo 2007; Inc., 2007

Coffee

Type of coffee	Caffeine  (milligrams)
Caribou Cappuccino, 12 oz.	160-200
Decaffeinated, instant, 8 oz.	2
Decaffeinated, brewed, 8 oz.	2
Espresso, 1 fluid oz.	64
Instant, 8 oz.	62
Plain, brewed, 8 ounces (oz.)	95
Starbucks Caffe Latte, 16 oz.	150
Starbucks Coffee Grande, 16 oz.	330

Sources: Caribou Coffee Co., 2007; Starbucks Corp., 2007; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007

Tea

Type of tea	Caffeine  (milligrams)
Black tea, brewed, 8 ounces (oz.)	47
Decaffeinated, black tea, 8 oz.	2
Green tea, brewed, 8 oz.	30-50
Lipton Brisk Iced Tea, lemon flavored, 12 oz.	10
Nestea, sweetened or unsweetened, 12 oz.	17
Snapple Iced Tea, 16 oz.	18
Sobe Green Tea, 8 oz.	14
Starbucks Tazo Chai Tea Latte, 12 oz.	75

Sources: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2007; The Coca-Cola Co., 2007; PepsiCo Inc., 2007; Starbucks Corp., 2007; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007

Sports/Energy drinks

Sports/Energy drink brand	Caffeine (milligrams)
AMP Tall Boy Energy Drink, 16 ounces (oz.)	143
Enviga, 12 oz.	100
Full Throttle, 16 oz.	144
Full Throttle Fury, 16 oz.	144
Monster Energy, 16 oz.	160
No Name (formerly known as Cocaine), 8.4 oz.	280
Red Bull, 8.3 oz.	76
Rockstar, 16 oz.	160
SoBe Adrenaline Rush, 16 oz.	152
Sobe No Fear, 16 oz.	174
Vault, 8 oz.	47

Sources: Beverage Partners Worldwide, 2007; The Coca-Cola Co., 2007; Monster Beverage Co., 2007;  PepsiCo Inc., 2007;Redux Beverages, 2007; Rockstar, 2007; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007

Food and other products

Product name	Caffeine (milligrams)
Excedrin, Extra Strength, 2 tablets	130
FooshEnergy Mints, 1 mint	100
Haagen-DazsCoffee Ice Cream, 1/2 cup	30
Hershey's Chocolate Bar, 1.55 ounces (oz.)	9
Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar, 1.45 oz.	18
Jolt Caffeinated Gum, 1 stick	33
NoDoz Maximum Strength, 1 tablet	200
Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream, 8 oz.	50-60

Sources: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2007;Haagen-Dazs, 2007; The Hershey Co., 2007; Vroom Foods Inc., 2007

The Goan Bebinca a Delicious Layered Pudding

Of all the goan confectionaries, the one I love the most is the bebinca also known as Bibik. This heavenly tasting pudding is definitely something ordinary.

Prepared mostly around festival time, the bibik is one sweet sensation which should figure on every foodies list of things to eat in this lifetime.

The bibik originated in Goa in India and has been made famous the world over by restaurants and pastry shops that sell goan food and confectionaries. A simple blend of ingredients like plain flour, clarified butter, sugar and coconut milk, the magic or appeal of this sweet meat is in its layered structure. In fact the eating through the layers is the most fun part about the bibik. Traditionally the bibik is said to be made up of 16 layers.

Variations of this food are also found in countries like Philippines where it is prepared using rice flour. If you are a bebinca freak like me and it ranks among your most irresistible items to eat then probably you could try your hands at the recipe below so that you can create and devour this beautiful sweet with your near and dear ones. 

Heres how you can make you very own Bebinca.

Ingredients

600ml coconut milk 

400g sugar

10 egg yolks

200 g flour (sieved)

¼ tsp. nutmeg powder

100g butter or pure ghee

A pinch of salt

Preparation : 

Extract a thick juice from the coconut, using around 600ml hot water.Stir in the sugar and mix till it dissolves completely. Add yolks, one at a time and mix thoroughly. Mix in flour and salt till no flour lumps are left. Sprinkle nutmeg powder. 

Burn a tablespoon of sugar on slow fire, stir continuously, add 2 tablespoon warm water and stir briskly. Cool.Take half a cup of the coconut milk mixture, mix cooled caramelised sugar and pour into the coconut milk mixture. 

Once again pass the whole mixture through the muslin cloth. Preheat the oven

Take a baking pan and put 2 or 3 heaped tablespoons butter or ghee into it. 

Add half a cup of batter and bake it for 12 or 15 minutes. Spread a little butter on the baked layer, switch off the oven and grill the second layer for 3 or 4 minutes. ontinue, greasing, layering and grilling till all the batter has been used up. Cool thoroughly and turn on a wide plate.

Various ways of serving the Bibik

The bibik is a versatile sweet meat. It can be eaten hot as well as cool. It is generally stored in the refrigerator which helps it remain edible for long. So you have the choice of eating it straight out of the refrigerator as a cool desert. Or some even prefer to heat it slightly in the microwave and eat it hot. Make sure you don’t heat for long or on a high flame or heat. You could also have a hot and cold dessert by serving the heated bibik with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream.

Best Friend of The Year!!!!

Friendship what does it mean!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                              Image Courtesy of KSB

Friendship is a relationship between two living beings who hold mutual affection for each other.

A Friend in need is a friend indeed well the picture is most appropriate as it shows what a true friend actually is,selfless,caring and loyal most of all who doesn't care to tell you on your face that you are doing something wrong even if it mean hurting your feelings/friendship.

In today's world where we don't have time for ourselves,we tend to forget the fact that we are social beings and like it or not we do need to socialize and have friends.

Well go out there make friends for those of you who don't have any,for those who do appreciate your friends,help them out as life is short and we have one life time to life.

Movie Review - Ice Age 4 Continental Drift.

Directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier,starring the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Keke Palmer, Chris Wedge, Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another yet another adventure after their continent is set adrift by the one and only saber-toothed squirrel Scrat .Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

The saber-toothed squirrel Scrat has done it again, this time he caused the Continental Drift; it was really hilarious to see the Scrat at his best. Really liked the part when he found Scratlant by following the instruction on the map. This place was a living paradise for the saber-toothed squirrel Scrat as it consisted of his dream worth of nuts, but he managed to sink it to the bottom of the ocean J.

Nice movie, A must watch at least once, lots of fun, it will keep you entertained till the end.

The Ten Commandments of Ego-less Programming

From The Psychology of Computer Programming, written in 1971, here are The Ten Commandments of Ego-less Programming:

1. Understand and accept that you will make mistakes. The point is to find them early,
 before they make it into production. We can, and should, learn, laugh, and move on.

2. You are not your code. Remember that the entire point of a review is to find problems,
and problems will be found. Don’t take it personally when one is uncovered.

3. No matter how much “karate” you know, someone else will always know more. Such an
individual can teach you some new moves if you ask. Seek and accept input from others, especially when you think it’s not needed.

4. Don’t rewrite code without consultation. There’s a fine line between “fixing code” and
“rewriting code.” Know the difference, and pursue stylistic changes within the framework of a code review, not as a lone enforcer.

5. Treat people who know less than you with respect, deference, and patience.
Non-technical people who deal with developers on a regular basis almost universally hold the opinion that we are prima donnas at best and crybabies at worst. Don’t reinforce this stereotype with anger and impatience.

6. The only constant in the world is change. Be open to it and accept it with a smile. Look
at each change to your requirements, platform, or tool as a new challenge, rather than
some serious inconvenience to be fought.

7. The only true authority stems from knowledge, not from position. Knowledge engenders
authority, and authority engenders respect – so if you want respect in an ego-less environment, cultivate knowledge.

8. Fight for what you believe, but gracefully accept defeat. Understand that sometimes your ideas will be overruled. Even if you are right, don’t take revenge or say “I told you so.” Never make your dearly departed idea a martyr or rallying cry.

9. Don’t be “the coder in the corner.” Don’t be the person in the dark office emerging only
for soda.The coder in the corner is out of sight, out of touch, and out of control.
This person has no voice in an open, collaborative environment. Get involved in conversations, and be a participant in your office community.

10. Critique code instead of people – be kind to the coder, not to the code. As much as
possible,make all of your comments positive and oriented to improving the code. Relate
comments to local standards, program specs, increased performance, etc.

How to File your own Income Tax Return for Free

Hi Fellow Readers,

As July 31 approaches close ,you might be looking for help in filing income tax return . Unfortunately there is no free help available and this is a dirty business for many agents .

However this is as easy as a simple banking transaction and there are some very good benefits of filing return online . Most of all it is FREE.

First understand the Income tax return :

1)      Income tax is a tax levied by central government to ensure creation of black money and cash-flow to facilitate various scams, hence it is our duty to pay tax on time .

2)      As no one want to pay income-tax for the obvious reasons , hence the

Income tax is already deducted from our salary . Often it is deducted more than what you need to pay .

3)      The Return is an agreement between a tax-payer and Government of India that all the money earned by a tax-payer is audited and appropriate tax is paid .

4)      If there is an additional tax paid you can claim refund through

Return . you will get 9% per annum interest on the excess tax paid amount.

5)       If there is less tax paid then needed you will get a demand note

from Government of India.

Now understand the Return process for salaried employees  :-

6)      Most talented people in India like you and me are underpaid and all

our earning comes through salary which is “WHITE Money”. Hence Government of India is lenient on salaried tax payers .

7)      Anything you submit as return will be accepted by default .

8)      Only one salaried return in every 10,000 get audited, if the return

found incorrect then you may be asked to submit the proofs . in case of salaried employees the only proof needed is form-16 .

9)      The last day of submitting the return is 30th June 2012.

10)   If you make a mistake in the return , you can correct is till 31st Jan 2013.

11)   The income tax department is nice to salaried tax payers hence if they

catch you have made a fault , they send you a notice. Don’t afraid if you receive such notice , if you made a mistake please accept and pay as asked .

if you feel that demand is unjustified then call the income-tax  call center

. (Aayakar Sampark Kendra (ASK)     124-2438000

ask@incometaxindia.gov.in)

12)   Rest assured they will not raid your home or arrest you.

But the tax consultant guy is charging only 100 Rs , why should I take pain

Often my friends argue that they don’t want to take pains of return filing and 100 Rs is tiny amount to pay for a consultant . so Here are the reasons you should consider :-

13)   Your income-tax return carry sensitive data , like your income , PAN

No., Employer’s TAN No , your bank account details , address , phone number and other demographic data. This is enough data to imitate a person and do a fraud. Several such cases are reported in past years . in the NSDL scam all false de-mat accounts were open by the CA firms using the PAN card and income-tax returns . people come to know when they get the notice from SEBI.

14)   No agent can survive on your 100 Rs. , most of them sale your data to

telemarketing companies .

15)   Income-tax department pay 10% fee for catching fabricated papers and

tax-evaders, so often these agents act as eyes of Income-tax department.

16)   Sometime these agents create your login

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and don’t share the password with you, so that you can’t change your agent every year . Many people don’t notice it until they don’t try to file it themselves.

17)   Even Lord Voldemort was not able to enter Hogwarts without an insider,

you should know, What this means.

18)   Most agents are not certified TRP (Tax return Preparer) of Income-tax

department . you can check if your agent has signed at the space provided for TRP in form ITR-V or the acknowledgement .

19)   The refund process is fastest if e-filling done be self.

20)   Last but not least , it enable you to keep a full record of tax . the

income-tax return also certify your wealth , hence it is important to keep it tracked.

21)   Go to

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/register.do?screen=registerPage1

and register your self . you find you are registered already contact the person who file your last return or (Aayakar Sampark Kendra (ASK)

124-2438000     ask@incometaxindia.gov.in).

22)   While filling the form , Please enter your name and father’s name as

entered in the pan card form. Lot of time the middle name and father’s middle name cause issues . so please fill the data as filled in the form of pan card. If you are in doubt please check ”know your PAN” section at https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/knowpan.do .

23)   Login to your email and activate your account .

24)   Find your jurisdiction from

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/common.do?screen=jurisdiction

25)   Login to your account at https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.

26)   Click on download Link :-

27)   Download the return preparation software  (ITR-1 applies to 99%

salaried people , unless you don’t want to post a loss from business or property )

28)   Unzip the file and open it in Microsoft excel . Enable macro in excel

. if you don’t know what is macro and how to enable that please refer following link . this detail is there in help.txt file which is part of return preparation software  (ITR-1) zip file . for office 2010 refer following link .

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/enable-or-disable-macros-in-off ice-documents-HA010031071.aspx#BM2

29)   Re-Open the excel file after enabling the macros.

30)   Fill your “First Name”, “Middle Name”   "Last Name" , "PAN" ,  "Flat /

Door / Building" ,  "Road / Street" ,  "Area / Locality" ,  "Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY)" ,  "Town/City/District" ,  "State" ,  "Pin Code" ,  "Sex (Select)" ,  "Email Address" ,  "Mobile no" ,  "Std code" ,  "Phone No"  as per your pan card .

31)   Please provide your current postal address where you want postal

communication from Income-tax  to come .

32)   Provide the same email address and mobile number as in

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in registration .

33)   Select Employer Category as “OTH”.

34)   Please enter your “Income Tax Ward / Circle” from the details you

acquired in point 24.

(https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/common.do?screen=jurisdiction).

35)   Select “11-BeforeDueDt 139(1)” in Return filed under section.

36)   Select original  in “Whether original or revised return?” . you can

submit your return any number of time with income Tax Department , if you are submitting first time for a given year ,it is original else it is revised .

37)   Select “RES-Resident”  as your Residential Status. If you are NRI

please select so .

38)   Leave the Tax Status as It is , we will return on it shortly .

39)   Open your form 16 . The instruction are based on TechMahindra Form 16.

But not very different for other companies as well .

40)   Excel row 41 “Income from Salary / Pension (Ensure to fill Sch TDS1)”

à Copy the value of form 16 , page 3 , Item 8. Gross Total Income (6 + 7).

41)   Excel row 42 “Income from one House Property” à fill this value if you

have rented a house owned by you . else leave it blank .

42)   Excel row 43 “Income from Other Sources (Ensure to fill Sch TDS2)” à

fill this value any bank interest etc which you have not declared to company . else Leave it blank.

43)   Excel row 46 “80 C” à Copy the value of form 16 , page 3 , Item 9

(A)(a) sections 80C. If the sum of all the listings is less than 100000 then write the sum value else if sum is more than 100000 write 100000.

44)   Copy the value of form 16 , page 3 , Item 9 (A)(b) in Excel row 47 “80

CCC”.

45)   Copy the value of form 16 , page 3 , Item 9 (A)(c) in Excel row 49

“80CCD”

46)   Copy the value of form 16 , page 3 , Item 9 (A)(d) in Excel row 50

“80CCF”

47)   Copy the value of form 16 , page 3 , Item 9 (B) “Mediclaim Through Sal”

in Excel row 51 “80 D”

48)   Hit Save Button in excel.

49)   Go to TDS worksheet of excel sheet.

50)   Enter “MUMM15369E”  in Excel Cell C4 "Tax Deduction Account Number

(TAN) of the Employer”. This info is available in form 16 , page 2 , 11th line from TechMahindra logo.

51)   Enter “Tech Mahindra Limited”  in Excel Cell D4 " Name of the

Employer”. This info is available in form 16 , page 2 , 6th line from TechMahindra logo.

52)   Enter same value as in item 40 in Excel Cell E4  "Income chargeable

under the head Salaries”. This info is available in form 16 , page 3 , Item 8. Gross Total Income (6 + 7).

53)   Fill Excel Cell F4  "Total tax Deducted”. This info is available in

form 16 , page 3 , Item 18 , Less: Tax Deducted at Source u/s 192(1) & 192

(IA) on perquisites u/s 17 (2).

54)   Save the excel sheet again .

55)   Move to “Taxes paid and Verification” worksheet.

56)   Fill Item 20 “Enter your bank account number” in Excel Cell H8. This

info is available in your salary slip.

57)   Fill Item 21 “Select Yes  if you want your refund by direct  deposit

into your bank account, Select No if you want refund by Cheque” , Select Yes in Excel Cell J9.

58)   Fill Item 22 “In case of direct deposit to your bank account give

additional details” Excel Cell E11 “MICR code” and Excel cell J11 “Type of Account(As applicable)” as “Saving”.  MICR code you can get from your bank website or check-book or from http://www.bankmicrcode.com/ .

59)   Enter your father’s name in Excel Cell J28.

60)   Enter your current location city in  Excel Cell C31.

61)   Enter today’s Date in H31

62)   Save the excel sheet again .

63)   Go to Excel Cell J7 . this is your Refund value .

64)   Go to Income Details worksheet of excel sheet .

65)   Go to Excel row 32 Tax Status . If Refund Value is Zero Select “Nil

Tax Balance” . If Refund Value is more than zero select “Tax Refundable”. If Refund Value is less than zero select “Tax Payable”.

66)   Scroll to Top in excel sheet.

67)   Click On validate button on top right corner .

68)   Click on calculate tax button on top right corner.

69)   Hit save button in excel

70)   Click on “XML Generate” button.

71)   A new excel worksheet will  appear with name “Pre-XML Check”

72)   Hit the “Save XML” button .

73)   The XML will be saved in the same folder of Excel sheet . the XML is

named as ITR1_PAN-NO.xml .

74)   Save and close the excel sheet .

75)   Login to your account on https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and goto link of “AY 12-13”. Income Tax work in assessment year which is one year ahead then financial year. Financial year 2011-12 will have assessment year 2012-13.

  

76)   Select ITR-1 as the form Name . ensure your pan number is correct .Click Next .

77)   Upload the XML using browse button .

78)   Your return is submitted here .

79)   Download the form ITR-V from the link mentioned . It will also be

emailed to your email address .

80)   The form ITR-V is a password protected PDF . the password of PDF  is

your pan number followed by your date of birth in DDMMYYYY. if the pan is AAAAA0000A and the date of birth is 20-Jan-2007, then the password will be aaaaa0000a10012007.

81)   Please take a printout of form ITR-V and Sign it using a blue/black

pen.

82)   A duly signed ITR-V form should be mailed to “Income Tax Department –

CPC, Post Bag No - 1, Electronic City Post Office, Bengaluru - 560100,

Karnataka, ” BY ORDINARY POST OR SPEED POST ONLY   within 120 days of

transmitting the data electronically. ITR-V sent by Registered Post or Courier will not be accepted by Income Tax Department.

83)   Take a deep breath , you are done with your tax process.

84)   Wait for 3-5 months and you will get an acknowledgement email on your

email account . save that email as that is your assessment order.

The entire process don’t take 15-20 minutes for a person . however should

you need help call or email (Aayakar Sampark Kendra (ASK) 124-2438000

ask@incometaxindia.gov.in).

Movie Review - The Dark Knight Rises

                                                                                          Image Courtesy of Internet


The Dark Knight Rises (2012) directed by Christopher Nolan which is a sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). Christian Bale replays the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.


Eight years of peace in Gotham city, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest hour, and the Dark Knight rises to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.


There are a lot of twist in the story,and i advice that if you have not seen Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008) which is unlikely ;), It would be a bit hard for you to understand the start of the movie as to why Batman is framed as a criminal by Gotham city.

The weapons where mind blowing as expected by batman, especially the bike which is out of this world.The Action was a bit less for me,was expecting a little bit more action.But over all its a good movie,a one time watch.

Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act of 1966

I was Shocked to know that it is illegal to break the wall between two flats even though they belong to you.Apparently there is a Act in place  'MRTP ACT of 1966 ' which stands for Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act of 1966 .If found guilty you can face crimainal charges.


The Problem is that there is a complete lack of Awareness among the general public.Many people do this on a regular basis,but if notified by any only the flat owner would face criminal charges.
If you are going to do any changes in your flat it is adviable to take the necessary permissions first.

BRYAN ADAMS Song LYRICS - SUMMER OF '69

I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five and dime
Played it till my fingers bled
Was the summer of '69


Me and some guys from school
Had a band and we tried real hard
Jimmy quit Jody got married
Should've known, we'd never get far


Oh when I look back now
That summer seemed to last forever
And if I had the choice
Yeah, I'd always want to be there
Those were the best days of my life


Ain't no use in complaining
When you got a job to do
Spent my evenings down at the drive-in
And that's when I met you girl


Standin' on your mama's porch
You told me that you'd wait forever
Oh and when you held my hand
I knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of my life


Oh yeah ...
Back in the summer of '69


Man we were killing time
We were young and restless
We needed to unwind
I guess nothin' can last forever,forever,no


And now the times are changing
Look at everything that's come and gone
Sometimes when I play that old six strings
Think about you,wonder what went wrong


Standin' on your mama's porch
You told me that you'd wait forever
Oh and when you held my hand
I knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of my life


Oh yeah ...
Back in the summer of '69 ...