"So English Makes Sense?"
We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always men,
why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet,
and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
but though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
but imagine the feminine she, shis and shim.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England.
Quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing?
Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
A house can burn up as it burns down?
You fill in a form by filling it out?
An alarm goes off by going on?
Did you know that 'verb' is a noun?
How can you look up words in a dictionary if you can't spell them?
If a word is misspelled in a dictionary, how would we ever know?
If two mouses are mice and two louses are lice, why aren't two houses hice?
If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
If you've read a book, you can reread it. But wouldn't this also mean that you would have to 'member' somebody in order to remember them?
Is it a coincidence that the only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable?
Is there another word for a synonym?
Shouldn't there be a shorter word for 'monosyllabic'?
Why can't you make another word using all the letters in 'anagram'?
Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?
Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
Why do some people type 'cool' as 'kewl?'
Why does 'slow down' and 'slow up' mean the same thing?
Why does flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?
Why does X stand for a kiss and O stand for a hug?
Why is 'crazy man' an insult, while to insert a comma and say 'Crazy, man!' is a compliment?
Why are a wise man and wise guy opposites?
Why is it that we recite at a play and play at a recital?
Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
Why isn't 'palindrome' spelled the same way backwards?
Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
English is indeed very strange.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!
Foods that Feed your Brain
During exams, many parents give various medicines to their kids that claim to increase their learning power. Let's look at some of the natural brain and mood enhancers.
It's a known fact that the most important meal of the day is your breakfast. Breakfast eaters are likely to achieve higher grades, pay closer attention, participate more in class discussions, and solve more complex academic problems than breakfast skippers.
1. Consume more complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy and as the brain uses around a fifth of the body's energy requirements, they are very essential for proper mental functioning.
Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, so they release their energy gradually, providing ongoing energy and stamina.
Foods with the best brain carbohydrates include: Fruits, cereals and grains, vegetables and legumes, oatmeal, bran, spaghetti, rice and dairy products.
Minimize the intake of simple carbohydrates. These are digested quickly and cause too much sugar to be released into the bloodstream. This is countered by the release of insulin. The brain is thus alternately flooded and starved of essential glucose, which may lead to dizziness, anxiety, headaches, thirst, mental confusion and sleepiness.
2. Encourage grazing. Children's behavior often deteriorates three to four hours after a meal. To smooth out the blood-sugar mood swings, let your child nibble on nutritious foods throughout the day. Pack these snacks for school and carry with you when you are away from home.
3. Perk up your proteins. Proteins in the diet affect brain performance because they provide the amino acids from which neurotransmitters are made. These are biochemical messengers that carry signals from one brain cell to another.
High protein, low carbohydrate foods that are likely to jumpstart the brain are seafood, soy, meat, eggs, and dairy.
4. Feed your brain the right fats. Both growing and aging brains need nutritious fats. The best source for the right kind of fats is fish. Because of the fatty acids they contain, fish is known as the best kind of brain food.
5. Consider vitamin supplements. Here are some of the vitamins which have been shown to affect behaviour and learning:
Vitamin C is required by the brain to make neurotransmitters. In fact, the brain has a special vitamin C "pump" that draws extra vitamin C out of the blood and concentrates it in the brain. Sources of Vitamin C include tomato, orange, sweet lime, amla and sprouted pulses.
Vitamin B12 is vital for maintaining healthy brain tissue.
Vitamin B6 deficiency causes hyper-irritability and fatigue.
Flesh foods (non-veg) are good sources of Vitamin B.
Folic acid deficiency affects neurotransmitter functioning, resulting in symptoms associated with depression.
6. Insure enough iron. The symptoms of iron deficiency include irritability and diminished mental alertness. Iron rich foods include greens, jaggery, dates, egg yolk etc
Let’s Eat Our Way To Alertness
What you eat affects your mood, memory and clarity of thought.
Foods that are slow to digest divert blood from the brain and reduce mental sharpness.
A key nutrient involved in conversion to alertness is a chemical found in fish, meats, egg yolks, soy products, rice and peanuts. Tuna can help to keep mentally alert.
So deciding on what you eat is important before going for exams or other important appointments as you want to be mentally fresh and alert.
SPINACH & BROCCOLI = YOUR VITAMIN POWERHOUSE
It would really pay to include spinach or broccoli in your weekly diet. Here's why. These green vegetables include vitamins A, B, C and K, Folate , and minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. That's a nutritional basket you can't afford to miss. Now you know what Popeye's made from!
Don't Miss your Breakfast!
As we burn fewer calories during sleep, having a breakfast is a good way to kick-start your body into a calorie-burning mode. If you avoid breakfast you will burn a fewer calories and you are more likely to grab the first high fat snack as your hunger peak will reach high. Bonus Tip: Hot foods can increase your post meal metabolic rate significantly. It is advantageous to incorporate fresh green chutney with green chilies, spicy jaljeeras, hot soups etc. in your meal.
During exams, many parents give various medicines to their kids that claim to increase their learning power. Let's look at some of the natural brain and mood enhancers.
It's a known fact that the most important meal of the day is your breakfast. Breakfast eaters are likely to achieve higher grades, pay closer attention, participate more in class discussions, and solve more complex academic problems than breakfast skippers.
1. Consume more complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy and as the brain uses around a fifth of the body's energy requirements, they are very essential for proper mental functioning.
Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, so they release their energy gradually, providing ongoing energy and stamina.
Foods with the best brain carbohydrates include: Fruits, cereals and grains, vegetables and legumes, oatmeal, bran, spaghetti, rice and dairy products.
Minimize the intake of simple carbohydrates. These are digested quickly and cause too much sugar to be released into the bloodstream. This is countered by the release of insulin. The brain is thus alternately flooded and starved of essential glucose, which may lead to dizziness, anxiety, headaches, thirst, mental confusion and sleepiness.
2. Encourage grazing. Children's behavior often deteriorates three to four hours after a meal. To smooth out the blood-sugar mood swings, let your child nibble on nutritious foods throughout the day. Pack these snacks for school and carry with you when you are away from home.
3. Perk up your proteins. Proteins in the diet affect brain performance because they provide the amino acids from which neurotransmitters are made. These are biochemical messengers that carry signals from one brain cell to another.
High protein, low carbohydrate foods that are likely to jumpstart the brain are seafood, soy, meat, eggs, and dairy.
4. Feed your brain the right fats. Both growing and aging brains need nutritious fats. The best source for the right kind of fats is fish. Because of the fatty acids they contain, fish is known as the best kind of brain food.
5. Consider vitamin supplements. Here are some of the vitamins which have been shown to affect behaviour and learning:
Vitamin C is required by the brain to make neurotransmitters. In fact, the brain has a special vitamin C "pump" that draws extra vitamin C out of the blood and concentrates it in the brain. Sources of Vitamin C include tomato, orange, sweet lime, amla and sprouted pulses.
Vitamin B12 is vital for maintaining healthy brain tissue.
Vitamin B6 deficiency causes hyper-irritability and fatigue.
Flesh foods (non-veg) are good sources of Vitamin B.
Folic acid deficiency affects neurotransmitter functioning, resulting in symptoms associated with depression.
6. Insure enough iron. The symptoms of iron deficiency include irritability and diminished mental alertness. Iron rich foods include greens, jaggery, dates, egg yolk etc
Let’s Eat Our Way To Alertness
What you eat affects your mood, memory and clarity of thought.
Foods that are slow to digest divert blood from the brain and reduce mental sharpness.
A key nutrient involved in conversion to alertness is a chemical found in fish, meats, egg yolks, soy products, rice and peanuts. Tuna can help to keep mentally alert.
So deciding on what you eat is important before going for exams or other important appointments as you want to be mentally fresh and alert.
SPINACH & BROCCOLI = YOUR VITAMIN POWERHOUSE
It would really pay to include spinach or broccoli in your weekly diet. Here's why. These green vegetables include vitamins A, B, C and K, Folate , and minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. That's a nutritional basket you can't afford to miss. Now you know what Popeye's made from!
Don't Miss your Breakfast!
As we burn fewer calories during sleep, having a breakfast is a good way to kick-start your body into a calorie-burning mode. If you avoid breakfast you will burn a fewer calories and you are more likely to grab the first high fat snack as your hunger peak will reach high. Bonus Tip: Hot foods can increase your post meal metabolic rate significantly. It is advantageous to incorporate fresh green chutney with green chilies, spicy jaljeeras, hot soups etc. in your meal.
MANAGING SUBORDINATES EFFECTIVELY !!!!
So you’ve just received a promotion and are in charge of your very own team. What does it take to be a good leader you wonder? Effective leadership comes from the understanding that a lot of your success as a leader depends on the productivity of your team. The manner in which you deal with your subordinates is critical to their progress and ultimately your own.
Here are 5 important tips that’ll help you manage your subordinates effectively.
1. Public praise and private criticism
Everybody loves the occasional pat on the back and when you openly praise your subordinates it goes a long way in building their confidence. Similarly presenting your critique of their work in a public forum might humiliate them and shatter their self-esteem. A one-on-one coaching session behind closed doors displays respect and will help you gain the trust of your subordinates.
2. Do you really know it all?
Many leaders inherently believe that they know more than their subordinates. While this might hold true for several instances it would be unwise of you to assume that it’s true across the board. Everybody no matter what his/her position in the organisation has something of value to offer and you will win more people over by encouraging their contributions than you will by making all decisions on your own.
3. Be empathetic
You have a junior team member whose performance of late has been below par. Your first instinct would be to hold a private ‘coaching session’. But it would help to take a step back and put yourself in his/her shoes. It’s best to give them the benefit of the doubt and have a heartfelt talk to find out what’s really going on. The empathy will be greatly appreciated and will only strengthen your relationship with your subordinates.
4. Be fair and objective
A leader that noticeably has favourites and doles out preferential treatment is greatly resented. Your job as a leader is to remain objective throughout and treat everyone with equality. Of course, you’re going to like some people more than others but don’t ever let that sway your assessment of their work performance.
5. Pushovers are liked not respected
While it is important for you to be liked by your subordinates it is more important for them to acknowledge your leadership. You needn’t adopt an autocratic approach to ascertain your position; remember to be firm but fair. When you have to take decisions that your subordinates might not agree with explain your position and get them to see your point of view.
FORGING FRIENDSHIPS AT THE WORKPLACE
Everyone agrees that embarking upon an office romance is ill advised, but what about forging friendships. Many of us are aware that work is an excellent environment for meeting new people and making new friends. It helps make, work more fun, and most days go by faster as a result.
For many the office is their home away from home and perhaps the only social environment they look forward to all week. At work you really get to see all sides of individuals, you get to know them and end up bonding with them due to the long hours you spend together. Having someone to confide in, share lunch with, give us encouragement and confidence and who may even help us perform our job and duties better are all among the many positives of forming friendships at work or working with a close friend.
On the other hand, just like any relationship, there are certain rules and a protocol you must adhere to and office politics that you will inevitably have to deal with. You wouldn’t want your friendship to interfere negatively with your progress and performance or spark professional jealousy, which can make put stress on both your personal and professional relationship.
The key to any successful office relationship is to keep it separate from your personal relationship and as much out of the office as possible. You must proceed with extreme caution when forging friendships and how far you allow them to go, especially within a short span of time. And remember to recognize the different levels of friendship and to never disclose grievances with other colleagues, supervisors and bosses to anyone (not even to a fairly trusted friend).
As far as possible do not make the office your only social scene and never place all your emotional energy in your job and in making friends at work. And, with regards to the friends you do make, try testing the relationship and going out after hours, taking note on what you have in common other than work, and if you are successful at bonding on other levels besides talking about work and the latest office gossip. If you do however find that you genuinely get along, you may consider reaching an agreement, that once work is over, you can talk about anything but work.
GET COOPERATION, SAY GOODBYE TO NAGGING
You can do away with the hint dropping techniques. If you want your colleague to do some work be direct and ask him/her to do so.
Don’t fall into the whirlpool of blaming one another for an unfinished job or an error. This only widens the chasm of resentment between employees and colleagues and prevents them from looking at other ways to solve the problem. If you happen to be on the receiving end of the blame let it slide. You need not accept the blame if you are not the person responsible for the goof up instead you could say “It would be better if we looked at the facts.”
Another way of getting the work done is to stay focused avoid being overly critical.
Don’t demand, instead negotiate. Suggest ways to help.
Say less. People resent following orders, so be subtle. Post an itemized checklist and deadlines for goals to be met. Recognize the time and effort colleagues put into the process.
HANDLING FINICKY COLLEAGUES
It’s tough dealing with fanatic, moody and unfriendly colleagues. But when you gotta do it, you gotta do it.
Try following these guidelines to make your interactions with colleagues smoother:
• Try to stay in control. You needn’t be rude but you can be firm. In other words speak your mind.
• Ignore immature, self-centered behaviour to the point where it does not affect you and your work. Stay focused on getting the work done rather than indulging in a power play.
• Try to stress on how behavior can affect productivity. Communicate with your colleague about their place in the scheme of things.
• As a last resort if problems are heightened, your work is suffering etc. speak to your boss. Inform him/her of the problem, but remember not to get emotional about the problem. State your case by outlining the facts with clarity and how and see that the necessary action is taken.
TURN AROUND WORK SITUATIONS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!
When it comes to dealing with tricky situations in the workplace, be it handling difficult colleagues, bossy seniors and extreme work pressure, there are many incidents that leave us agitated or dissatisfied. When the circumstances of these incidences are beyond your control, it’s a good idea to be clear about what you want. Keep these pointers in mind.
• When faced with a dilemma involving other people, always try to assess what they want from the situation, so that you can come to a mutual agreement.
• When you anticipate a difficult situation, prepare yourself to face the task as well as condition your mind to expect the unexpected. State your case with conviction and have confidence in your abilities. This will make the difference.
• Always remember that it pays to respect another person’s goals as you approach your own goal. This way you can understand another’s perspectives and work as a team.
• You need to feel positive and keep in mind that the work you’re putting in will help you in the long run.
• Take some time out to develop a sincere rapport with your team members. Find some common ground to bond with them even if you do not naturally relate to them. You never know who will bail you out of a tricky situation.
Here are 5 important tips that’ll help you manage your subordinates effectively.
1. Public praise and private criticism
Everybody loves the occasional pat on the back and when you openly praise your subordinates it goes a long way in building their confidence. Similarly presenting your critique of their work in a public forum might humiliate them and shatter their self-esteem. A one-on-one coaching session behind closed doors displays respect and will help you gain the trust of your subordinates.
2. Do you really know it all?
Many leaders inherently believe that they know more than their subordinates. While this might hold true for several instances it would be unwise of you to assume that it’s true across the board. Everybody no matter what his/her position in the organisation has something of value to offer and you will win more people over by encouraging their contributions than you will by making all decisions on your own.
3. Be empathetic
You have a junior team member whose performance of late has been below par. Your first instinct would be to hold a private ‘coaching session’. But it would help to take a step back and put yourself in his/her shoes. It’s best to give them the benefit of the doubt and have a heartfelt talk to find out what’s really going on. The empathy will be greatly appreciated and will only strengthen your relationship with your subordinates.
4. Be fair and objective
A leader that noticeably has favourites and doles out preferential treatment is greatly resented. Your job as a leader is to remain objective throughout and treat everyone with equality. Of course, you’re going to like some people more than others but don’t ever let that sway your assessment of their work performance.
5. Pushovers are liked not respected
While it is important for you to be liked by your subordinates it is more important for them to acknowledge your leadership. You needn’t adopt an autocratic approach to ascertain your position; remember to be firm but fair. When you have to take decisions that your subordinates might not agree with explain your position and get them to see your point of view.
FORGING FRIENDSHIPS AT THE WORKPLACE
Everyone agrees that embarking upon an office romance is ill advised, but what about forging friendships. Many of us are aware that work is an excellent environment for meeting new people and making new friends. It helps make, work more fun, and most days go by faster as a result.
For many the office is their home away from home and perhaps the only social environment they look forward to all week. At work you really get to see all sides of individuals, you get to know them and end up bonding with them due to the long hours you spend together. Having someone to confide in, share lunch with, give us encouragement and confidence and who may even help us perform our job and duties better are all among the many positives of forming friendships at work or working with a close friend.
On the other hand, just like any relationship, there are certain rules and a protocol you must adhere to and office politics that you will inevitably have to deal with. You wouldn’t want your friendship to interfere negatively with your progress and performance or spark professional jealousy, which can make put stress on both your personal and professional relationship.
The key to any successful office relationship is to keep it separate from your personal relationship and as much out of the office as possible. You must proceed with extreme caution when forging friendships and how far you allow them to go, especially within a short span of time. And remember to recognize the different levels of friendship and to never disclose grievances with other colleagues, supervisors and bosses to anyone (not even to a fairly trusted friend).
As far as possible do not make the office your only social scene and never place all your emotional energy in your job and in making friends at work. And, with regards to the friends you do make, try testing the relationship and going out after hours, taking note on what you have in common other than work, and if you are successful at bonding on other levels besides talking about work and the latest office gossip. If you do however find that you genuinely get along, you may consider reaching an agreement, that once work is over, you can talk about anything but work.
GET COOPERATION, SAY GOODBYE TO NAGGING
You can do away with the hint dropping techniques. If you want your colleague to do some work be direct and ask him/her to do so.
Don’t fall into the whirlpool of blaming one another for an unfinished job or an error. This only widens the chasm of resentment between employees and colleagues and prevents them from looking at other ways to solve the problem. If you happen to be on the receiving end of the blame let it slide. You need not accept the blame if you are not the person responsible for the goof up instead you could say “It would be better if we looked at the facts.”
Another way of getting the work done is to stay focused avoid being overly critical.
Don’t demand, instead negotiate. Suggest ways to help.
Say less. People resent following orders, so be subtle. Post an itemized checklist and deadlines for goals to be met. Recognize the time and effort colleagues put into the process.
HANDLING FINICKY COLLEAGUES
It’s tough dealing with fanatic, moody and unfriendly colleagues. But when you gotta do it, you gotta do it.
Try following these guidelines to make your interactions with colleagues smoother:
• Try to stay in control. You needn’t be rude but you can be firm. In other words speak your mind.
• Ignore immature, self-centered behaviour to the point where it does not affect you and your work. Stay focused on getting the work done rather than indulging in a power play.
• Try to stress on how behavior can affect productivity. Communicate with your colleague about their place in the scheme of things.
• As a last resort if problems are heightened, your work is suffering etc. speak to your boss. Inform him/her of the problem, but remember not to get emotional about the problem. State your case by outlining the facts with clarity and how and see that the necessary action is taken.
TURN AROUND WORK SITUATIONS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!
When it comes to dealing with tricky situations in the workplace, be it handling difficult colleagues, bossy seniors and extreme work pressure, there are many incidents that leave us agitated or dissatisfied. When the circumstances of these incidences are beyond your control, it’s a good idea to be clear about what you want. Keep these pointers in mind.
• When faced with a dilemma involving other people, always try to assess what they want from the situation, so that you can come to a mutual agreement.
• When you anticipate a difficult situation, prepare yourself to face the task as well as condition your mind to expect the unexpected. State your case with conviction and have confidence in your abilities. This will make the difference.
• Always remember that it pays to respect another person’s goals as you approach your own goal. This way you can understand another’s perspectives and work as a team.
• You need to feel positive and keep in mind that the work you’re putting in will help you in the long run.
• Take some time out to develop a sincere rapport with your team members. Find some common ground to bond with them even if you do not naturally relate to them. You never know who will bail you out of a tricky situation.
Letting Go of Guilt
Exhausted by work and kids, I was desperate for sleep — but every time I closed my eyes, I saw Elisa's face. I'd e-mailed a group of friends about getting together, and she responded that she would love to see me when she "got back from surgery." What surgery? Oh, just the hysterectomy I'd never heard about because I'd been so bad at keeping in touch. Now I felt guilty. Of course, that's not unusual — I often stay up late fretting about something I've done wrong. My offense doesn't have to be huge (no, I haven't murdered anyone lately); I'm bothered by small things, like wriggling out of a baby shower, leaving wet laundry in the machine overnight, and being less of a friend than I'd like to be. If you're nodding your head, you know exactly what I mean.
Here's the upside of feeling the way we do: Guilt acts as our inner watchdog, says Margaret Clark, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Yale University who studies guilt and close relationships. We have responsibilities to other people, and if we fail to perform as we should, we feel crummy. "In a healthy situation, guilt prompts us to correct our actions or express our regrets," says Clark.
But it's possible to be too hard on yourself — and yes, the female sex is especially adept at this kind of self-sabotage. "Women are more focused on other people than men are," says Vicki Helgeson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Carnegie-Mellon University who studies gender. "We feel guilty if we do something that affects someone else, while men are more concerned with the impact others have on them."
Want to stop playing the self-blame game? Here's how to handle those squirm-inducing situations in all the major aspects of your life.
FRIEND GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• Your husband dozed off at someone's wedding.
• You're invited to two events on Saturday night — and there's no way you can do both.
• You've missed five turns at carpooling.
• You ducked an acquaintance at the supermarket.
• You made a stupid joke that offended someone.
One woman's experience:
"I wrote — but never mailed — a thank-you note for the most beautiful baby present I've ever received," says Jennifer, 38, a homemaker in Falls Church, Virginia. "It was a hand-knit sweater. The friend who made it lives overseas, so I didn't know the correct postage, and with a newborn, I never had time to find out. The note is still stuck in the pages of my address book — and the 'baby' is now four."
Advice: Apologize
When you've simply missed the boat, there's just one thing to do: Say you're sorry. "Jennifer should mail the thank-you note now," says Clark. "She's saying, 'I had too much responsibility and couldn't do this.' That's fine — but in recent years, it's embarrassment that has stopped her from acting on the problem." Popping the original thank-you into an envelope along with another note admitting that she's been feeling bad about this for ages will not just alleviate Jennifer's guilt — it'll make the knitter understand what happened and feel appreciated at last.
KID GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• The other moms made their kids' Halloween costumes — but yours are from the drugstore.
• You plopped your youngest in front of a video so you could answer some e-mail.
• You talked your daughter into a short haircut, and now she's getting teased for looking like a boy.
• Your family is moving, so your teenager has to leave his old friends.
• You made PB&J for lunch — again.
One woman's experience:
Roz, 45, a freelance writer in Lake Oswego, Oregon, thinks they implant a guilt chip in every woman when she gives birth: "Today, I told my kids I will have to miss their sports-awards ceremony because of work. Their dad will go, but they're still upset I won't be there. I'm sorry, too, but if I don't finish my work, I can't buy them the fancy sneakers they like — and that would make me feel guilty too!"
Advice: Prioritize
Face it: The perfect, June Cleaveresque mother who can fulfill her children's every need does not exist. So when you're feeling like the worst parent in the world, sit down and think about what's most important for you and your family. If Roz's priority is to make money to help pay the bills, that needs to take precedence over attending every single event. Once you've made your choices, stand by them, even when it's difficult. "You know you're doing the right thing in the long run," says Clark. "If you still feel bad, let your child see how much you wish it could be different. That will signal how much you care."
FAMILY GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• A new job means moving your kids away from their grandparents.
• You get only four tickets for your son's confirmation — and everyone wants in.
• You snapped at your husband when he was only trying to help.
• You have to ask for a loan, and it's not like your parents are millionaires.
• You secretly think your little niece is a total brat.
One woman's experience:
"My mom and my mother-in-law have me in a guilt trap," says Hettie, 35, of Chicago. "My dad died a year ago, so we visit my mother often. Meantime, my mother-in-law is jealous that she's not getting as much attention. And my husband travels so much for work that I hate asking him to take more trips on weekends. I try to do right by everyone, but it's hard!"
Advice: Compromise
"You can let everyone have turns — his family gets one visit, your family gets the next — but that leaves out your own needs," says Clark. "What if you just want to stay home?" So try for a compromise. "Think about other ways to keep in touch: cards, e-mails, phone calls, Internet video," says June Tangney, Ph.D., a psychologist and researcher at George Mason University who studies guilt, shame, and empathy. "And you know all that artwork the kids bring home from school? Send some of that along — then you'll also feel less guilty about not being able to keep every bit of it."
EVERYTHING GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• Instead of finishing the report at work, you sat there surfing the Web.
• You hardly ever take time to dress up for your husband.
• You ate a box of cookies before bed.
• You'd rather read a romance novel than the newspaper.
• Your dog is fat because you don't walk him — you just let him out in the yard.
One woman's experience:
"I just never seem to live up to my own expectations," says Celeste, 30, of Los Angeles. "My husband and I recently moved to a new city, and I feel guilty that I haven't made more friends. My income would be bigger if I didn't work from home. I'm pregnant, but I'd rather eat falafel than whole grains. And with all the landfills bursting with plastic, why can't I ever remember to bring canvas bags to the grocery store?"
Advice: Be specific
"Hoo boy, she sounds overwhelmed," says Tangney, whose first recommendation in this kind of situation is to set goals that are specific and concrete. "Don't say 'I have to find loads of new friends so my husband isn't lonely' — just say 'I'll try to make plans twice a month.'"
Another good goal: limiting negative self-talk, which can really undermine your ability to act effectively. "A little cognitive restructuring — changing the messages in your head — can allow you to be your own cheerleader," says Dale Atkins, Ph.D., a psychologist in New York City. By changing "I did three things wrong today" to "I did three other things right today," you'll build up your emotional shoreline against the erosion caused by guilt. And you'll finally get the good night's sleep you so deserve.
Here's the upside of feeling the way we do: Guilt acts as our inner watchdog, says Margaret Clark, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Yale University who studies guilt and close relationships. We have responsibilities to other people, and if we fail to perform as we should, we feel crummy. "In a healthy situation, guilt prompts us to correct our actions or express our regrets," says Clark.
But it's possible to be too hard on yourself — and yes, the female sex is especially adept at this kind of self-sabotage. "Women are more focused on other people than men are," says Vicki Helgeson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Carnegie-Mellon University who studies gender. "We feel guilty if we do something that affects someone else, while men are more concerned with the impact others have on them."
Want to stop playing the self-blame game? Here's how to handle those squirm-inducing situations in all the major aspects of your life.
FRIEND GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• Your husband dozed off at someone's wedding.
• You're invited to two events on Saturday night — and there's no way you can do both.
• You've missed five turns at carpooling.
• You ducked an acquaintance at the supermarket.
• You made a stupid joke that offended someone.
One woman's experience:
"I wrote — but never mailed — a thank-you note for the most beautiful baby present I've ever received," says Jennifer, 38, a homemaker in Falls Church, Virginia. "It was a hand-knit sweater. The friend who made it lives overseas, so I didn't know the correct postage, and with a newborn, I never had time to find out. The note is still stuck in the pages of my address book — and the 'baby' is now four."
Advice: Apologize
When you've simply missed the boat, there's just one thing to do: Say you're sorry. "Jennifer should mail the thank-you note now," says Clark. "She's saying, 'I had too much responsibility and couldn't do this.' That's fine — but in recent years, it's embarrassment that has stopped her from acting on the problem." Popping the original thank-you into an envelope along with another note admitting that she's been feeling bad about this for ages will not just alleviate Jennifer's guilt — it'll make the knitter understand what happened and feel appreciated at last.
KID GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• The other moms made their kids' Halloween costumes — but yours are from the drugstore.
• You plopped your youngest in front of a video so you could answer some e-mail.
• You talked your daughter into a short haircut, and now she's getting teased for looking like a boy.
• Your family is moving, so your teenager has to leave his old friends.
• You made PB&J for lunch — again.
One woman's experience:
Roz, 45, a freelance writer in Lake Oswego, Oregon, thinks they implant a guilt chip in every woman when she gives birth: "Today, I told my kids I will have to miss their sports-awards ceremony because of work. Their dad will go, but they're still upset I won't be there. I'm sorry, too, but if I don't finish my work, I can't buy them the fancy sneakers they like — and that would make me feel guilty too!"
Advice: Prioritize
Face it: The perfect, June Cleaveresque mother who can fulfill her children's every need does not exist. So when you're feeling like the worst parent in the world, sit down and think about what's most important for you and your family. If Roz's priority is to make money to help pay the bills, that needs to take precedence over attending every single event. Once you've made your choices, stand by them, even when it's difficult. "You know you're doing the right thing in the long run," says Clark. "If you still feel bad, let your child see how much you wish it could be different. That will signal how much you care."
FAMILY GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• A new job means moving your kids away from their grandparents.
• You get only four tickets for your son's confirmation — and everyone wants in.
• You snapped at your husband when he was only trying to help.
• You have to ask for a loan, and it's not like your parents are millionaires.
• You secretly think your little niece is a total brat.
One woman's experience:
"My mom and my mother-in-law have me in a guilt trap," says Hettie, 35, of Chicago. "My dad died a year ago, so we visit my mother often. Meantime, my mother-in-law is jealous that she's not getting as much attention. And my husband travels so much for work that I hate asking him to take more trips on weekends. I try to do right by everyone, but it's hard!"
Advice: Compromise
"You can let everyone have turns — his family gets one visit, your family gets the next — but that leaves out your own needs," says Clark. "What if you just want to stay home?" So try for a compromise. "Think about other ways to keep in touch: cards, e-mails, phone calls, Internet video," says June Tangney, Ph.D., a psychologist and researcher at George Mason University who studies guilt, shame, and empathy. "And you know all that artwork the kids bring home from school? Send some of that along — then you'll also feel less guilty about not being able to keep every bit of it."
EVERYTHING GUILT
Does this sound familiar?
• Instead of finishing the report at work, you sat there surfing the Web.
• You hardly ever take time to dress up for your husband.
• You ate a box of cookies before bed.
• You'd rather read a romance novel than the newspaper.
• Your dog is fat because you don't walk him — you just let him out in the yard.
One woman's experience:
"I just never seem to live up to my own expectations," says Celeste, 30, of Los Angeles. "My husband and I recently moved to a new city, and I feel guilty that I haven't made more friends. My income would be bigger if I didn't work from home. I'm pregnant, but I'd rather eat falafel than whole grains. And with all the landfills bursting with plastic, why can't I ever remember to bring canvas bags to the grocery store?"
Advice: Be specific
"Hoo boy, she sounds overwhelmed," says Tangney, whose first recommendation in this kind of situation is to set goals that are specific and concrete. "Don't say 'I have to find loads of new friends so my husband isn't lonely' — just say 'I'll try to make plans twice a month.'"
Another good goal: limiting negative self-talk, which can really undermine your ability to act effectively. "A little cognitive restructuring — changing the messages in your head — can allow you to be your own cheerleader," says Dale Atkins, Ph.D., a psychologist in New York City. By changing "I did three things wrong today" to "I did three other things right today," you'll build up your emotional shoreline against the erosion caused by guilt. And you'll finally get the good night's sleep you so deserve.
"Playing Prince Charming"
Source:A fantabulous article
I seriously have to check with my kid. Did Prince Charming really kill the dragon and save the princess? The Charming One, if I remember right, had this irritating habit of running after women with a single glass slipper - trying to fit that singular framework to every foot in the kingdom... must have studied management for graduation. Anyway, the late Sumantra Ghoshal (along with Heike Bruch) had, in a very interesting article, pointed to the possibilities of slaying the dragon and saving the princess - as fine corporate strategies *.
Before exploring the beautiful analogies coined by the gifted minds, let us ponder on emotions. For it is about emotions - raw, pulsating and pounding - that Ghoshal et al speak about in their article. And the art of tapping and redirecting it to the desired destination, in a corporate setting.
Well, for a sensitivity test, check out this stunner by Seamus Heaney **, and guess the emotion behind it: -
"The bloody light.
To hell with it.
Close eyes and concentrate.
Not crown of thorns, not suptre reed,
Or Herod's court, but ha!
You had it! A, harrowing, yes, in hell:
The hackle spikes
That Plato told of..."
(Confused thoroughly? Don't worry; Heaney has that effect sometimes on unsuspecting minds!)
If you are sensitized to raw emotion now, of the negative variety, it is this that Ghoshal speaks about... an ineffable mix of anger, hatred, shame, fear - all in a heady cocktail... which actually empowered Philips Electronics to make a come back in 1990 when their new CEO took over and subjected the company to a shock therapy by saying, "This is a fight - not a game!" ***. Now, don't sue me - this strategy of shocking a complacent or lethargic company into performance is called, "Slaying the dragon".
Mind you, a lethargic company is very different from a complacent one. Both share low energy levels but there is a subtle difference. The lethargic has negative quality and low intensity of energy level. The complacent one has positive quality and low intensity of energy. And both are equally bad for the tummy.
So what does the doc advise?
A magic potion consisting of enthusiasm, energy and enjoyment in winning the performance goals - like Sony Corp, constantly reinventing itself. This is called - "Winning the Princess" - by making the vision everyone's dream! Herein, both the quality and intensity of energy levels in the organization are very positive and high.
Or, surprise, surprise... try anger and competition with that fierce passion bordering on the negative... that is what Oracle follows - "Slaying the dragon" - with high levels of negative energy getting unleashed.
There is no judgment herein. The druid knows that what is good for Asterix need not be good for Obelix. After all didn't someone fall in a certain something even before he could walk? So, go ahead, say the Gurus. Move from Resignation Zone to Passion Zone. And kick off those wreath of past laurels while you are huffing into the Aggression Zone from your erstwhile Comfort Zone. Try anything to get your company out of that low energy, inertia ridden apathy it is floundering under... either kill dragons or win the princess... but for Chrissake, get moving!
Obviously, it will all depend on the leaders at the helm. Whether they are naturally Charming or Growling. The management proclivities, along with the history of the company and the environment, will decide if the company goes in for unleashing negative energies or positive ones. Either way, the Prince gets the kingdom. The only difference is the emotion with which he wins the girl. Very enthusiastic and peppy! And very pleasant.
Thus illustrated by Victor Hugo *: -
"To do everything on an astonishing scale,
To be a combined Rabelais-Michaelangelo,
That's what the Lord is like, and I just accept it."
Let us bow before the memory of Sumantra Ghoshal
I seriously have to check with my kid. Did Prince Charming really kill the dragon and save the princess? The Charming One, if I remember right, had this irritating habit of running after women with a single glass slipper - trying to fit that singular framework to every foot in the kingdom... must have studied management for graduation. Anyway, the late Sumantra Ghoshal (along with Heike Bruch) had, in a very interesting article, pointed to the possibilities of slaying the dragon and saving the princess - as fine corporate strategies *.
Before exploring the beautiful analogies coined by the gifted minds, let us ponder on emotions. For it is about emotions - raw, pulsating and pounding - that Ghoshal et al speak about in their article. And the art of tapping and redirecting it to the desired destination, in a corporate setting.
Well, for a sensitivity test, check out this stunner by Seamus Heaney **, and guess the emotion behind it: -
"The bloody light.
To hell with it.
Close eyes and concentrate.
Not crown of thorns, not suptre reed,
Or Herod's court, but ha!
You had it! A, harrowing, yes, in hell:
The hackle spikes
That Plato told of..."
(Confused thoroughly? Don't worry; Heaney has that effect sometimes on unsuspecting minds!)
If you are sensitized to raw emotion now, of the negative variety, it is this that Ghoshal speaks about... an ineffable mix of anger, hatred, shame, fear - all in a heady cocktail... which actually empowered Philips Electronics to make a come back in 1990 when their new CEO took over and subjected the company to a shock therapy by saying, "This is a fight - not a game!" ***. Now, don't sue me - this strategy of shocking a complacent or lethargic company into performance is called, "Slaying the dragon".
Mind you, a lethargic company is very different from a complacent one. Both share low energy levels but there is a subtle difference. The lethargic has negative quality and low intensity of energy level. The complacent one has positive quality and low intensity of energy. And both are equally bad for the tummy.
So what does the doc advise?
A magic potion consisting of enthusiasm, energy and enjoyment in winning the performance goals - like Sony Corp, constantly reinventing itself. This is called - "Winning the Princess" - by making the vision everyone's dream! Herein, both the quality and intensity of energy levels in the organization are very positive and high.
Or, surprise, surprise... try anger and competition with that fierce passion bordering on the negative... that is what Oracle follows - "Slaying the dragon" - with high levels of negative energy getting unleashed.
There is no judgment herein. The druid knows that what is good for Asterix need not be good for Obelix. After all didn't someone fall in a certain something even before he could walk? So, go ahead, say the Gurus. Move from Resignation Zone to Passion Zone. And kick off those wreath of past laurels while you are huffing into the Aggression Zone from your erstwhile Comfort Zone. Try anything to get your company out of that low energy, inertia ridden apathy it is floundering under... either kill dragons or win the princess... but for Chrissake, get moving!
Obviously, it will all depend on the leaders at the helm. Whether they are naturally Charming or Growling. The management proclivities, along with the history of the company and the environment, will decide if the company goes in for unleashing negative energies or positive ones. Either way, the Prince gets the kingdom. The only difference is the emotion with which he wins the girl. Very enthusiastic and peppy! And very pleasant.
Thus illustrated by Victor Hugo *: -
"To do everything on an astonishing scale,
To be a combined Rabelais-Michaelangelo,
That's what the Lord is like, and I just accept it."
Let us bow before the memory of Sumantra Ghoshal
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Importance of Management Education in India
India and the Indians have undergone a paradigm shift. There have been fundamental and irreversible changes in the economy, government policies, outlook of business and industry, and in the mindset of the Indians in general.
* From a shortage economy of food and foreign exchange, India has now become a surplus one.
* From an agro based economy, India has emerged as a service oriented one.
* From the low-growth of the past, the economy has become a high-growth one in the long-term.
* Having been an aid recipient, India is now joining the aid givers club.
* Although India was late and slow in modernization of industry in general in the past, it is now a front-runner in the emerging Knowledge based New Economy.
* The Government is continuing its reform and liberalization not out of compulsion but out of conviction.
* Indian companies are no longer afraid of Multinational Companies. They have become globally competitive and many of them have become MNCs themselves.
* Fatalism and contentment of the Indian mindset have given way to optimism and ambition.
* Introvert and defensive approach have been replaced by outward-looking and confident attitude.
* In place of denial and sacrifice, the Indian value system has started recognizing seeking of satisfaction and happiness.
* The Indian culture, which looked down upon wealth as a sin and believed in simple living and high thinking, has started recognizing prosperity and success as acceptable and necessary goals.
* Indian management graduates no longer queue up for safe government jobs. They prefer and enjoy the challenges and risks of becoming entrepreneurs and global players in the emerging private sectors.
Stable country and institutions
* India being a largest democracy with stable, mature, vibrant and exemplary democratic governance and institutions, boasts lots of quality B-Schools attracting intellect student community in large number every year.
* Possess strong and transparent legal and accounting system.
* Numerous watchful and proactive NGOs.
* Free, vocal, alert and quality media. 5600 dailies with a combined circulation of 60 million, nearly 15000 weeklies and 20000 periodicals in 21 regional languages.
* Legal protection for intellectual property rights.
Consumer market
* Large and growing market of 1 billion people out of which 300 million are middle class consumers.
* India offers a vibrant market of youth and vigor with 54% of population below 25 years of age. These young people will work harder, earn more and demand more from the market and thereby sustaining growth in the long-term.
* Every month, there is an addition of one million cell phone subscribers. By December 2005, the total number is expected to reach 100 million. The domestic demand is expected to double over the ten-year period from 1998 to 2007. The number of households with "high income" is expected to increase by 60% in the next four years to 44 million households.
Economy
* India is a fastest growing economy that the developed nations always looking the country as a best global market to market the products. The fundamentals of the Indian economy have become strong and sustainable. The macro-economic indicators are at present the best in the history of independent India with high growth, foreign exchange reserves, and foreign investment and robust increase in exports and low inflation and interest rates.
* India is the second fastest growing economy of the world at present.
* A unique feature of the transition of the Indian economy has been high growth with stability. The Indian economy has proved its strength and resilience when there have been crises in other parts of the world including Asia in recent years.
* The interest rate continues to be reduced and is around 6%. This is the lowest in the last thirty years and this is stimulating consumption and investment.
Agriculture
* One of the world's largest food producers (600 million tones).
* World's largest producer of milk, sugarcane and tea.
* Second largest exporter of rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables. India produces 30 million tones of fruits and 59 million tones of vegetables.
Industry
* Diversified and large industrial base, which is becoming globally competitive. Examples, Tata Steel and NALCO are the lowest cost manufacturers of steel and aluminium in the world. Moser Baer is one of the top three manufacturers of CD Roms in the world. Bharat Forge is one of the leading suppliers to auto giants, such as Ford, General Motors, and Toyota.
* India's Hero Honda is the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer with 2002 production of 1.7 million units.
* The Indian companies have drawn up ambitious plans for expanding and diversifying their manufacturing activities with about 12 billion dollars in the next three years. Most of the companies have been able to generate the funds from their own operations. The areas whose output is being scaled up are automobiles, auto parts, metals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
* Some of the Indian companies have gone global with presence in 60 countries, including USA, Europe and China. India is one of the top ten producers of bulk drugs in the world and 60% of India's bulk drugs production is exported. India has the highest number of annual bulk drugs filings (77) with USFDA. India is home to the largest number of pharma plants (61) approved by USFDA outside US.
* The chemical industry is becoming competitive and has very high growth potential for production for local market as well as exports. Bayer AG, the German chemical and pharmaceutical company has identified India as the outsourcing hub for basic and specialty chemicals.
* There are 150 biotechnology companies whose business is growing exponentially.
* The auto parts industry has emerged as one of the country's fastest-growing manufacturing sectors; this is expected to reach US$ 8 billion in 2006. 'Bharat Forge' of India is the world's largest manufacturer of front axles for trucks. India has emerged as an outsourcing center for auto parts. Visteon and Delphi, the world's largest component manufacturers have entered India for production. Toyota is opening a transmission parts unit in India. Volvo and GM have set up purchasing offices. A rising share of Indian auto parts exports goes to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
* India is the second largest cement producer in the world with 110 million tons.
* India is the world's premier center for diamond cutting and polishing. Nine out of every 10 stones old in the world pass through India.
* India has a large entertainment industry, which produces more than 1,000 movies per year overshadowing Hollywood.
* From a shortage economy of food and foreign exchange, India has now become a surplus one.
* From an agro based economy, India has emerged as a service oriented one.
* From the low-growth of the past, the economy has become a high-growth one in the long-term.
* Having been an aid recipient, India is now joining the aid givers club.
* Although India was late and slow in modernization of industry in general in the past, it is now a front-runner in the emerging Knowledge based New Economy.
* The Government is continuing its reform and liberalization not out of compulsion but out of conviction.
* Indian companies are no longer afraid of Multinational Companies. They have become globally competitive and many of them have become MNCs themselves.
* Fatalism and contentment of the Indian mindset have given way to optimism and ambition.
* Introvert and defensive approach have been replaced by outward-looking and confident attitude.
* In place of denial and sacrifice, the Indian value system has started recognizing seeking of satisfaction and happiness.
* The Indian culture, which looked down upon wealth as a sin and believed in simple living and high thinking, has started recognizing prosperity and success as acceptable and necessary goals.
* Indian management graduates no longer queue up for safe government jobs. They prefer and enjoy the challenges and risks of becoming entrepreneurs and global players in the emerging private sectors.
Stable country and institutions
* India being a largest democracy with stable, mature, vibrant and exemplary democratic governance and institutions, boasts lots of quality B-Schools attracting intellect student community in large number every year.
* Possess strong and transparent legal and accounting system.
* Numerous watchful and proactive NGOs.
* Free, vocal, alert and quality media. 5600 dailies with a combined circulation of 60 million, nearly 15000 weeklies and 20000 periodicals in 21 regional languages.
* Legal protection for intellectual property rights.
Consumer market
* Large and growing market of 1 billion people out of which 300 million are middle class consumers.
* India offers a vibrant market of youth and vigor with 54% of population below 25 years of age. These young people will work harder, earn more and demand more from the market and thereby sustaining growth in the long-term.
* Every month, there is an addition of one million cell phone subscribers. By December 2005, the total number is expected to reach 100 million. The domestic demand is expected to double over the ten-year period from 1998 to 2007. The number of households with "high income" is expected to increase by 60% in the next four years to 44 million households.
Economy
* India is a fastest growing economy that the developed nations always looking the country as a best global market to market the products. The fundamentals of the Indian economy have become strong and sustainable. The macro-economic indicators are at present the best in the history of independent India with high growth, foreign exchange reserves, and foreign investment and robust increase in exports and low inflation and interest rates.
* India is the second fastest growing economy of the world at present.
* A unique feature of the transition of the Indian economy has been high growth with stability. The Indian economy has proved its strength and resilience when there have been crises in other parts of the world including Asia in recent years.
* The interest rate continues to be reduced and is around 6%. This is the lowest in the last thirty years and this is stimulating consumption and investment.
Agriculture
* One of the world's largest food producers (600 million tones).
* World's largest producer of milk, sugarcane and tea.
* Second largest exporter of rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables. India produces 30 million tones of fruits and 59 million tones of vegetables.
Industry
* Diversified and large industrial base, which is becoming globally competitive. Examples, Tata Steel and NALCO are the lowest cost manufacturers of steel and aluminium in the world. Moser Baer is one of the top three manufacturers of CD Roms in the world. Bharat Forge is one of the leading suppliers to auto giants, such as Ford, General Motors, and Toyota.
* India's Hero Honda is the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer with 2002 production of 1.7 million units.
* The Indian companies have drawn up ambitious plans for expanding and diversifying their manufacturing activities with about 12 billion dollars in the next three years. Most of the companies have been able to generate the funds from their own operations. The areas whose output is being scaled up are automobiles, auto parts, metals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
* Some of the Indian companies have gone global with presence in 60 countries, including USA, Europe and China. India is one of the top ten producers of bulk drugs in the world and 60% of India's bulk drugs production is exported. India has the highest number of annual bulk drugs filings (77) with USFDA. India is home to the largest number of pharma plants (61) approved by USFDA outside US.
* The chemical industry is becoming competitive and has very high growth potential for production for local market as well as exports. Bayer AG, the German chemical and pharmaceutical company has identified India as the outsourcing hub for basic and specialty chemicals.
* There are 150 biotechnology companies whose business is growing exponentially.
* The auto parts industry has emerged as one of the country's fastest-growing manufacturing sectors; this is expected to reach US$ 8 billion in 2006. 'Bharat Forge' of India is the world's largest manufacturer of front axles for trucks. India has emerged as an outsourcing center for auto parts. Visteon and Delphi, the world's largest component manufacturers have entered India for production. Toyota is opening a transmission parts unit in India. Volvo and GM have set up purchasing offices. A rising share of Indian auto parts exports goes to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
* India is the second largest cement producer in the world with 110 million tons.
* India is the world's premier center for diamond cutting and polishing. Nine out of every 10 stones old in the world pass through India.
* India has a large entertainment industry, which produces more than 1,000 movies per year overshadowing Hollywood.
Sensex – The Dancing Beauty of Indian Stock Market
Introduction
'Sensex' the glamorous dancing beauty of traditional Indian stock market. In the recent past this glamorous stock market indicator dances aggressively. This paper is aimed at throwing lights on various factors that made our sensex baby to dance fast with lots of forward steps. Does the movement of Sensex or Nifty really mean any thing to the investors, fund managers, investment advisors, and last but not the least to the regulators? Do these numbers have any significance? Do they have any scientific basis? How does a layman understand these numbers? What exactly that goes into these numbers?
In recent years, indexes have come to the forefront owing to direct applications in finance in the form of index funds and index derivatives. Index derivatives allow people to cheaply alter their risk exposure to an index (hedging) and to implement forecasts about index movements (speculation). Hedging using index derivatives has become a central part of risk management in the modern economy. Securities market indexes have been constructed to give a quick answer to the question: What is the-market- doing?
What-the-Index-Means?
An index is a number, which measures the change in a set of values over a period of time. A stock index represents the change in value of a set of stocks, which constitute the index. More specifically, a stock index number is the current relative value of a weighted average of the prices of a pre-defined group of equities. It is a relative value because it is expressed relative to the weighted average of prices at some arbitrarily chosen starting date or base period. The starting value or base of the index is usually set to a number such as 100 or 1000.
Characteristics-of-a-good-Index
A good stock market index is one, which captures the behavior of the overall equity market.
It should represent the market; it should be well diversified and yet highly liquid.
Movements of the index should represent the returns obtained by "typical" portfolios in the country.
A market index is very important for its use
A market index is very important for its use of the following factors:
as a barometer for market behavior,
as a benchmark portfolio performance,
as an underlying in derivative instruments like index futures, and in passive fund management by index funds
Every-stock-price-moves-for-two-possible-reasons:
1. News about the company (e.g. a product launch, or the closure of a factory)
2. News about the country (e.g. nuclear bombs, or a budget announcement)
The job of an index is to purely capture the second part, the movements of the stock market as a whole (i.e. news about the country). This is achieved by averaging. Each stock contains a mixture of two elements - stock news and index news. When we take an average of returns on many stocks, the individual stock news tends to cancel out and the only thing left is news that is common to all stocks.
Sensex Watch – January 2005 to July 2005
If you look at the sensex movement from January 2005 to July 2005, it looks smart & cute.
The market had responded well to all the qualitative and quantitative news and has capitalized in a good shape.
Here comes the core part of this paper, which indicates various factors that had been a reason for sensex movement:
SENSEX MOVEMENT IDENTIFICATION FACTORS
Period
Remarks on the Market / Sensex
Quarter - 4
(Jan'05 to Mar'05)
Heavy selling pressure continued.
Threat of inflation.
Hike in interest rate.
Dollar was strong.
Slowdown in foreign fund flow.
High international crude oil price.
Q-3 results of corporates.
Good buy in cement, auto, bank and IT segment.
Quota system was introduced in Textile industry.
IPO size of over Rs.4500 crore hit the primary market.
Increase in FDI capital in telecom industry – 74%
US Poll results – IT in favour.
Govt. clears autonomy package for PSU banks.
Govt. allows 100% FDI in construction sector.
Mergers like: Dabur-Balsara, Mahindra-Renault etc.,
Quarter - 1
(April'05 to June'05)
Implementation of VAT.
Special Economic Zone Bill 2005.
Huge investment by FII's – because in expectation of interest rate cut in US.
Announcement of banking reforms on – acquisition, revision of SLR and CRR & rising of dividend ceiling.
FY-05 NP increased for most of premium companies.
Mid cap companies too showed a high positive results in their previous FY.
During month May'05 the Sensex raised upto 468 points.
Quarter - 1
(April'05 to June'05)
Sensex sets new record at 7178 in the beginning of June'05.
Ambani brothers settlement.
Stronger money flow started.
FII's restarts pumping investment in to Indian stock market.
Mutual Funds did a good business.
IT export growth expected @ 30%
Monsoon sets in India.
PSU banks and Private banks performed well.
July 2005
Corporate governance issue of Reliance Company.
Strong FII's inflows.
RBI released the BOP data for 2004-05.
Banking stocks were in the limelight.
YES bank listed its share on July 12th.
India and US agrees to 8 major initiatives.
Tax Protocol comes into effect on August 1st so that Indian companies can access Singapore technology at lower cost.
China finds Indian cotton yarn attractive. Textile companies finds a good time.
ICICI bank enters and exits NTPC.
Profit making PSU's to get more financial autonomy.
Conclusion
"Speed of the stock market index is the speed of the economy" a new saying, the author have coined.
Within 7 months time the sensex has crossed the benchmark – all time high more than 7500 points.
This shows the potential of Indian Capital Market to react positively to the market news, which are genuine and which also fetches good returns even to naïve investors.
Let us all hope that the Sexy Sensex should cross sooner 8000 mark. The author and his team positively believes in this.
'Sensex' the glamorous dancing beauty of traditional Indian stock market. In the recent past this glamorous stock market indicator dances aggressively. This paper is aimed at throwing lights on various factors that made our sensex baby to dance fast with lots of forward steps. Does the movement of Sensex or Nifty really mean any thing to the investors, fund managers, investment advisors, and last but not the least to the regulators? Do these numbers have any significance? Do they have any scientific basis? How does a layman understand these numbers? What exactly that goes into these numbers?
In recent years, indexes have come to the forefront owing to direct applications in finance in the form of index funds and index derivatives. Index derivatives allow people to cheaply alter their risk exposure to an index (hedging) and to implement forecasts about index movements (speculation). Hedging using index derivatives has become a central part of risk management in the modern economy. Securities market indexes have been constructed to give a quick answer to the question: What is the-market- doing?
What-the-Index-Means?
An index is a number, which measures the change in a set of values over a period of time. A stock index represents the change in value of a set of stocks, which constitute the index. More specifically, a stock index number is the current relative value of a weighted average of the prices of a pre-defined group of equities. It is a relative value because it is expressed relative to the weighted average of prices at some arbitrarily chosen starting date or base period. The starting value or base of the index is usually set to a number such as 100 or 1000.
Characteristics-of-a-good-Index
A good stock market index is one, which captures the behavior of the overall equity market.
It should represent the market; it should be well diversified and yet highly liquid.
Movements of the index should represent the returns obtained by "typical" portfolios in the country.
A market index is very important for its use
A market index is very important for its use of the following factors:
as a barometer for market behavior,
as a benchmark portfolio performance,
as an underlying in derivative instruments like index futures, and in passive fund management by index funds
Every-stock-price-moves-for-two-possible-reasons:
1. News about the company (e.g. a product launch, or the closure of a factory)
2. News about the country (e.g. nuclear bombs, or a budget announcement)
The job of an index is to purely capture the second part, the movements of the stock market as a whole (i.e. news about the country). This is achieved by averaging. Each stock contains a mixture of two elements - stock news and index news. When we take an average of returns on many stocks, the individual stock news tends to cancel out and the only thing left is news that is common to all stocks.
Sensex Watch – January 2005 to July 2005
If you look at the sensex movement from January 2005 to July 2005, it looks smart & cute.
The market had responded well to all the qualitative and quantitative news and has capitalized in a good shape.
Here comes the core part of this paper, which indicates various factors that had been a reason for sensex movement:
SENSEX MOVEMENT IDENTIFICATION FACTORS
Period
Remarks on the Market / Sensex
Quarter - 4
(Jan'05 to Mar'05)
Heavy selling pressure continued.
Threat of inflation.
Hike in interest rate.
Dollar was strong.
Slowdown in foreign fund flow.
High international crude oil price.
Q-3 results of corporates.
Good buy in cement, auto, bank and IT segment.
Quota system was introduced in Textile industry.
IPO size of over Rs.4500 crore hit the primary market.
Increase in FDI capital in telecom industry – 74%
US Poll results – IT in favour.
Govt. clears autonomy package for PSU banks.
Govt. allows 100% FDI in construction sector.
Mergers like: Dabur-Balsara, Mahindra-Renault etc.,
Quarter - 1
(April'05 to June'05)
Implementation of VAT.
Special Economic Zone Bill 2005.
Huge investment by FII's – because in expectation of interest rate cut in US.
Announcement of banking reforms on – acquisition, revision of SLR and CRR & rising of dividend ceiling.
FY-05 NP increased for most of premium companies.
Mid cap companies too showed a high positive results in their previous FY.
During month May'05 the Sensex raised upto 468 points.
Quarter - 1
(April'05 to June'05)
Sensex sets new record at 7178 in the beginning of June'05.
Ambani brothers settlement.
Stronger money flow started.
FII's restarts pumping investment in to Indian stock market.
Mutual Funds did a good business.
IT export growth expected @ 30%
Monsoon sets in India.
PSU banks and Private banks performed well.
July 2005
Corporate governance issue of Reliance Company.
Strong FII's inflows.
RBI released the BOP data for 2004-05.
Banking stocks were in the limelight.
YES bank listed its share on July 12th.
India and US agrees to 8 major initiatives.
Tax Protocol comes into effect on August 1st so that Indian companies can access Singapore technology at lower cost.
China finds Indian cotton yarn attractive. Textile companies finds a good time.
ICICI bank enters and exits NTPC.
Profit making PSU's to get more financial autonomy.
Conclusion
"Speed of the stock market index is the speed of the economy" a new saying, the author have coined.
Within 7 months time the sensex has crossed the benchmark – all time high more than 7500 points.
This shows the potential of Indian Capital Market to react positively to the market news, which are genuine and which also fetches good returns even to naïve investors.
Let us all hope that the Sexy Sensex should cross sooner 8000 mark. The author and his team positively believes in this.
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