Greatest philanthropist

Warren Edward Buffett, often called the "Sage of Omaha" or the "Oracle of Omaha", is an American investor, businessperson and philanthropist.With an estimated current net worth of around US$52 billion, he was ranked by Forbes as the third-richest person in the world as of September 2007, behind Carlos Slim and Bill Gates.In June 2006, he made a commitment to give away his fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.The donation amounts to approximately $30 billion. Buffett's donation is said to be the largest in U.S. history. At the time of the announcement the donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation.

Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:

• He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
• He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
• He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha , that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
• He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
• He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
• His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules.Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money.Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
• He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
• Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
• Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

His advice to young people:

"Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:
A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen them, but do what you feel good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which u feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on them who really in need rather.
F. After all it's your life then why give chance to others to rule our life."

The Most Beautiful Black Man Alive

"Blood Diamond” hunk and two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou was revealed to be “The Most Beautiful Black Man Alive”.

Well, in the professional opinion of “Access Hollywood’s” newest entertainment program, “TV One Access,” anyway!

During its premiere, which aired last night, the hosts of “TV One Access,” Shaun Robinson and Jamal Munnerlyn, took their viewers through a countdown of the top 10 sexiest black stars. The selection of actors and singers were picked not only for their steller physiques, but also for the gracious way they conduct themselves in their day-to-day lives.

“It certainly wasn’t easy selecting this handful of men out of the millions of beautiful brothers out there,” Monique Chenault, senior producer of “TV One Access” said, “but someone had to do it.”

“American Gangster” thug and two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington was named the second Most Beautiful Black Man, followed by wrestler-turned-“The Game Plan”-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Austrian-born “Madea’s Family Renunion” actor Boris Kodjoe took fourth place, followed by Hollywood hotshot Will Smith in the No. 5 spot.

Washington’s “American Gangster” rival, English actor Idris Elba, came in at No. 6 while “Dirty Sexy Money” honey Blair Underwood was voted the seventh “Most Beautiful Black Man.”

Rounding off the list in eighth place was “Private Practice” actor Taye Diggs, rapper L.L. Cool J in ninth and finally, “Crimnal Minds” actor Shemar Moore, who landed in the No. 10 spot.

Oxymorons Top 45

45. Act naturally
44. Found missing
43. Resident alien
42. Advanced BASIC
41. Genuine imitation
40. Airline Food
39. Good grief
38. Same difference
37. Almost exactly
36. Government organization
35. Sanitary landfill
34. Alone together
33. Legally drunk
32. Silent scream
31. Living dead
30. Small crowd
29. Business ethics
28. Soft rock
27. Butt head
26. Military intelligence
25. Software documentation
24. New classic
23. Sweet sorrow
22. Child Proof
21. "Now, then "
20. Synthetic natural gas
19. Passive aggression
18. Taped live
17. Clearly misunderstood
16. Peace force
15. Extinct life
14. Temporary tax increase
13. Computer jock
12. Plastic glasses
11. Terribly pleased
10. Computer security
9. Political science
8. Tight slacks
7. Definite maybe
6. Pretty ugly
5. Twelve-ounce pound cake
4. Diet ice cream
3. Working vacation
2. Exact estimate

And the number 1 oxymoron is..

Peace loving communist

Goodbye office ;-)

How nice it would be if we don’t have to wake up early and rush amidst the hectic traffic to the office. It’s the new trend that’s catching up now, which is not going late to office or bunking it altogether no no no. Its virtual assistance the new way to earn right from your home, it is a professional service of remote administrative office by an independent contractor called a virtual assistant(VA) who works with clients in an ongoing, collaborative professional relationship.
Its pretty simple, all you have to do is get yourself a PC and broadband connection then make your skill a service available to the needy. You can provide administrative services, answer fitness queries, help students with their homework; the choice depends on the skill you possess. The huge benefit of this is you can decide the working hours and arrange it according to your convenience, not to mention escaping your grumpy boss and taking holidays as long as you wish.
To start off the single-most important qualification to become a virtual assistant is at least five years administrative experience earned in the real (non-virtual) business world working in occupations such as administrative assistant, executive assistant, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, office manager, etc.From this level of experience, a VA is expected to possess the superior skill sets, training and business knowledge which are the hallmark of a truly qualified virtual assistant. You can also register into VA organizations and business directories which will put you through prospective clients.
A VA can earn upto 400-500 per hr or even more based on his recognition and qualification. There are about 8000-10000 VAs in the world, in India the number is small but its steadily growing since the services are cheaper than abroad.Though its all enticing to hear some facts are also to be considered, by becoming a VA he will be losing the status of an employee which provides job security, pension, and health concessions on job. But still many professionals are turning into virtual assistants for the convenience it provides and the ease of work and independence.

Lets all hope for a new work experience….

www.va4business.com
www.ivaa.org
www.virtualassistantforums.com
www.vadirectory.net

Watch it!!!

Time is said to be precious but these beauties are simply luxurious......



The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch for men features an 18K gold case and bracelet. The Royal Oak watch has automatic movement. Price: $24,800, though some Royal Oaks are priced as high as $599,400.





The Blancpain Tourbillon Rattrapante Chronograph watch (model 218-9F1-3427-0001) features automatic winding and comes in a limited series of 99 pieces. The casing and band are platinum. The face features a white dial with white Roman numerals and a window to view the tourbillon escapement. The retail price is $132,000.



The Franck Muller Curvex Tourbillon Imperiale Watch (model L133368) features an 18K gold case and a bracelet buckle. The blue tourbillon dial has luminous numbers. With manually-wound mechanical movement and a hand-stitched blue leather strap this lists at $87,663.



The Datograph by Lange watch (model 403.035) is another highly coveted Lange & Söhne series. This model is in platinum, with Calibre L951.1 movement. It also features a manually wound chronograph, with flyback, and precise jumping minute counter, under a sapphire-crystal glass and caseback. This lists for $49,600.




The Patek Philippe Grand Complications Mens Watch (model 5036/1J) comes in an 18K yellow gold case and bracelet. It features day, month, moon phase and power reserve indicator sub dials. It has a see-through sapphire crystal back with self-winding automatic movement. This limited production series model has a list price of $34,200.

Looks great to admire but u must have hit upon a huge fortune to own them. The interesting fact is that their price tag doesnt stop them from being purchased,the swiss watch exports enjoyed a sustained growth in 2006 with demand remaining stronger for luxury products and even in September 2007 the value of Swiss watch exports amounted to 1.327 billion francs.Really there are must be a whole bunch of millionaires out there who could afford them, but there are a lot more ways to spend it worthwhile instead of just owning a fancy metal piece.With more the money,responsiblities should also increase,we can also share it with the less fortunate than throw it away in unimportant trivials.Luxury is not a necessity,its all in our minds to choose the right thing.

Amazing anagrams

Da Vinci Code tops the list among the few books i have read so far.Everyone should have loved the way Dan Brown used anagrams to reveal the secret about the Tomb of Mary Magdalene and i am no exception.I wondered how Dan Brown created such powerful anagrams like "O,Draconian Devil,Oh Lame Saint!" and "so dark the con of man" and went on to try Google as usual where i found some interesting anagrams.Here are few,

• Dormitory == Dirty Room
• Desperation == A Rope Ends It
• The Morse Code == Here Come Dots
• Slot Machines == Cash Lost in 'em
• Animosity == Is No Amity
• Snooze Alarms == Alas! No More Z's
• Alec Guinness == Genuine Class
• Semolina == Is No Meal
• The Public Art Galleries == Large Picture Halls, I Bet
• A Decimal Point == I'm a Dot in Place
• The Earthquakes == That Queer Shake
• Eleven plus two == Twelve plus one
• Contradiction == Accord not in it
• A Telephone Girl == Repeating "Hello"
• Debit card == Bad credit
• Dame Agatha Christie == I am a death case, right?
• Conversation == Voices rant on
• Heavy rain == Hire a Navy
• Statue of Liberty == Built to stay free
• Stone Age == Stage One
• Tony Blair == Only a Brit
• Hansie Cronje ==A sincere John
• George Bush== He bugs Gore
• Madonna Louise Ciccone == Occasional nude income
• William Shakespeare == I am a weakish speller
• The meaning of life == The fine game of nil
• Acorn Computers == Crap on customer
• Osama Bin Laden == Old man in a base==A damn alien S.O.B
• President Saddam Hussein == Dispensed human disaster
• The best things in life are free==Nail-biting refreshes the feet
• The Oprah Winfrey Show == Oh wow! Fine hyper-trash!
• Whitehouse Intern Miss Monica Samille Lewinsky == Hey! William Clinton arouses me. Hi! I'm Ken's witness!
• William Clinton == An ill clown: I'm it

Also i found out that Dan Brown used a software called "Anagram Genius" for creating his masterpiece.I downloaded it and tried out for my name and my hero.The best result i got was

• prabhu == Ah!Burp
• Sachin Tendulkar == And i lack the runs (u got to be kiddin)

Try out this software and do share the anagrams you found.
Note its a trail version.
Download:

Click here

Its festival time

As we are celebrating diwali down here we are not the only one's celebrating festivals in this month there's a whole bunch of others around the world.As they say smile and the world smiles with you
and if you celebrate again you are not the only one

The Ellerslie International Flower Show,New Zealand.
Every year, for five days during November, the grounds of Auckland's Botanical Gardens in Manurewa are transformed into a plant paradise with thousands of glorious blooms, a selection of spectacular show gardens and some of the finest examples of horticultural excellence in the world.


Elephant Polo World Championships,Nepal
Elephant Polo, the world's unique sport, which has been there for twenty-five years yet remains so novel and still like a big tale to many as it remains yet to be discovered. Yes, the long journey of the great elephants, their admirers and this grand game is reaching its twenty-fifth year in coming November 26th. The silver jubilee of World Elephant Polo is being celebrated at the famous ground of its origin, Meghauly with its regular host, Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge with yet another awe-inspiring tournament of World Elephant Polo.


Festival Internacional del Globo, Mexico
International Hot Air Balloon Festival Leon, Guanajuato, November 29 to December 2nd
The skies above Leon's Metropolitan Park will be host to at least 80 hot air balloons during this festival and there will be concerts, contests and exhibitions for all ages to enjoy.


Sionna Festival,
Sionna 2007 is the seventh in a series of annual festivals of traditional music taking place in Limerick city. The festival features music, song and dance from , song and dance, featuring performers from Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Scotland, USA, Rwanda, Lebanon, South Korea, and Kurdistan. Venues around Limerick host events, ranging from schools workshops to masterclasses, sessions, concerts and ceilís.Sionna is hosted by the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, under the directorship of Dr Mícheál Ó Súilleabhain.

am feeling sleepy

Messaging my friend late into night, finally falling into sleep to be woken up early next morning by mom, man wat a bad luck, sleep is very much an indispensable thing for me and i have quite a fan following for my rebellious sleepiness in classroom. Once even one of my lecturers mentioned me as an example, ha ha ha those were the days. Well talking bout sleep there are supposed to be two types of them, well its not snoring and nonsnoring, its rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
In REM, the brain is active and the body inactive, and this is when most dreaming occurs During REM sleep there is loss of skeletal muscle tone, and an active sympathetic nervous system. Also during REM sleep our muscles are paralyzed so that we don't act out our dreams. In NREM sleep, the body is active and the brain is inactive, and there is relatively little dreaming. Non-REM encompasses four stages; stages 1 and 2 are considered 'light sleep', and 3 and 4 'deep sleep'. They are differentiated slence, or "drowsy sleep".Sleep is a dynamic time of healing and growth for organisms. For example, during stages 3 and 4, or slow-wave sleep, growth hormone levels increase, and immune function changes.
Well the interesting stuff is sleep is considered to be related to learning, funny isn’t it how many times have we all been smacked for sleeping now check this out, Many studies demonstrate that a healthy sleep produces a significant learning dependent performance boost. Healthy sleep must include the appropriate sequence and proportion of NREM and REM phases, which play a different role in memory consolidation-optimization process. A study has also found that after sleep there is an increased insight, that is, a sudden gain of explicit knowledge. Thus during sleep the representation of new memories are restructured. Sleep has been directly linked to the grades of students, results have shown that those who sleep less do poorly.
The National Sleep Foundation maintains that eight to nine hours of sleep for adult humans is optimal and that sufficient sleep benefits alertness, memory and problem solving, and overall health, as well as reducing the risk of accidents.A widely publicized 2003 study performed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine demonstrated that cognitive performance declines with fewer than eight hours of sleep.now dats y i sleep so much ;-)

Generally, lack of sleep may result in
aching muscles;
blurred vision;
Cardiovascular disease;
clinical depression;
colorblindness;
daytime drowsiness and naps;
decreased mental activity and concentration;
depersonalization/derealization;
weakened immune system;
dizziness;
dark circles under the eyes;
fainting;
general confusion;
hallucinations;
hand tremors;
headache;
hernia;
hyperactivity;
hypertension;
impatience;
irritability;
Lucid dreaming (once sleep resumes);
memory lapses or loss;
nausea;
nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement);
psychosis;
pallor;
slowed reaction time;
slurred and/or nonsensical speech;
weight loss or gain;
severe yawning;
symptoms similar to:
Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder;
Alcoholic Intoxication.

sleep deprivation severely affects the human body's ability to metabolize glucose, which can lead to early-stage Diabetes.Sleep deprivation can adversely affect brain function, it also suppresses growth hormone,also obesity

If u wanna stay healthy just sleep off,sweet dreams

A place called Akhnur

Having a younger sibling is such a tedious job doing record work,math,writing down essay and watching them relax with music while we are sweating it out for them. so while i was fervently doing the map work i hit upon this place,akhnur. Now i dint know there is a place in India with such a name so decided to dig-in. And in the google search page the first link i found for this tag was why pakistan lost akhnur?, pretty interesting right, things happen like this sometimes.
okay now coming back on this place.As we all know bout the Pakistani's trying to capture kashmir the day since independence and the many wars that have been waged for this cause, the war of 1965 which is considered as the second war of kashmir was a great loss for Pakistan, though at the strategic level they were far superior, the poor implementation of the plan and the miscalculations of the military personnel lead it to a tactical draw which it turned out to be.
Akhnur, is a town north-east of Jammu and a key region for communications between Kashmir and the rest of India. Operation Grand Slam was part of the war and was four phased; the capture of Chamb, the crossing of river Tawi and consolidation, followed by the capture of Akhnur, and finally severing the Indian lines of communication and capturing Rajauri.
The situation with Akhnur in Pakistani hands would have been disastrous for India. Perhaps if Akhnur had been captured and the Indian lines of communication severed, the Indian attack on Sialkot could never have occurred! Perhaps. But that we will never know. What we do know is that Akhnur was never captured and this led us into the attack on Lahore and later Sialkot in the wee hours of September 6 1965.
But the war of 1965 saw some excellent strategic planning in pakistan's military the initial thrust in akhnur and with superior technology they could ve caused considerable loss to India. well all that was history, though, still there has been no positive conclusion between the two countries and tension is remaining near LOC. With the present pakistani leader's liking for military uniform things don seem bright in the near future. Anyway who knows what might happen,but i never though that doing my sister's homework could lead to so much warfare.

Alonso quits Mclaren

McLaren have announced that former world champion Fernando Alonso is to leave the team, after both parties agreed to a ‘mutual parting of ways’. Alonso, who joined the British squad from Renault at the start of 2007, did have two years left to run on his contract.

The statement released on Friday revealed that, after discussions, it had been decided ‘it would be in the best interests of both parties to bring the relationship to an end’.

Although Alonso won four races during the 2007 season, and finished third in the championship battle, relations between the Spaniard and McLaren had become increasingly strained in recent months.
“He is a great driver but for some reason the combination of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Fernando has not really worked out, and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward," explained McLaren team principal Ron Dennis. "We all believe that our joint decision to part company is for the best, and we will now continue to focus on our 2008 world championship challenge.

“Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, especially McLaren’s Spanish Partners Banco Santander and Mutua Madrilena and the team’s title partner Vodafone, want to wish Fernando all the best for the future,”

For his part, Alonso said that, although he never really felt at home at McLaren, he still believed they were a great squad.

“Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out," explained the 26 year-old. "I continue to believe that McLaren is a great team. Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra-challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home.

“I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle, but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win. Today’s decision allows all of us to focus on 2008, and I wish the team, Vodafone, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrilena and all the other team partners who I have worked closely with during the year, the best for the future.”

The team also revealed that an announcement on Alonso’s replacement would be made in due course.

Lavigne takes MTV awards double

Pop star Avril Lavigne and band Muse each took home two honours at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Munich, Germany.

Lavigne was named best solo artist and her song, Girlfriend, was voted the most addictive track.

Muse also scooped two awards for best UK and Ireland act and best headline act. The ultimate urban prize went to R&B star Rihanna.

Amy Winehouse, who sang Back To Black, took the Artist Choice gong which is an award chosen by fellow musicians.

'Babyshambles philosophy'

Winehouse was a last-minute addition to the bill for the ceremony.

Her win comes just weeks after the 24-year-old was arrested and fined in Norway for possession of cannabis.

In September she cancelled an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas while she received treatment for her various problems.

On accepting her award for best solo artist Lavigne said: "I'm so happy to be able to stand up here tonight and accept this award. It's an honour.

Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse performed her single, Back To Black

"It's an honour to have you guys all the way in Europe listening to my music. It's crazy."

Rapper Snoop Dogg hosted the event, which also featured live performances from Mika, Lavigne, My Chemical Romance and the Foo Fighters.

Pete Doherty, who was handed a suspended jail sentence on Monday over drug and motoring offences, also performed with his band Babyshambles.

"It's a whole turnaround in the Babyshambles philosophy," he told reporters on the red carpet, when asked to explain his band's punctuality for rehearsals.

Justin Timberlake, who won two awards last year, led the field with four nominations but failed to pick up any prizes this year.

Linkin Park won the award for best band of 2007 and German rock band, Tokio Hotel, took the prize for best international act.

Actor Jared Leto's group, 30 Seconds to Mars, took home the rock out gong and French duo, Justice, won the video star award for their track D.A.N.C.E.

Sharing something about Shares

1.What is a share ?
A share or stock is a document issued by a company, which entitles its holder to be one of the owners of the company. A share is issued by a company or can be purchased from the stock market.
By owning a share you can earn a portion and selling shares you get capital gain. So, your return is the dividend plus the capital gain. However, you also run a risk of making a capital loss if you have sold the share at a price below your buying price.

2.How does one trade in shares ?
Every transaction in the stock exchange is carried out through licensed members called brokers.
To trade in shares, you have to approach a broker However, since most stock exchange brokers deal in very high volumes, they generally do not entertain small investors. These brokers have a network of sub-brokers who provide them with orders.
The general investors should identify a sub-broker for regular trading in shares and place his order for purchase and sale through the sub-broker. The sub/broker will transmit the order to his broker who will then execute it .

3.What is a Demat Account ?
Demat refers to a dematerialised account.
Just as you have to open an account with a bank if you want to save your money, make cheque payments etc, you need to open a demat account if you want to buy or sell stocks.
So it is just like a bank account where actual money is replaced by shares.
You have to approach the DPs (remember, they are like bank branches), to open your demat account.
Let's say your portfolio of shares looks like this: 40 of Infosys, 25 of Wipro, 45 of HLL and 100 of ACC.
All these will show in your demat account.
So you don't have to possess any physical certificates showing that you own these shares. They are all held electronically in your account.
As you buy and sell the shares, they are adjusted in your account.
Just like a bank passbook or statement, the DP will provide you with periodic statements of holdings and transactions.

4.Is a demat account a must?
Nowadays, practically all trades have to be settled in dematerialised form.
Although the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has allowed trades of upto 500 shares to be settled in physical form, nobody wants physical shares any more.
So a demat account is a must for trading and investing.

5.Where do I begin?
Look for a DP to have an account with
Most banks are also DP participants, as are many brokers.
You can choose your very own DP.
To get a list, visit the NSDL and CDSL websites and see who the registered DPs are.
A broker is separate from a DP. A broker is a member of the stock exchange, who buys and sells shares on his behalf and on behalf of his clients.
A DP will just give you an account to hold those shares.
You do not have to take the same DP that your broker takes. You can choose your own.
But many brokers offer special incentives in the form of lower charges for opening demat accounts with their DPs.
Get your documents in place
Once you approach your DP, you will be guided through the formalities of opening an account.
You must fill up an account opening form and sign an agreement with your DP.
The DP will ask for some documents as proof of your identity and address.
Check with them what they require. For instance, some may accept a driver's license, others may not.
Here is a broad list (you won't need all of them though):
• PAN card
• Voter's ID
• Passport
• Ration card
• Driver's license
• Photo credit card
• Employee ID card
• Bank attestation
• IT returns
• Electricity/ Landline phone bill
While they only ask for photocopies of the documents, they will need the originals for verification.
You will have to submit a passport size photograph on which you sign across.
How many shares you need to have to open an account
When opening an account with a bank, you need a minimum balance.
Not so with a demat account. A demat account can be opened with no balance of shares.
And there is no minimum balance to be maintained either. You can have a zero balance in your account.

6.What will it cost?
The charges for account opening, annual account maintenance fees and transaction charges vary between DPs. To get a comparative idea, visit the websites of NSDL and CDSL.

7.Finally?
When you open an account, the DP will allot a unique BO ID (Beneficial Owner Identification) Number, which you need to quote for all future transactions.
If you want to sell your shares, you need to place an order with your broker and give a 'Delivery Instruction' to your DP.
The DP will debit your account with the number of shares sold. You will receive the payment from your broker.
If you want to buy shares, inform your broker about your Depository Account Number, so that the shares bought are credited into your account.

8.What is a Bull Market ?
Bull markets are movements in the stock market in which prices are rising and the consensus is that prices will continue moving upward. During this time, economic production is high, jobs are plentiful and inflation is low. Bear markets are the opposite--stock prices are falling, and the view is that they will continue falling. The economy will slow down, coupled with a rise in unemployment and inflation.

Hope U got some ideas about share market,Happy investing.