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Procedure to purchase Other State Vehicle in India

2011-10-28T01:13:00.007+05:30

Vendee needs to sumbit the following documents in RTO under whose jurisdiction Vehicle is going to be used:

RC (Registration Certificate).
NOC (i.e. Form 28) - Two copies - NOC should mention the RTO under whose jurisdiction Vendee will be registering the Vehicle.
Form 29 - Two copies - Needs to be signed by the Vendor [Here, signature should match with one on RC].
Form 30 - Needs to be signed by the Vendor [Here, signature should match with one on RC].
Insurance.
PUC (Pollution Under Control) receipt.
Xerox of ID Proof of Vendor.
Purchase Invoice.

If the Vendor has taken loan for the Vehicle, you may require Consent of Financier also (i.e. Form 35).

Form 29 and Form 30 can downloaded from: http://www.registrationdelhionline.com/Online/downloadable_forms.asp

Once the Vehicle is registered in the destination State, you can apply for refund of tax in the source state. RTO department returns the balance amount (after deducting the tax for the years which you stayed in the Source State) via cheque within a month. While applying for refund, you need to carry the following documents:

Proof that Vehicle is registered in Destination State: Registration Certificate of Destination State & Road Tax receipt of Destination State.
Form 'DT' (download from http://www.transportindia.in/pdfforms/form_dt.pdf)

Procedure for Transfer/Closure of EPF (Employee Provident Fund) Account in India

2011-10-28T00:53:00.005+05:30

Procedure for Closure of EPF Account in case of leaving service/retirement/termination:

After 60 days of separation, you need to submit the following to your previous employer for withdrawal.

Form 19 [download from http://epfindia.nic.in/downloads_forms.htm]
Form 10C [download from http://epfindia.nic.in/downloads_forms.htm]
Cancelled Cheque or Bank Statement

Then previous employer will place a request with the RPF (Regional Provident Fund) office. Once the forms are submitted in RPF office, it is between you and RPF office. In general, RPF office takes around 4 months to process your claim and credits the amount to the bank account mentioned in the Cancelled Cheque. Usually, RPF office sends a Account Payee Cheque to the banker and then banker deposits the cheque in your account.

RPF office won't deduct any taxes, since they will not know in which tax slab you fall. If you withdraw PF before 5 years, you are supposed to declare it during IT Returns filing and pay tax for the same.

If the PF account is dormant, you will not receive any interest from 3rd year onward. Till 3 years, you usually get 8% PA interest. Note that you can keep your PF account as long as you want.
Note that PF is for retirement purposes, not a very good idea withdrawing the same prematurely.

Procedure for transfer of EPF Account in case of leaving service:

You need to submit the following to your current employer for transfer. You need to submit 3 copies.

Form 13 [download from http://epfindia.nic.in/downloads_forms.htm]
Form 3A from Previous Employer [Optional]

When you submit the Form 13 to current employer, he will send it to the RPF office where your current EPF account is held. Then your current RPF office will send it to RPF office of your previous employer. Now, Previous Employer's RPF Office will initiate the transfer after confirming with Previous Employer. Here, if you submit Form 3A, RPF is not required to confirm with your previous employer, thus speeding-up the process.

If the transfer do not happen even after 6 months, you may want to file an online grievance with: http://epfigms.gov.in/

Psychiatrist vs. Psychologist

2010-06-17T22:48:00.000+05:30

The difference between the two mental health professional is in nature of treatment. Psychologist primarily aids the depressed patient by counseling and psychotherapy. A psychiatrist may also perform psychotherapy; but, in addition, can prescribe medications and perform ECT (electroconvulsive therapy).

Because psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe medications, and they spend much of their time with patients on medication management as a course of treatment. A psychiatrist is a Medical Doctor (M. D.). Psychologists are mental health professionals who hold a doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) and be called "doctor"; but, are not medical doctors (M. D.).

Psychologist's training and education includes graduate study for at least six years in human behavior, therapeutic treatment of emotional problems, theories of personality, psychological test construction and administration, experimental research, statistical analysis of data, as well as a clinical internship. Psychologists focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioral intervention. Psychologists are also qualified to conduct psychological testing, which is critical in assessing a person's mental state and determining the most effective course of treatment.

Income Tax India: Do we need to pay tax on Shares or Mutual Funds?

2010-06-17T21:55:00.011+05:30

Summary:

If you hold Shares or Mutual Funds for more than one year, no tax is payable. This is assuming STT(Securities Transaction Tax) is applied on all your stock market transactions.
If you did not hold Shares or Mutual Funds for one year, profit becomes part of gross total income and normal tax rate applicable. If you have purchased stocks through ESOP (Employee Stock Exchange Program), you are liable to pay tax on profit because don't pay STT while purchasing stocks.

What if you have received loss in sale of shares?

Capital loss (short-term or long-term) can be set off against ONLY capital gains (short-term or long-term). You can ensure carrying forward of loss on sale of shares by filing tax return in time. The loss left over after set-off, can be carried forward for eight years in the case of short term assets and for four years in the case of long term assets, for similar set-off.

Do we need to pay tax on Dividend received from MFs or Shares?

Dividend income (as referred u/s 115-O of the I.Tax Act) paid by Companies and Mutual Funds are exempt from tax. A 15% dividend distribution tax and surcharge of 3% is paid by companies before distribution. Equity mutual funds (with more than 65% of assets invested in equities) do not pay a dividend distribution tax, though other funds do. Liquid and Money Market funds pay 25% dividend distribution tax.01123

Details:

Definition of capital asset :

Capital Asset means all moveable or immovable property except trading goods, personal effects, agricultural land other than within municipal areas or within 8 kilometers from it wherever notified and gold bonds. Jewelry and ornament are not personal effects and their sale will attract capital gains.

Distinction between short term and long-term asset:

Capital Assets are of two types i.e., long term and short term. Long-term capital assets are assets held for more than 36 months before they are sold or transferred. In case of shares, debentures and mutual fund units the period of holding required is only 12 months. Different rates of tax apply for gains on transfer of the long term and short-term capital assets. Gains on short-term capital asset are taxed as regular income.

Computation of Capital Gains :

Capital gains are to be computed by deducting the following three amounts from the consideration money received on transfer of the asset.

i)     The actual cost of the asset or its estimated market value as on 1.4.81, if acquired earlier;
ii)    The cost of improvement, if any, for the asset;
iii)   Expenses incurred on transfer of the asset; and In case of a long-term capital asset, the costs are increased as per a Cost inflation index for the year.

Shares and Mutual Funds becomes 'long term capital assets' after one year of holding. Sale of such long term assets gives rise to 'long term capital gains'. As per 'Section 10(38) of Income Tax Act, 1961', long term capital gains on shares or securities or mutual funds on which Securities Transaction Tax (STT) has been deducted and paid, no tax is payable. STT has been applied on all stock market transactions since October 2004 but does not apply to off-market transactions and company buybacks; therefore, the higher capital gains taxes will apply to such transactions where STT is not paid.

For companies abroad, the tax liability is 20% of such gains suitably indexed (since STT is not paid).

All capital gains that are not long term are short term capital gains, which are taxed as such:

- Under section 111A, for shares or mutual funds where STT is paid, tax rate is 10% From Asst Yr 2005-06 as per Finance Act 2004. For Asst Yr 2009-10 the tax rate is 15%.
- In all other cases, it is part of gross total income and normal tax rate is applicable.

Exemptions from Capital Gains (such as sale of residential house) :

In case of Individuals and HUF, long-term capital gains are exempt if the sale proceeds are reinvested in certain assets.
Some examples:
A)        Profits on sale of residential house is reinvested in a new residential house.
B)         Long term capital gains are invested in notified bonds
These exemptions are subject to certain conditions and the reinvestment has to be made within the prescribed time.

FAQs from www.incometaxindia.gov.in about 'What if you have received loss in sale of shares?' :

WAT IS THE LAW ON SET OFF OF LOSS ON SALE OF SHARES?
    Capital loss - short-term or long-term, can be set off only against capital gains - again, short-term or long-term. Obviously would first offset capital loss against short-term gains as these are taxed at higher rates. Remember, capital loss cannot be set off against other income.

WHAT IS THE LAW ON CARRY FORWARD OF LOSS ON SALE OF SHARES?
    The loss left over after set-off, can be carried forward for eight years in the case of short term assets and for four years in the case of long term assets, for similar set-off.

HOW TO ENSURE CARRYING FORWARD OF LOSS ON SALE OF SHARES?
   By filing your tax return in time.

Further Information and References:
-----------------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_India
http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/general/computation.asp#c3
http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/publications/1_Compute_Your_Salary_Income/3_Income_from_capital_gains.asp

Setting up a Wireless Network (to access internet)

2010-03-19T18:07:00.005+05:30

If you are planning to setup wireless network at your home, you have following two ways:

1) Setup a Wireless Network with a router

Wireless router is connected to the internet via a modem. Wireless router enables computers within the range to connect to each other or internet.
Note that, computer is required to have Wireless Network Adapter to connect to wireless router. This could be one of the following. If you have a newer portable computer, you might already have wireless capabilities built in.

A wireless internal network card
USB network adapter
A wireless CardBus
CF network adapter.

Just follow the instructions specified in the following link to setup a Wireless Network.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/wireless.mspx

2) Setup a Wireless Network without a router

Without a wireless router, we can create Ad hoc wireless network. Here, one of the computers is designated to work as a router. The chosen computer which is to be designated as a router must already have a wired connection to the Internet.

This approach has following disadvantages:

If the computer connected to the Internet is shut down, all computers that are part of the ad hoc network lose their Internet access.
To connect to the Internet, one computer always needs a wired network connection.

Follow the instructions specified in the following link to setup a ad hoc wireless network:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx

Further Info:
http://it.toolbox.com/wiki/index.php/Setting_a_Wireless_Network_on_Windows_XP_server_without_using_a_router

Tips to guard your credit card

2009-08-31T19:44:00.015+05:30

I read one article today which talks about securing your credit card against fraudulent transactions. Following are some key points:

[Preventing Card Swipe Fraud:] The liability always lies with the merchant if he processes a fraudulent transaction without a second glance at the signature. Hence, always keep a photocopy of your credit card (along with the signature) to help you in case of disputed transactions which has to be reported within 60 days. If the signature on the charge slip mismatches with yours then the merchant has to bear the liability and you get your money back. Most card issuers have dispute forms either online or in their branches.
[Preventing Internet Fraud:] Online transactions require only the card number, validity date and the 3-digit CVV number printed on the reverse of the card. This three-digit number has to be kept confidential to prevent card misuse. Since cardholders often part with their cards during payments, the CVV number should be scratched off or masked with ink to prevent misuse.
Always subscribe to Mobile alerts available in the form of an SMS confirmation for credit card transactions which help you in checking frauds.
If you "lose" a credit card, you are liable for any fraudulent transaction unless you have covered this risk by signing up for an insurance cover.
In case the credit card is lose or stolen, you need to block the card by specifying its number so it may be good idea to memorize or note down the credit card number in some safe location.

References:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/3271503.cms

Camera modes and their purposes

2009-08-23T21:06:00.043+05:30

We can broadly divide the camera modes into following categories:

Automatic Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Night, Sports, Snow, Panoramic/stitch, Beach, etc
Semi Automatic Modes : Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Speed Priority (Tv), Program
Full Manual Modes : Manual

These modes help you control one or more of the camera controls like Aperture, Shutter Speed, Exposure, Flash and Focus. Apart from these modes, today's cameras have extra mechanisms like ISO speed and While balance.

Auto: Camera automatically chooses all the controls like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, focus and flash so as to help you get better picture. You may have option to control flash, etc in some cameras. This mode may give good results most of the time. Camera does guess work and sets the control based on it's analysis. You may get better results if you change the controls based on what type of snap you are looking for.

Portrait: Small aperture (Large f-number). Keeps the background out of focus. Focus only the object. Works best if you are close enough to the object either by zoom or standing closely.

Landscape: Large aperture. Ideal for capturing wide scenes. Objects of interest are at different distances from camera.

Sports: Increased shutter speed. Ideal for capture moving objects.

Night: Low shutter speed so that camera gets more time to capture the details. Also uses flash.

Macro: You can shoot small objects like flowers, insects, etc. Since you need to keep the camera at shorter distance from your subject, camera focus is restricted to small area. If you want make the background blurred, keep the background away from the object and just keep the focus object.

Super Macro: You can use 'Super Macro' if you can get close to the object. You may find the 'Super Macro' mode as difficult to use as it lacks the ability to zoom so you need to struggle to lock and focus. Best way is to use Macro mode and then zoom-in.

Aperture Priority: You have the choices of controlling aperture. Camera adjusts all the other controls like shutter speed, white balance, ISO etc., to help you get better image.

Shutter Priority: You have the choice of controlling shutter speed. Camera adjusts all other controls to help you get better image.

Program: This is nothing but Auto Mode with some extra controls like ISO speed, Flash, While balance, etc.

Manual: Gives you full control. You can control everything including and not limited to shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, focus and flash.

Photography - Basic concepts

2009-08-23T17:58:00.052+05:30

When you talk about photography, we basically have 3 controls : Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO speed.

Before we get into technical jargon.. let's understand Aperture, Shutter Speeed and ISO in simple terms..

Let's take look at the functioning of your Eye.. When you are in bright sunlight, eye lids come closer to reduce the amount of light that can go inside.. When you are inside dark movie theater, eye lids wide open.. This is behavior is nothing but controlling Aperture based on the need..

Let's say, you are looking directly at bright sun in the afternoon.. you would not able view the sun directly for longer.. if you do, you go blurred... so you look at sun for a while and then close your eye... so it's Shutter Speed that determine when to close your eye...

Now comes the ISO Speed.. Human's eye cannot see properly in the night but Cat can see in night.. Then we can say that Cat's ISO Speed (or Sensitivity) is more than Human's ISO Speed (or Sensitivity)..

Let's talk about camera functioning now..

Camera is box with a lens at one end and light sensitive film or digital sensor at the other end. A lens will have a diaphragm that opens and closes to allow the light to pass through. The amount of light which can be passed through lens is called "aperture".
When the light crosses this diaphragm, the shutter exposes this light to a digital film for consistent amount of time; the amount of time is determined by "shutter speed".
'ISO speed' determines the sensitivity of the digital sensor. The higher the ISO speed the faster the camera collects light but it also adds more noise to the photograph than the lower speeds. Increasing ISO speed is nothing but increasing processing speed of digital sensor.

More about each of these controls now... Let's also discuss about purpose of each of this control.

1. Aperture:
Aperture size is usually measured in f-numbers or f-stops. The smaller the f-stop number, the larger the lens opening; the larger the f-stop, the smaller the lens opening. The aperture (f-stop) determines the amount of area which is in camera's focus.

The f-stop is a fraction that indicates the diameter of the aperture. The f stands for the focal length of the lens, the slash (/) means divided by, and the number represents the stop in use. For example, if you were shooting with a 100mm lens and with an an aperture of f/2, the diameter of the actual lens opening would be 50mm. Here, 50 (focal length of the lens) divided by 2 (stop) equals 50 (diameter of lens opening). So smaller the f-stop number, the larger the lens opening; the larger the f-stop, the smaller the lens opening. An aperture of f/1.4 will have very very focus, while f/32 is extremely narrow focus. If the aperture is set to large value, the surroundings which are not in camera's focus get blurred. Aperture can be used to draw attention to one subject (like the flower on the right) by blurring the background with a wide aperture (low f/stop). Aperture can also be used to focus everything in a picture with a narrow aperture (high f/stop).

Adjustment to the aperture controls the depth of field, the distance range over which objects are acceptably sharp; such adjustments generally need to be compensated by changes in the shutter speed.

2. Shutter Speed:
As discussed above, shutter speed determines amount of time the light coming from the lens is allowed to stay on the sensitive film. Shutter speed (more literally exposure time) is measured in seconds, but often marked in reciprocal seconds. A typical exposure time for photographs taken in sunlight is 1/125th of a second, typically marked as 125 on a shutter speed setting dial. Very short shutter speeds are used to freeze fast-moving subjects, for example at sporting events. Short shutter speed for example can be used to freeze subjects in midair with a fast speed or it can be used to blur water with a slow speed i.e., short shutter speed is suitable for capturing water falls with high speed. High shutter speeds are often used in low light conditions, extending the time until the shutter closes, and increasing the amount of light gathered. Very long shutter speeds are used to intentionally blur a moving subject for artistic effect. High shutter speed means lens closes fast.

3. ISO Speed:
The common span of ISO speed is 100 to 800. If you are trying to take pictures in dim light without a tripod, you might want to raise the ISO speed in order to get a picture that's not blurry. Most of the time you should keep it at a lower ISO speed if there is enough light, but it makes a big difference when there isn't. Note that, ISO speed and Shutter Speed are related. When you increase the ISO from 100 to 200, you are cutting down the amount time required to capture the scene on the digital sensor by half. So when you change the ISO from 100 to 200, your shutter speed may change from 1/125s to 1/250s.

What is Depth of Field?
It's the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image. Although a lens can precisely focus at only one distance at a time, the decrease in sharpness is gradual on each side of the focused distance, so that within the DOF, the unsharpness is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions.

In the following figure, the area within the depth of field appears sharp, while the areas in front of and beyond the depth of field appear blurry.

Let's take a look at another image...

What is Exposure?

Amount of light which needs to be captured on digital sensor is called "exposure". Exposure can be treated as a function of Aperture and Shutter speed because both of these can control the amount of light. Various parts in a scene can have different light intensities. For example, if you are wearing a bright white shirt, your shirt has more light intensity than your face. If the exposure is set based on your shirt, your face will look dark. If exposure is set based on your face, your shirt color may washed out. Camera finds best average light intensity for the scene and digital film gets exposed to the light based on this intensity. If the light is too much then the picture will be washed out. If the light is not enough ten then picture will be too dark.

As discussed, exposure is the amount of light collected by digital film. Cameras have light meters which measure the light in the given shot and set an ideal exposure automatically. If you control this, you can get creative picture some times.
Look at the following image to know about the trick of exposure:
http://www.twin-pixels.com/wp-content/uploads/exposure-tutorial-7.jpg

The two values – shutter speed and aperture are intertwined. To get the correct exposure, both have to be set correctly – that is, if you increase the exposure time then you need to decrease the aperture. Exposure can be treated as function of all these.

For the given exposure, a fast shutter speed requires a larger aperture (smaller f-number). Similarly, a slow shutter speed, a longer length of time, can be compensated by a smaller aperture (larger f-number).

What is 'Rule of Thirds' or '2/3rd Rule'?

In this rule, objects in the snap are given 2/3rd or 1/3rd of the area. Usually, objects are confined to 1/3rd of the area. Instead of having objects like 'crime convicts' in the middle, it's good cover the space in which the object is located. For example: If you are covering birthday cake with candles, confine it to 1/3rd of the space and leave the remaining space blank instead of covering just cake in the middle. If you are covering an ant, confine it to1/3rd of the area, and, use the remaining space to cover the direction in which it's heading.

Applying Rule of Thirds Vertically:
If your snap is covering both water and the sky and if you want to give emphasis to water then it should get 2/3rd portion of the snap. If your snap is covering water, hills and sky then you may want to give 1/3rd portion to each.

Applying Rule of Thirds Horizontally:
If you snap is covering an object (Tree, Person, etc), you may want to keep it in the 'left most' or 'right most' 1/3rd portion of the snap.

Few Tips:
- Capture the non-obvious things. Try different things. [Ex: Capturing just one Eye and blurring other eye, Capturing hands but not faces, etc]
- Create things [Ex: Sprinkling water on flowers, etc]
- Camera Flash is strict NO-NO. It takes-out naturality from the snap. If you really need to use flash (in case of insufficient light), cover it with light paper, etc.

References:
http://www.twin-pixels.com/photography-understand-exposure/
http://photo.net/learn/basic-photo-tips/aperture-shutterspeed-iso/
http://www.picturecorrect.com/photographytips/ExposureBasics.htm
http://photo.net/learn/basic-photo-tips/aperture-shutterspeed-iso/
http://www.betterphoto.com/article.asp?id=135
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

Photography - How to make the background blurred?

2009-08-19T19:55:00.009+05:30

People want to make the background blurred so that their subject gets sharpness and focus.

The farther the background is from the object, the more blurred it will be. Some times you may need to move away from the the object so that background gets more blurred. So focus only the object then zoom to the fullest and also keep the object as far as from the background. If you zoom to the fullest, you may need to move backward to get the focus on the object.

In canon cameras, you can use Av (Aperture Priority) mode. As you increase aperture, focus on the object increases and background gets more blurred. Keep aperture as large as possible (i.e. small f-number). Then you can try the zoom for extra help. Note that, aperture gets smaller if you increase the zoom. Also, try to keep the background away from the object.

In summary, following are the important factors to consider:

Large aperture (small f number)
Full Zoom (Long focal length)
Keep the background farther from the object

If you have SX10 then you can try 'Macro mode' [and keeping the camera closer to your object]. You can use 'Super Macro' if you can get close to the object. You may find the 'Super Macro' mode as difficult to use as it lacks the ability to zoom so you need to struggle to lock and focus. Best way is to use Macro mode and then zoom-in.

Otherwise, you can use photoshop after taking the image. Just select the background and blur the background. You may not get good results as it blurs the image uniformly irrespective of distance at which background objects are standing. Not sure if photoshop has option which applies blurriness depending on the depth of objects in the background.

Why does aperture decreases if you increase the zoom?
Aperture is described in terms of 'f-stop' or 'f-number'. It's the relationship between the focal length and diameter of the lens. If the focal length is 100 mms and the aperture's diameter is 25mm, then the f-number is written as "f:4".

When you increase the focal length (i.e., zoom-in) if focal length becames 200 mms, then the f-number becomes "f:4" even though aperture has not changed. The f-number always changes if you zoom-in or zoom-out.

Photography - Post processing of images

2009-08-16T18:04:00.027+05:30

Post processing is an important step. You can really make any snap look better by adjusting few parameters. Read on....

1). Adding contrast

What is 'Contrast Ratio'?
Contrast ratio is measured as the difference between the brightest and darkest colors on the screen. You can treat it as the ratio between brightest white and the darkest black on the given screen. For example, a 1000:1 contrast ratio means that the brightest white is 1000x brighter than the darkest black. If you want the best picture possible, you need to have more ratio between the brightest white and the darkest black. It can also be thought as the amount of shades between black and white. For better quality image, you need to have more shades between black and white. However, there could be instances where higher contrast ratio looks bad.

1.1). Adding contrast in Picasa

Contrast brings life to a snap. Picasa is very easy use tool which provides user friendly options for adjusting contrast, cropping, straightening, shadows, highlights. Adjust these parameters appropriately to make your snap better.

1.2). Adding contrast in GMP:

We can adjust contrast by going to 'Colors -> Brightness-Contrast Tool'. But, we can achieve better results by using following tools. Links will give you more info on how to make use of these tools.

Colors -> Levels [http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/levels.htm]
Colors -> Curves [http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/photoshop-curves.htm]

2). Cropping

Crop the snap appropriately so that the object which you want focus gets it's share of space. Below mentioned rules can bring better look. Ideally, you should be following these rules while taking the snap but you may improve the snap further by following these rules during post processing.

2.1). 50-50 Rule

If you want to capture 'cloudy hill' then you can make the snap symmetric by giving 50% area to clouds and remaining 50% area to hills. If you want to project certain portion more, it should get more area in the snap.

2.2). 'Rule of Thirds' or '2/3rd Rule'

In this rule, objects in the snap are given 2/3rd or 1/3rd of the area. Usually, objects are confined to 1/3rd of the area. Instead of having objects like 'crime convicts' in the middle, it's good cover the space in which the object is located. For example: If you are covering birthday cake with candles, confine it to 1/3rd of the space and leave the remaining space blank instead of covering just cake in the middle. If you are covering an ant, confine it to1/3rd of the area, and, use the remaining space to cover the direction in which it's heading.

Applying Rule of Thirds Vertically:
If your snap is covering both water and the sky and if you want to give emphasis to water then it should get 2/3rd portion of the snap. If your snap is covering water, hills and sky then you may want to give 1/3rd portion to each.

Applying Rule of Thirds Horizontally:
If you snap is covering an object (Tree, Person, etc), you may want to keep it in the 'left most' or 'right most' 1/3rd portion of the snap.

2.3). Golden Ratio Rule

Here, you apply Golden Ratio to photography.

What is Golden Ratio?
If area 'A' is divided into two parts (B and C) where one is larger than the other then the golden ratio is achieved if A/B = B/C, which is around 1.618.

When you apply this to photography, you have to to adjust the position of the objects in such a way that they get area in the ratio of "1 : 1.618". The best way is to make use of following golden rectangles.

3). Adding border

3.1). Adding border in Picasa

Open the snap in picasa
Go to: Create -> Picture Collage
Select 'Mosaic' in the drop down box under Settings tab
Adjust the 'Grid Spacing' to depending on the border size you want. Select the color of the border in 'Background Options'
Set 'Page Format' to '8.5X11: Letter Paper' to get full snap without cropping [This step may depend on the size of the original snap]
Select 'Landscape or Portrait' as per your snap
Click on 'Create Collage' and you are done :)

3.2). Adding borders in GIMP

Open the snap in GIMP
Filters -> Decor -> Add border
Specify the values : x-size, y-size, color
Click OK

4). Add custom watermark (copyright text) to your images.

There are lot of tools available to do batch watermarking.

Following link provides you the script which can be integrated with GIMP. With this, you can do watermarking at batch level or individual snap level.

http://www.td-e.com/soft/watermark-it.php

If you are looking for other ways to watermark, just read the following links:

Kauri Pass Trek

2009-05-10T01:11:00.008+05:30

We have recently completed Kauri Pass Trek. This is my first himalayan trek. I enjoyed the trek like anything and I was very excited after seeing himalayan peaks and icy hills for the first time.
Following is trek itinerary suggested by our guide Sohan. As per this itinerary, we were to cross Kauri Pass on 2nd day of the trek itself. But, we wanted to keep all the excitement to the end so we started our trek from Chefana(Ghat) instead of Joshimath. I liked the trek overall but I haven't find as much greenary and ice as I expected. We got to see some icy hills on the last two days. So if you are expecting to see lot of icy hills then Kauri Pass may not be the right place. We were also not able to see the himalayn peaks clearly because of the smoke which is coming out of forest fires.

If you are not interested in lot of physical activity and still want to go for Kauri Pass then the best way is : Joshimath -> Chitrakhana -> Kauri Pass -> Chitrakhana -> Joshimath. You can finish the trek in just around three days as per this plan.

In the last two days of our trek, we were able to see following himalayan peaks:
- Mt. Nanda Devi
- Mt. Trishul
- Mt. Kamet
- Mt. Burmal
- Ghoda and Hati peaks

How to reach Joshimath from Pune?
Pune -> Delhi -> Haridwar -> Joshimath

Moon, Venus and Jupiter aligned to form smiley face :)

2008-12-17T17:07:00.005+05:30

Moon formed smiley with Venus and Jupiter planets on Dec 1st 2008 night (India). A fairly rare alignment to happen.

Why MBA? Why abroad? Where should I do my MBA? How to make final decision? How much does Forein MBA cost? Application Proces

2008-10-03T13:38:00.021+05:30

http://www.rediff.com/ posted series of following useful articles by an alumna of Oxford University:

Why MBA?Why abroad?

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2008/oct/03abr.htm

Where should I do my MBA?

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2008/oct/09abr.htm

International MBA: Making the decision

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2008/oct/30abr.htm

Foreign MBA: How much does it cost?

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2008/nov/06abr.htm

The Application Process

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2008/nov/20study-abroad-winning-application.htm

Side Effects of Protein Supplements?

2008-09-15T18:00:00.011+05:30

I found following stunning article on http://www.mumbaimirror.com/. This article is categorizing energisers, steroids, etc all under the protein supplement title. According to users of protein supplements, if you choose a good protein supplement according to your needs, then you are much better off than trying to get the same protein content through regular food. The regular food with that much protein also gives you a lot of bad fat in your body. IMO, excessive use of anything will get you side effects.

Pump down the Protein

Many believe that energisers, such as protein powders, help build muscles without side effects. However, a magic pill that gives you a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't exist and it never will!

In his book, Arnold's Body Building for Men, Schwarzenegger writes "People nowadays... tend to go overboard when they discover body building and eat diet consisting of 50 to 70 per cent protein - something I believe to be totally unnecessary. In my formula for basic eating and to get enough protein eat about 1 gm of protein for every 2 pounds of body weight."

The Conservative National Academy of Science USA too says that there is little evidence that muscular activity increases the need for protein.

What's in the market

Ultimate Nutrition, Precision Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition and Experimental are some of the companies that sell protein powders in India.

Ultimate Nutrition is the producer of ANS Mega Amino Mass, which claims to have an "All in one formula." It advertises more muscle size, more strength, more power and faster recovery. It has basic creatin, the side effects of which are water retention, bloating, flatulence, muscular cramps, nausea and effect on the Central Nervous system and kidney damage in the long run.

Optimum Nutrition sells Gold Standard Whey which claims to have 100 per cent whey isolates. It's known to cause cow-milk allergies and can lead to digestive problems such as cramping, flatulence and diarrhoea. Many people have a problem digesting complete whey protein and an overdose can cause weight gain and kidney damage.

Prosoyal, a soya protein, is easily available in medical stores. Soya comes in the Top 10 list of allergy causing foods and excess of it interferes with oestrogen levels and can cause breast cancer. Any protein powder, taken in excess, causes uric acid and leads to gout.

According to medical journals, side-effects of excessive protein include fatigue, irritability, nausea, constipation, headaches, dizziness, hair loss, dry skin and bad breath. People have also been known to suffer kidney damage and develop gall stones. Excess protein leaches calcium, leading to osteoporosis.

How much do i need?

According to the American Journal of Clinical nutrition, you need a minimum of 2.5 per cent of your daily calories in protein. WHO advises 4.5 percent, The Food and Nutrition Board 6.5 percent and the Natural Research Council of USA a highest of 8 per cent.

Moreover, excess protein is stored as fat. A high protein diet leads to breast, prostate, pancreas and colon cancer according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Intact proteins are not easily digested and are therefore not used during or before sports activities.

A report title Rapid Growth Shorter Life, which appeared in the Journal of American Medical Association, aid that high protein diets shorten the life span of humans. This corroborates with World Health statistics that show people on a high protein diet do not live longer than people on a low protein diet.

Source:
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=39&contentid=200809012008090102534478c8d419c6&pageno=1

Why Do Muscles Grow?

2008-08-14T17:57:00.002+05:30

Muscle Growth is based on "overcompensation" concept, where you overcome a real/imagined defect or unwanted trait by overly exaggerating its opposite. When you have a cut, your body repairs the cut and overcompensates by leaving a scar.

When muscles undergo intense exercise, there is trauma to the muscle fibers that is referred to as muscle injury or damage in scientific investigations. A biological effort to repair or replace damaged muscle fibers begins and body overcompensates by increasing the cross-sectional diameter of the muscle cell. So more you use your muscles, the stronger they become. And unused muscles do not remain preserved; neglect causes them to waste away, or atrophy. Each muscle cell contains many small bundles of contractile proteins, called myofibrils. When muscles undergo intense exercise, the muscle cells’ myofibrils will increase in thickness and number.

So when we exercise, especially when using weights, we create micro tearsin our muscle tissue. When you take rest, these tissues repair and regenerate themselves. During this repair process muscle cells adapt by becoming bigger to help your body produce more force making your workout easier. So rest at least 24 hours before training the same muscle group. Try not to rest more than 72 hours as the muscles begin to reverse their progress.

Aging also mediates cellular changes in muscle decreasing the actual muscle mass. Happily, the detrimental effects of aging on muscle have been shown be restrained or even reversed with regular resistance exercise. Importantly, resistance exercise also improves the connective tissue harness surrounding muscle, thus being most beneficial for injury prevention and in physical rehabilitation therapy.

Sources:
http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/musclesgrowLK.html
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/10dec_muscles.htm
http://www.naturalphysiques.com/faq/407.html
http://lancebreger.blogspot.com/2007/12/pop-quiz-when-do-your-muscles-grow.html

US MBA - One year Vs. Two year, Finance, Reco letters

2008-07-25T23:57:00.009+05:30

I have attended informative session conducted by Duke university's Fuqua school of business over the weekend in Pune, India. I got a chance to interact with Alumni and School's Regional Directors for India. Following were the important points which I inferred from that session:

One year Vs. Two year MBA :
If you are looking for the career switch then you should better be looking for 2 year MBA program. For example, if you want to switch your career from Software Engineer to Market Analyst then you need to significant amount of time in business school to learn all the concepts of the area you want to be in after the MBA. Two year programs usually have an internship where the actual career switch might happens. In second year of MBA, you will have internship where you put the concepts which you have learnt into application. In many cases, you may be getting an offer from the company where you did your internship. If you want to enhance your current profile then one year MBA may be the good option. In case you want to be in the same career path but looking for improvements then programs like One year MBA, Executive MBA, etc seems to be the better option. Of course, this my personal opinion.

Financing your MBA:
Two year MBA in a decent college may cost you around $90,000. If you got into good university, you are not required to worry about these expenses as you can easily get the loan. Most of the universities have contacts with the banks and you can get the loan as soon as you reach the campus. For the amount of $900000, you may required to pay an approximate EMI of $550 for 20 years. In your I-20, you can just mention that you will be taking loan to finance your MBA. If you get a cosigner who is US citizen or permanent resident then you can get the loan for cheaper interest rates.

Recommendation Letters:
You are required to submit two recommendation letters from your profession. One of them should be from your immediate supervisor/manger. If you can not get reco from your immediate manger for the reasons like current job security, company not encouraging higher education, etc. then you need to give proper justification for the same. In case you want to submit more than two recommendation letters then you should check if it's really adding a value. I got the positive answer for my question - Can I submit reco letter (in-addition to two recos from my profession) from my professor for the Teaching Assistant-ship which I have done during the MTech.

Miscellaneous:
University may ask you to take TOEFL exam to evaluate your interpersonal skills, language skills, etc. You may be called for an interview to test the same. If you have multiple GMAT scores then you need to mention which one you want the university to consider.

What is First name, last name and mother's maiden name ?

2008-07-08T13:45:00.003+05:30

I have seen people getting confused about naming conventions in applications, etc. Here is brief discussion about standard naming convention...

Last name indicates the family to which the person belongs, also called as family name. Depending on the culture, family name may appear in last part of a person's name or in first part of the person's name.

First name is a name given to a person, as opposed to an inherited one such as a family name.

Mother's maiden name is family name of the mother prior to her marriage. And "married name" is name after her marriage. Lot of firms use "mother's maiden name" as a kind of password.

Basic Nutrition Strategies

2008-06-08T02:24:00.003+05:30

1. Eat High-Fiber Low-Glycemic Foods

Low-glycemic foods are carbohydrates that breakdown slowly, releasing sugar into the bloodstream gradually rather than all at once. These foods almost always contain fiber. The fiber is what is mostly responsible for slowing the absorption of the sugars. These foods can provide long-lasting energy. Most vegetables (especially dark green), most fruits, whole-grains and nuts are high-fiber, low-glycemic. For optimal health, get your grains intact from foods such as whole wheat (whole-grain) bread, brown rice and other possibly unfamiliar grains like whole oats.

An Indian adult should acquire 1,600 calories a day through his diet while a woman should get at least 1,400 calories. Recommendations say less than 25% of our diet should be fat.
However, when we consume just 10 pieces of chips, we take in 4 grams of fat that translates to 36 calories.

2. Eat More Protein

Your body requires more energy (calories) to process protein than it does carbohydrates. Eating more protein can increase your metabolism, thereby increasing your body's ability to burn fat. Protein is necessary for your body to build muscle, and building more muscle increases your ability to burn fat. Good options include eggs, low-fat or no-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry, seafood and whey protein supplements. Nuts and legumes are also excellent sources of protein; plus you get the added benefit of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Legumes include black beans, red beans, pinto beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and other beans that are usually sold dried.

3. Eat Frequent Small Meals Throughout The Day

Eat 6 smaller meals per day, rather than 2-3 larger meals. This will ensure that you will supply your body with the necessary nutrients to build muscle and burn fat while increasing your metabolic rate. It will also supply a constant stream of energy to prevent fatiguing early and prevents the body from kicking into starvation mode. If this happens, your body will burn muscle for energy increasing your body fat stores as well as slowing down your metabolism.

4. Eat Balanced Meals

Make sure you cover veggies, milk, smoothies, beans, brown rice, whole-wheat, fruits, nuts, whole-grain cereals, yogurt, etc in your day meals. Balance your meals by making sure that you eat plenty of protein and fiber in each meal.

5. Never skip BREAKFAST

This is the one meal you cannot afford to miss! Jump start your day with a high-fiber, high protein meal containing complex carbohydrates, avoiding simple (sugary) carbohydrates which trigger hunger and sleepiness a few hours later. Choose whole-grain cereals that are loaded with fiber and protein instead of sugar (Oatmeal, etc). Fat-free milk or soy milk and sliced almonds. Smoothies are great for breakfast too!

Metabolism

2008-06-08T01:35:00.003+05:30

Metabolism is processes within the body that convert food and other substances into energy and other metabolic byproducts used by the body. The process of metabolism is really a balancing act involving two kinds of activities that go on at the same time — the building up of body tissues and energy stores and the breaking down of body tissues and energy stores to generate more fuel for body functions. Metabolism is a constant process that begins when we're conceived and ends when we die.

Your fast metabolism can quickly slow down with age. Diet can have an extreme impact on your metabolism. Certain foods can either slow down your metabolism and make your body gain weight or it can speed up your metabolism and help you burn calories and fat. Junk food can also slow down your metabolism so if you want to keep your fast metabolism you should start eating healthy. An easy way to do it is to make your own juices and smoothies!!

Exercise has a major effect on your metabolism. The more you move the more your heart has to pump to keep the right nutrients in your muscles. This has a great effect on your body's ability to burn calories (energy metabolism). Any type of exercise effects metabolism in a positive (increasing) fashion.

How can you boost metabolism?

Strength training (otherwise known as resistance training) is another way to boost your metabolism. This can be done with light weights and a high number of repetitions, or a higher intensity lifting with fewer repetitions, both working on large muscle groups. The result will be the same - more muscle mass which translates into a higher metabolism.

Do you put on more weight when you eat late at night?

I read the following on the web. Not sure how much truth is here and what to believe.

Eating food in the hours just before bedtime may need to be avoided. Any calories consumed in the evening will count more. They usually cite the "fact" that a person's metabolism slows down significantly in the evening, or that no one burns calories in the middle of the night. Your metabolism is completely shut down in the midnight. Any fruit contains natural sugar which will not be processed until 7AM at which your biological clock wakes up and starts digesting again.

When we consume fried food late at night, the digestion process takes place constantly within us, seriously affecting our sleep. A person should hit the bed at least three hours after the last meal. Fried food late at night also leads to acidity that again hampers sound sleep and adds to your body weight.

Further info :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolism
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/metabolism.html
http://www.theage.com.au/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/

Gym mistakes you must avoid

2008-06-08T00:32:00.009+05:30

Staying fit is the one of the biggest challenge. Researchers consistently recommend that regular physical activity with healthy eating habits is the most efficient way to keep yourself fit and control your body weight.

Weight training is common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. Weight training tones your muscles which raises your basal metabolism which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours a day. Weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment to target specific muscle groups.

We can use weights typically in two ways:

1. Free Weights (including barbells, dumbbells, and hand weights)
2. Weight Machines

But, weight training carries a certain risks so make sure you follow the things mentioned to below to avoid those risks.

Why stretching in the Gym is important

Before you try any of the gym facilities, you need to warm up. Stretching improves your muscles' range of motion and helps keep them long. During a weight-training session, you should utilize the time between the sets by selective muscular stretching. Although many people regard stretching only as a means to increase flexibility, it can provide muscular benefits when incorporated into your routine. Stretching a "pumped" muscle can actually enhance the quality of your workouts and even help to promote muscular growth. Selective muscular stretching helps to neutralize the effects of lactic acid by restoring blood flow to your working muscles.

warm up and cool down

The purpose of a warm-up is to prepare your muscles for a workout by raising your body temperature slightly and making your muscles more pliable.

Simply walking on the treadmill or doing the cycle at a low to moderate speed for 5-10 minutes ensures a good warm up. Similarly, never forget to cool down after a workout by stretching the various muscles of your body. This will help bring your heart rate and body temperature back to normal.

Wrong postures/ techniques

If you are doing an exercise standing up -- like a bicep curl, for instance -- make sure you stand with your feet apart for better balance. Never lock your joints while performing an exercise.

Too fast or too slow

Whether you are doing a squat or a bench press, make sure you do your exercise at an even pace. You should be lifting and lowering the weight at approximately the same speed throughout the workout. This will ensure you do not get injured and, at the same time, see to it that the tension on the muscle stays constant.

Too intense

Try to mentally rate your exercise on a scale of 0-10 by the end of each set, with 10 being the toughest. If you find that you are rating the intensity at five or six even in the last set for each muscle, you need to up the intensity.

Too long

An ideal workout should last you about 45-50 minutes. If you train beyond this time span, you are either doing more than required or you are wasting too much time in between the workout, which menas you won't get the results you want.

The same old routine

It's a good idea to change your workout routine every six weeks to prevent your muscles from getting used to the exercises. Change the repetitions or weights you lift, do a different set of exercise for each muscle or switch to a different activity. You will be surprised at the change in stamina.

You don’t time your rests between sets

Your recovery time is important when looking at how much you are going to be able to lift later on. ‘Too short a rest and your muscles won’t have recovered; too long and you won’t get the benefit.’ Wear a stopwatch and don’t be intimidated into starting your next set too early.

You only ever use heavy weights to build muscle

When you hit the weights room, you always lift the heaviest weight possible. This may limit your growth because you’ll hit your muscles in a very predictable way, and it’s hard to control large weights precisely. Now and then, go light and do extra reps with a greater range of motion.

References and Further Info:

http://www.maxim.co.uk/fitness/fittips/2218/15_top_gym_mistakes.html
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/stretching-gym.php
http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2006/mar/23health.htm
News paper articles

Types of exercises : anaerobic and aerobic

2008-06-07T23:40:00.009+05:30

There are two types of exercises: anaerobic and aerobic.

Anaerobic exercise

The term "anaerobic" means "without air" or "without oxygen."

The term "anaerobic" means "without air" or "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise uses muscles at high intensity and a high rate of work for a short period of time. Anaerobic exercise helps us increase our muscle strength and stay ready for quick bursts of speed. Think of short and fast when you think of anaerobic exercise.

Examples of anaerobic exercise include heavy weight lifting, sprinting, or any rapid burst of hard exercise.

Anaerobic exercise is usually performed at high intensity and can be sustained for periods of time as short as 10 seconds. During a sprint, the muscles need for oxygen cannot be matched by faster breathing and increased pumping by the heart. The muscle then turns to making energy through a non-oxygen dependent mechanism. The by-product of that is called lactic acid. The lactic acid triggers muscle aching and burning. After finishing the run, the lactic acid is slowly converted to a different non-troubling product, as the oxygen debt is paid back. So these anaerobic exercises cannot last long because oxygen is not used for energy and a by-product, called lactic acid, is produced.

Lactic Acid contributes to muscle fatigue and must be burned up by the body during a recovery period before another anaerobic bout of exercise can be attempted. The recovery period also allows the muscles to use oxygen to replenish the energy used during the high intensity exercise.

Aerobic exercise

Lower intensity activities performed for longer periods of time. Activities like walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling require a great deal of oxygen to make the energy needed for prolonged exercise. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises are needed for the development of physical fitness.

Aerobic exercise on the other hand is done at a pace that does not outstrip the muscles ability to get the needed oxygen. Apart from the effects of dehydration, fatigue then is due to a lack of glucose. Many athletes have enough stored glucose (called glycogen) for about one to two hours of exercise. After that, the body simply runs out and they "hit the wall."

With regular aerobic exercise, the muscles and liver will increase their stores of glycogen to meet the new demands. Poor nutrition prevents this from happening and will allow these stores to become drained.

Further info and References :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic

http://www.teengrowth.com/

http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/exercisefitness/exer3098.html

Role of "Lactic Acid" in workout/metabolism

2008-06-07T23:12:00.016+05:30

Lactic acid is a chemical structure made out of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a chain-like form. Lactic acid is produced as a result of hard work by the muscles. What happens is that when your body is working hard, it produces high levels of lactate in the muscles. When you’re running , your body produces so much lactate that it can’t remove it from the muscles quickly enough.

However, while this sounds like a bad thing, it’s actually a sign that your body is finding ways to create energy and ensure that you can keep doing whatever it is that you’re doing.

Why your "muscles" ache after a work out

When the lactate levels get too high, a chemical reaction occurs with other chemicals in the body, creating lactic acid. What you should know is that it is not the rise in lactate levels that leads to that burning feeling in your muscles, but rather it seems that it is the reaction that forms lactic acid that is the cause of the pain. But some scientists are still debating about the pain’s source.
Several theories have been proposed, to explain the delayed muscle soreness. One theory is intensive exercise and lactic acid accumulation. Some evidence disputes the role of lactic acid, in muscle soreness. For example, lactic acid is removed from muscle, within 30 minutes after exercise, but soreness does not appear for at least 24 hours. Also, some exercises, such as those that stretch the hamstring muscle, cause little, or no lactic acid build-up, but result in soreness.

Another theory, is a tissue damage theory. Considerable evidence supports the idea, that exercise damages muscle fibres and /or surrounding connective tissue (micro-tears). The muscle tissue becomes swollen, which stimulates sensitive nerve endings and results in soreness.

Better Muscular Recovery

Contrary to popular belief, muscle tissue is actually broken down-not built up-during anaerobic exercise. When a muscle is subjected to intense stress, tiny micro tears develop in its fibers. This contributes to the presence of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that often accompanies a grueling workout. By expediting nutrient delivery to your musculoskeletal system, selective stretching helps to repair muscle tissue and accelerate the healing process.

How to overcome lactic acid

But what you really want to know is how you can avoid that burning pain when you are working out. And the answer is simple: work out more. While it might seem counterproductive to workout more, what you need to do is effectively ‘teach’ your muscles to handle lactic acid in a more effective way. However, you want to do this is a controlled fashion so that you’re not hurting each time you walk in the door.

Once lactic acid builds up, you simply cannot continue to train. Selective muscular stretching helps to neutralize the effects of lactic acid by restoring blood flow to your working muscles.

You can start to build up a resistance to lactic acid by working out at a medium intensity during your workouts. This means that you are working just hard enough to get your heart pumping fast and your lungs working a little harder.

You might measure this by how much you can talk as you are working out – which should be in incomplete sentences, though you can still talk. As you build up your muscular and aerobic capacity, your body will be able to handle higher levels of lactic acid and thus reduce the amount of pain that you might feel.

References and further info:

http://www.24hrfitness.co.uk/fitness%20tips/lactic-acid.html

http://dersalsites.com

http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/stretching-gym.php

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article018.htm

The Pros and Cons of Heavy Weight Lifting in Gym

2008-03-16T01:17:00.008+05:30

Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system, lowers your resting heart rate and improves your balance and coordination. It puts stress on your bones and builds bone density. Research shows that it is associated with improvements in muscular strength and endurance and psychological well-being. It has been proven to have a positive affect on insulin resistance, resting metabolism, blood pressure, body fat and gastrointestinal transit time, factors that are linked to illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Weight lifting is even more important as you get older. You will start losing your strength in 50s and even more so in your 60s and 70s. Weight lifting can make a difference in quality of life and you can increase the amount that you can lift and have strengthened your core significantly.

Weight training is a great way to get your whole body in shape. One of the advantages of using weights to work out is the way that you can strengthen your whole body. Another advantage of using weights to keep fit is when you are using these weights and your body is standing still. Your bones in your body are becoming active as they are trying to support you as you are doing the exercises. So you are in effect working out the entire body every time that you use weights to exercise.

Risks ?

But, it carries a certain risk. Injuries can happen if you neglect technique, ignore advice about warm-ups and cool-downs, or forget to use a spotter. The trick is to follow the rules and never work through pain. Before you start training, you should be checked by your doctor to make sure it's safe for you to lift weights. Start out slowly so that your body gets used to the increase in activity. Before you head for the weight bench, you should warm up your muscles. After finishing your workout, cool down by stretching all the major muscle groups to avoid injuries and keep your muscle flexible.

If you cannot keep complete control of your body when you are working out, then you are going to pull or even tare a muscle in your body. Also using heavy weights when you are not ready will always cause an injury to the part of your body that you are exercising. Always remember to start off small and then move on when you feel perfectly ready to do so.

After doing heavy weight lifting in gym for quite a few years, what happens if you stop it suddenly?

If you stop your workout then will loose muscle since your body will not need it anymore. Since you are loosing muscle and also not expending energy lifting the total calories your body burns each day to live will go down so if you keep eating the same amount you will gain fat. This is why you see a lot of pro football players and other athletes get fat when they quit because they don't work out like they used to but they still eat like they used to. Other than that nothing will happen.

So if you are planning to stop your workout then you should also reduce your food intake appropriately otherwise all those extra calories will be converted to fat. As long as you can control your eating habits there shouldn't be any problem in stopping your workout.
When you start your muscle workout again you will gain the muscle back very very quickly.

Overall weights are a good way to work out. Millions of people use weights to do a daily work out. After one or two weeks you can start to feel your body becoming more and more toned. You can also feel the muscles in your body start to bulge a bit more then before. However safety will be the major concern to remember when you are using your weights. You must remember to stretch all the muscles in your body before you attempt to exercise your body. You have to get your heart pumping and when you are done remember to warm down so that your body knows that the workout is over. Warming down will prevent trapping any Lactic Acid in your body.

Further information:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andy_Eaton
Benefits Of Building Muscles, Toning Up
Weight Training - Advantages And Disadvantages
Dumbbells - Advantages and Disadvantages
News paper articles

Happy workout :-)

setuid and setgid bits for executables

2008-03-06T18:43:00.004+05:30

setuid and setgid are access rights flags that allow users to run executable file with the permissions of the executable's owner or group respectively...

When any user runs an executable file that has either of these bits set, then the system gives the user the identity of the owner (or group) of the executable.

If an executable has the setuid bit set then when any other user runs this executable the effective user ID of the process will be switched to the user who owns this file. If gid bit is set then the process will be executed under the group of the file.

In a similar way.. if sticky bit is set on a directory then files inside the directory can be renamed or removed only by the owner of the file, owner of the dir or the root..

chmod u+s executable - set the setuid bit.
chmod g+s executable - set the setgid bit.
chmod u+t directory - set the sticky bit or directories

Numerically...

chmod 4777 executable - setuid and read/write/execute for everyone.
chmod 2777 executable - setgid and read/write/execute for everyone.
chmod 1777 directory - set sticky bit and read/write/passthrough for a directory.

Further info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setuid

SIGBUS error

2008-02-26T14:37:00.005+05:30

The main cause of SIGBUS error is attempting to access a value larger than a byte at an unaligned address.

Look what wiki says about the bus error:
Most CPUs are byte-addressable, where each unique memory address refers to an 8-bit byte. Most CPUs can access individual bytes from each memory address, but they generally cannot access larger units (16 bits, 32 bits, 64 bits and so on) without these units being "aligned" to a specific boundary, such as 16 bits (addresses 0, 2, 4 can be accessed, addresses from 1, 3, 5, are unaligned) or 32 bits (0, 4, 8, 12 are aligned, all addresses in-between are unaligned). Attempting to access a value larger than a byte at an unaligned address can cause a bus error.

Lets take an example...

struct example1
{

uint32 A;
uint32 B;
uint32 C;
char D;
BYTE E[32];

} EXAMPLE1;

Here, "E" is not aligned. If you move the "D" a the end, or if you add 3 spare bytes after it then problem will be gone.

Happy Birthday to Sybase ASE 15 "Cluster Edition"

2008-02-20T11:50:00.006+05:30

We announced Sybase ASE Cluster Edition to the world. It is an update to our well known relational database ASE (Adaptive Server Enterprise). Makes use of Virtualized Resource Management (VRM) and Shared Disk Clustering (SDC) technologies to let users run a ASE Server across cluster of instances.

For further info:
www.sybase.com/clusters
http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1056212
Computer world Article

1.1.2 OOTB iphone hardware unlocked by hackers !

2008-02-10T16:24:00.000+05:30

iPhone is not yet released in india. We are eagerly waiting for its release. I thought of ordering the iPhone from US, but there it has contract with AT & T so you need to unlock the hardware to make it work in India on networks other than AT & T. But I was afraid of risks involved in hacking and maintenance ;) . My friend recently unlocked his iphone hardware. Here is the link to his blog describing the detailed procedure. Kudos !!

GMAT - Basic info to start with

2008-02-10T15:53:00.036+05:30

Score Details

Maximum Score - 800.

CAT vs GMAT:

- As GMAT score is automated and determined by computer, you may have some tricks to crack the exam. Coaching centers will tell you about all those tricks.
- CAT covers: Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation (also called as statistics) & Data Sufficiency, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning and Verbal Ability
- GMAT covers: Quantitative Aptitude, Data Sufficiency, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, AWA(Analytical Writing Assessment) where you need to write 2 essays
- Quant and Critical Reasoning are relatively easy in GMAT compared to CAT
- Sentence Correction is bit tough area in GMAT

Areas of GMAT:

Source: gmac.com

Critical Reasoning: reasoning skills involved in making and evaluating arguments, and formulating a plan of action.

Data Sufficiency: analyze a problem and determine if the information provided is relevant and sufficient to answer the problem.

The Verbal and Quantitative scores range from 0 to 60. The AWA score is an average of the score you get in : "Analysis of an Issue" and "Analysis of an Argument" essays. These average scores can range from 0 to 6 in half point intervals.

Fees:
Cost to take GMAT exam : $250
Additional Score Report (ASR) : $28 per report
Rescheduling : $50 if appointment is rescheduled at least seven full calendar days before the original appointment

Source:
http://www.gmac.com/gmac/thegmat/testtakersupport/pricesandfees.htm

Suggested Books:

The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 11th Edition (OG 11)
Kaplan GMAT - 2009 Edition - Premier Program (This book is for concepts and tricks)
Manhattan Gmat Prep - Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (This will improve your sentence correction skills amazingly)
The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review
Arco GMAT - Answers to the REAL Essay Questions (This is for practicing AWA)
If you are targeting 700+ then: Kaplan GMAT 800. The word "800" is important to note on the book.

AWA Section - Official Pools of GMAT Essay Questions:

You can download the official pool of GMAT AWA 'issue topics' and 'argument topics' from the official GMAC website (www.mba.com).

Where exactly on www.mba.com ?
Go to the "Take the GMAT" area of the site -> Analytical Writing Assessment Section -> Current Analytical Writing Assessment Topics

If you have the OG-11 edition, they are in the back of the book. Each year, the test-makers change a small number of the essay topics.

Amazon seems to be selling books which have answer to these topics:

http://www.amazon.com/Gmat-Cat-Answers-Essay-Questions/dp/0028622847
http://www.amazon.com/Gmat-Cat-Answers-Real-Essay-Questions/dp/0028637356
http://www.amazon.ca/GMAT-CAT-Answers-Real-Essay/dp/0768911737

Preparation Criteria :
- Practice Enough.. Just go through the lots of material on the net..
- Read OG at the end as a practice test, just few days before the exam
- Plan your schedule to read 2hrs on weekday and 5hrs on weekend
- 2,3 months serious preparation would be enough
- Join isb-pgp yahoo group
- FAQs on ISB website

Practice Tests:
Be sure take to couple of computer based tests few weeks before your actual GMAT. You should practice enough so that you will be able sit for 4 hours with concentration on the D-Day.

Authorized GMATPrep software : Freely down loadable from www.mba.com. Take these two tests two days before your actual GMAT test. These tests will give you fairest approximation of your actual score on D-Day.
Kaplan Practice Tests : Come with "Kaplan GMAT 2008 Edition: Premier Program" book. Total 4 tests. These tests from Kaplan are very famous . Start giving these tests when you are around 2 weeks away from D-Day. If you can manage average score of 650 in these 4-tests, then you may anticipate 700+ in actual GMAT.
Try for free practice test online at: http://www.kaptest.com/practice
Princeton practice tests: Come with the Princeton book. Start giving these tests when you are around 2 weeks away from D-Day.

Websites for GMAT:
- Register for GMAT at : http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT
- http://totalgadha.com/
- http://pagalguy.com/
- http://www.testmagic.com/
- Just search for GMAT preparation, you wil get lots of files to read from the sites like : www.esnips.com

not sure if these can be of any help :
http://outbeat-the-gmat.blogspot.com/
http://beatthegmat.blogspot.com/

BEWARE of

- http://www.scoretop.com/ which is banned by GMAC for distributing copyrighted material without GMAC’s permission.

- According to web, GMAC's case on Scoretop is on copyright violation of “JJs (MJJ - Math Jungle Juice and VJJ - Verbal Jungle Juice)” available for VIP members. GMAC’s investigation of the Scoretop website seemed reveal that some of the JJs contained real GMAT items.
Some unauthorized web sources also talks about copyright violation of 494 questions contained in 1000Scs, 1000CRs, 3000RCs and GMAT Sets. GMAT Sets seems to be a collection of 31 GMAT Tests in pdf format. GMAC seemed to followed Scoretop and removed the live questions found on the site from the GMAT question bank.

- Careful about the sites like http://www.esnips.com/_t_/gmat where you get lots of copyrighted material including MJJ, VJJ, GMAT Sets, etc when you search with the keyword "gmat".

Further info:
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/blogs/mba_admissions/archives/2008/06/gmat_cheating_s_2.html
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/blogs/mba_admissions/archives/2008/06/gmat_cheating_s.html
http://www.urch.com/forums/gmat/58253-what-sets-vjj-mjj.html

MBA Application - How should your profile look?

- More you try to make your profile unique then more chances of getting into ISB.
You have to be unique to get differentiated from others
- Prepare to give Very Solid Answer for questions like "Why MBA?", "Why now", "What do you bring to this university"?,

For ISB:
- Minimum score would be 690, needs to long work exp
- More work exp then less score will do.

GMAT Coaching centers in Pune:

IMS:
-----
Opp: F.C. College, FC Road
http://www.imsindia.com
Tel:+(91)-(20)- 6602 3604, 6602 3606
Class room coaching and Consultancy as well.

Dilip Oak
---------
Bhandarkar, FC Road
http://www.dilipoakacademy.com
Tel: (020) 2565 6237, 2567 8066
Class room coaching and Consultancy as well.

TIMES
-------
208, Adinath Shopping Centre,
Next to Adinath Society,
Near City Pride (Satara Road),
Pune - 411037
020- 64005996/30425344
GMAT (available only at Deccan): 020-66013410

Bulls Eye:
-----------
http://www.hitbullseye.com/
Corporate Office & Study Center
Vishwanath Apartments,
Manas Lane, Off BMCC Road, Pune
Ph:020-25678999, Email:bullseyepune@gmail.com

Career Forum:
----------------
http://www.careerforum.in/
Camp: Phone: 020-26059070. 30588683 / 684
427/428, Sohrab Hall, 4th Floor, Above The Crossword,
Sassoon Road, Behind Pune Railway Station,
PUNE - 411 001.

PT Education:
--------------
http://www.ptindia.com/
Address: 203, West Wing, Aurora Towers, M G Road, Camp, Pune - 01.
Telephone: 32308514
FC Road: 66032275, 25531005-06
Email:ptpune01@pteducation.com

Testing centres in Hyderabad and Mumbai:

Pearson Professional Centers-Hyderabad, India +91-40-66469825
202,ABK Olbee Plaza
Road No.1,Banjara Hills
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500034

Pearson Professional Centers-Mumbai, India +91-22-40056787
Building no.9,1st Floor
Solitaire Corporate Park,167 Andheri
J B Nagar Link Rd,Chakala, Andheri (East)
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400093

Surrender / Cancel of LIC policy ?

2008-02-10T15:37:00.000+05:30

I was searching the web to find how worth is to cancel an existing LIC policy. But canceling a LIC policy seems to be major loss as discussed below in one of the forum.

We should never suggest surrendering an insurance plan as the surrender options always deduct the first year premium you've paid, and statutorily an insurance company need to only return 30% of your balance premiums paid plus all bonus accrued till that date, back to you, hence it would turn out to be a major loss as far as the investment you've done in that plan is concerned.
A more viable alternative is for you to check the rate of bonus that have been accrued into your insurance plan over the last 3-4 years and decide on whether you are satisfied with the returns. If not, always go for an option to make your policy "Paid Up".
When you make a policy paid up, it means you just ask the insurance company to reduce your existing life cover to a value corresponding to whatever premiums you have already paid. You will not be payin further premiums into that plan anymore, but your insurance cover will run the entire term of the plan, albeit at a lower sum assured, while at the same time freeing up your 15,000 bucks you have been investing every year, so that you can re invest that money into a more financially rewarding money instrument.

References:
http://www.xboard.us/showthread.php?t=144822&page=2

Auto keypad lock feature for Nokia N73

2008-02-10T14:53:00.003+05:30

I just realized that my new nokia N73 mobile lacks auto lock feature. My previous nokia mobiles like 1100 and 6020 used to have this feature built in. I didn't get what made nokia to remove this feature from N Series mobiles like N70 and N73.
N73 has an option called Autolock in Security, but you required to key in a lock code every time to unlock it. This would better be called as "Phone Lock" rather than "Keypad Lock". Default lock code is "12345" for newer mobiles. You can also press left menu button followed by * to manually lock and unlock, but it would be convenient if you could set it to lock automatically (as you could on previous phones).

With bit of googling, I found a third party software "AutoLock v1.1 (.sisx)" which provides this feature. It is very simple to install and works fine. I downloaded it from : http://s60addons.com/autolock/

How to install ?
Nokia PC Suit -> Install Applications -> Select AutoLock v1.1 (.sisx)

You can change the settings related to this application by going to:
Applications -> Autolock

There is online Nokia support forum http://discussions.nokia.co.uk/ which seems to discussing all these issues.

Looks like, N73 also lacks the following features:

Repetitive alarm. It's a pain setting the alarm every night.
Screen Saver. My previous Nokia 6020 mobile used have a Screen Saver which used to display "Time and Date" which is needed very often for me ;)
It can't display "Date" in stand by mode if "cell info display" enabled, it just displays time !

Even if you turn on "cell info display" by going to (tools-settings-network), it may not always display this information because of following reason according to Nokia support :

When you use "MCN" technology or "cell info display", the phone needs to be in a 2G network or set in a 2G mode. MCN broadcasters only work in a 2G network environment. When the WCDMA or 3G networks were launched that feature became harder to use.

Your only solution would be to leave it on and only view it when in a GPRS/EDGE (2G) network, or turn off your 3G and view it consistently, this option would obviously slow down your browsing speed etc and would also prevent you from being able to make video calls, the upside would be that your battery life would be extended.

How to turn off 3G?

Go to menu, tools, settings, network, network mode.

Dual mode: phone switches seamlessly between 3G/2G networks as per the availability in your location.

UMTS: Phone only operates in 3G mode i.e. if you fall out of 3G coverage the phone will have no signal at all, not even from a 2G beacon.

GSM: Phone shuts down 3G completely and goes into a power saving 2G mode where signal will only be received in a 2G network environment. As all cell towers started on the technology for 2G, you should never lose signal, have increased battery life, be able to view MCN and arguably better call quality.

Source:
http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/discussions/board/message?board.id=smartphones&thread.id=71507

Calcium

2008-02-02T16:03:00.000+05:30

Calcium is an element critical to many body functions, including bone growth and maintenance, muscle and nerve control, blood clotting, teeth, and blood pressure regulation. Bone mass is built until age 29 years or so. After that, you cannot build more bone by increasing your calcium intake, but you can help prevent bone loss by maintaining a good intake of calcium and vitamin D and exercising regularly.

Good Sources of Calcium

Milk (low- or non-fat varieties are best if you are watching your fat intake)

Yogurt

Cheese

Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, bok choy, collards and Chinese cabbage

Tofu

Canned salmon or any fish with bones

Calcium-fortified juices

Fiber

2008-02-02T15:33:00.000+05:30

Fiber refers to carbohydrates that is indigestible because we do not have enzymes to digest it. Fruits and vegetables are rich in dietary fibre.

Importance of dietary fibre:

provides bulk to the intestinal contents
stimulates peristalsis (rhythmic muscular contractions passing along the digestive tract)

Lack of dietary fibre in the diet leads to constipation (failure to pass motions).

According to Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, Source Of Fiber are :

Sources of Fiber

Soluble Fiber

Insoluble Fiber

oatmeal
oatbran
nuts and seeds

legumes

dried peas
beans
lentils

apples
pears
strawberries
blueberries

whole grains
(for more information on whole grains, click here)

whole wheat breads
barley
couscous
brown rice
bulgur

whole-grain breakfast cereals
wheat bran
seeds
carrots
cucumbers
zucchini
celery
tomatoes

Protein Supplements

2008-02-02T02:05:00.004+05:30

The nutritional requirements of someone who trains with heavy weights for athletic gain are higher than that of the average person, so to meet these requirements its not always possible to get necessary amount of protein from regular foods alone. This is where protein supplements comes into picture.

Just Be Cautious !

It is not really what you could call a disadvantage, but according to protein reviews, too much intake of whey protein supplements could be very harmful for your liver because of whey protein overload that could cause to a lot of serious damages. Anyway, we all know that too much of everything is bad and even though whey protein supplements could be very beneficial for us, it is best that we take the right amount for our bodies and take advantage of them by burning the calories.

Each protein supplement has its own advantages/disadvantages.

Whey protein supplements
Whey is best know for its ability to assist in building muscle mass. Increased muscle mass also produces weight gain as muscle out weighs fat. Body builders work extremely hard at turning that additional weight gain into a ripped body. Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process. The clear liquid whey is drained off from the cheese and dried into a powder. On the biological value scale, whey is rated at 159 in isolate form and 104 in concentrate form. The next closest to this is egg whites (88). Because of this high bioavailability, whey protein is the supplement of choice for most bodybuilders and athletes.

The weight gained from whey protein supplements should be managed through a ridged workout schedule combined with a formatted protein diet. By following a regulated workout routine, the increased muscle mass can produce awesome results. You must stick with the exercise and workout routine to prevent the possible heavy weight gain from ending up in places you rather it not be.

Whey protein supplements are rich in Arginine and Lysine which are amino acids that help stimulate the growth hormones that are very beneficial for body builders to increase their muscle mass. And since the use of steroids were banned from body building competitions, this is one of the best natural alternative to anabolic steroids to increase their muscle mass.

Supplement is very low in fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates which could very well be a major contribution when you are set to building more muscles and trying to lose some fat weight.

Because whey protein supplements can produce negative effects when not properly managed through a good diet and exercise program, it is advised to seek advice on your whey protein diet. Bodybuilding trainers and diet professionals can provide answers to whether or not a protein diet is right for you. Remember, most name brand manufacturers have websites. They normally reply to any email question concerning their products.

I have been using "Optimum Nutrition's Whey Protein (Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate flavor)". I am seeing improvement in my muscle growth but I can not comment much as a new user to this.

For information on other protein supplements click here.

References:

Protein

2008-02-02T01:48:00.003+05:30

Proteins are of great importance to anyone who is training with the intention of building muscle or increasing athletic performance. Lack of protein can cause growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and death. Eating lots of protein takes lots of calcium. Some of this may be pulled from bone. Following a high-protein diet for a few weeks probably won't have much effect on bone strength. Doing it for a long time, though, could weaken bone. Long-term high-protein diets should be used with caution, if at all. Protein is present in many foods such as eggs, meat, poultry and fish in abundant amounts and these foods should be incorporated into any healthy diet. Soybeans, tofu, grains, legumes, and dairy products such as milk and cheese and other soy-based foods are an excellent alternative to red meat. Proteins can be converted into carbohydrates through a process called gluconeogenesis. It is possible that eating more protein, especially vegetable protein, may benefit the heart.

Protein and weight control: You could lose weight by cutting out carbohydrates and eating plenty of protein. High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may work more quickly than low-fat diets.

According Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, Dietary Sources of Protein are :

FOOD	Serving	Weight in Gram	Protein grams	% Daily Value*
Hamburger, extra lean	6 ounces	170	48.6	97
Chicken, roasted	6 ounces	170	42.5	85
Fish	6 ounces	170	41.2	82
Tuna, water packed	6 ounces	170	40.1	80
Beefsteak, broiled	6 ounces	170	38.6	77
Cottage cheese	1 cup	225	28.1	56
Cheese pizza	2 slices	128	15.4	31
Yogurt, low fat	8 ounces	227	11.9	24
Tofu	1/2 cup	126	10.1	20
Lentils, cooked	1/2 cup	99	9	18
Skim milk	1 cup	245	8.4	17
Split peas, cooked	1/2 cup	98	8.1	16
Whole milk	1 cup	244	8	16
Lentil soup	1 cup	242	7.8	16
Kidney beans, cooked	1/2 cup	87	7.6	15
Cheddar cheese	1 ounce	28	7.1	14
Macaroni, cooked	1 cup	140	6.8	14
Soymilk	1 cup	245	6.7	13
Egg	1 large	50	6.3	13
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	56	5.4	11
White bread	2 slices	60	4.9	10
Rice, cooked	1 cup	158	4.3	9
Broccoli, cooked	5 inch piece	140	4.2	8
Baked potato	2x5 inches	156	3	6
Corn, cooked	1 ear	77	2.6	5

Basic Nutrition

2005-03-19T18:22:00.001+05:30

The first step to good health is to get familiarize yourself with following terminology. It will help you classify your food habits into good and bad.

1. Calories
2. Carbohydrates
3. Protein
4. Calcium
5. Vitamins
6. Fats
     - Cholesterol
     - Saturated fats
     - Unsaturated fat

Further Info:

1. http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/basicnutrition
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, January 2005.
3. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/