Drive Out Your Confusion Over Buying A Car --- Courtesy: Yahoo! India News

Before breaking my head much over ideas for my first blog post here, the first thing that popped into my mind was the face of my friend, who has been unnecessarily worked up about buying a car. While talking to him in this regard, I realised that he is just one of many others who is feeling confused or anxious about buying a car. Guys, feelings such as these are a normal part of the car buying process. Take a deep breath and relax, here are some things that may help you make your choice easier.

1. Do you really need a car?

The first question you should ask yourself is why do you need a car right now. Isn’t it absurd to drive to work when almost every office provides employees with transportation facilities? (The trend now is cycling to work). Do you need a car for your regular shopping trip to a supermarket that is just two minutes away from home? When we travel long distances we mainly use buses or trains. Occasionally you can even hire a car. So why do you need a car? I’m not discouraging you, but think twice and convince yourself about the necessity for a car.

2. Should you buy a new or used car?

Now that you decided to go ahead with your plans to buy a car, another question arises: Used or a brand new car? Buying a used car is not better than nor is it worse than going for a brand new car. It’s just a choice of preference. For some a car is a status symbol, while for others it is simply a means of moving around. The former would choose brand new cars whereas the latter might prefer used ones. However, the challenge of buying a used car is evaluating the condition of the car and determining whether you are getting a fair deal or overpaying. You could make use of Auto Calculators that could help you decide which is right for you.

3. The perfect car does not exist

No matter how much you research, discuss or test-drive, trust me, you are not going to find the perfect car. And that is not your goal, too. All you are trying to do is find the best vehicle for your needs, budget and happiness. And that’s it. So keep it simple.

4. Re-examine your budget

Understanding your finances and getting a good price from the dealer is critical if you don’t want the car buying experience to leave a bitter taste in your mouth. If you are going to pay for the car in one lump sum, there’s not much to be anxious about. But most car buyers finance their purchase and make monthly installments and then the amount you spend on the car has a huge impact on your overall budget. Work out how much cash you practically have to spend after rent, bills, entertainment and other expenditure have been considered. There was a time when the average car loan was up to three years. Now five years is the standard and banks are even offering six years or more. This allows you to buy more expensive cars than you can really afford, by stretching the payments out until the car is almost fully depreciated. It’s always better to buy a car that you can afford to pay off in 48 months, or even better, 36 months.

5. This is not a do-or-die situation

It’s quite natural to feel restless about making a mistake, of buying the wrong car or spending too much money. However it may be that your anxiety is befogging your thinking. Remember, this is not a do-or-die situation. Nor is it a test – you are not being rated or ranked here. So I’m telling you again, relax!

Don't skip brain food - eat your breakfast -- Courtesy: IANS

Wed, Jun 2 10:15 AM

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Are you suffering from acidity, obesity or reduced attention span? Perhaps you are skipping breakfast, also called brain food and the most important meal of the day.

People in cities tend to give breakfast a miss perhaps due to hectic lifestyles or in the belief that it will keep them slim. But experts say it could end up making people obese.

'People do not seem to have time for breakfast these days. They have every reason to avoid the healthy tradition of having a good nutritious breakfast,' Anita Jatana, chief dietician at the Batra Hospital here, told IANS.

Describing it as a change in perception and lifestyle, she said: 'People usually do not eat because of their tight work schedules, late night dinners, zero figure obsession or just anything else that keeps them away from a healthy breakfast.'

According to the dieticians, breakfast is most essential. They say breakfast must be balanced and should include nutrients like calcium (milk or milk products), proteins and fibre (sprouts or cereal), and some amount of antioxidants (apples, strawberries, banana, oranges, etc) and vitamins.

'Often called 'brain food', breakfast needs to be wholesome and it should essentially contain all the vital nutrients that the body craves for,' Ritika Samadar, chief dietician at Max Hospital, told IANS.

A nutritious breakfast is necessary to keep the body's metabolism going properly.

'Generally, there is a gap of 10 to 12 hours between the dinner and breakfast and it is anyway very long for the body to resist.' In case, breakfast is skipped, 'we add some more hours, hence affecting the body's metabolism', Samadar said.

Jatana feels long gaps between meals can also cause digestion problems. 'Not eating on time leads to a lot of ailments. Obesity, acidity, reduced attention span and ulceration are a few on the list.'

Owing a great deal to Kareena Kapoor's size zero, people have become obsessed with ultra thin figures and they feel not eating will help lose weight. But experts say it is the beginning of many problems.

'People think that if they skip breakfast, they will lose weight. But it is a myth. They gain weight at a faster rate instead because they end up eating more than in the normal course,' said Priti Vijay, head dietician at Max Hospital, Saket.

'In the long run, if more meals are skipped in a day than just the breakfast, it can also lead to shrinking of the stomach and intestines,' Jatana said.

The ideal time for breakfast is between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Any delay results in weight gain.

'Half of overweight patients have a tendency to skip breakfast,' said Vijay. 'Some 60 to 70 percent patients who come to me with digestion or stomach-related problems or for advice on weight gain disclose that they frequently miss their breakfast.'

Perhaps it is time to take an old proverb seriously - 'Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper'.

(Megha Mishra can be contacted at mishra.megha09@gmail.com)

Banker sues Citigroup after she was fired for being 'too hot'! -- Courtesy: ANI

Thu, Jun 3 12:25 PM

New York, June 3 (ANI): A female employee of Citibank was apparently fired from her job because her male colleagues found her 'too distracting'.

Debrahlee Lorenzana said that despite her turnout being professional, her male bosses and co-workers still found her too hot be around their cold cash.

"Shortly after the commencement of her employment, branch manager Craig Fisher and assistant branch manager Peter Claibourne began articulating inappropriate and sexist comments concerning plaintiff's clothing and appearance," The New York Post quoted her court filings as saying.

"The improper comments made to plaintiff by Fisher and Claibourne included, but were not limited to, advising her that she must refrain from wearing certain items of clothing, in particular, turtleneck tops, pencil skirts, fitted business suits, or other properly tailored clothing.

"In blatantly discriminatory fashion, plaintiff was advised that as a result of the shape of her figure, such clothes were purportedly 'too distracting' for her male colleagues and supervisors to bear."

The filing also read, "In a regressive response more suitable for reality television than a white-shoe corporation in the 21st century, plaintiff was advised that these other comparator females may wear what they like, as their general unattractiveness rendered moot their sartorial choices, unlike plaintiff, whose shapeliness could not be heightened by beautifully tailored clothing."

After rejecting a complaint and an application to be transferred, she was eventually moved to a new branch, she was reprimanded for failing to recruit new customers.

"The purported reasons for plaintiff's termination included that she failed to meet the required new account opening quotas, in addition to the credulity-straining assertion that her clothing choices were 'inappropriate,'" the suit said.

"Are you saying that just because I look this way genetically, that this should be a curse for me?" she told the Village Voice, which first reported her case.

In a statement, Citibank said, "We believe this lawsuit is without merit and we will defend against it vigorously."

Citibank has not commented for reasons of employee privacy but added that the bank has "a strong commitment to diversity and we do not condone, or tolerate, discrimination within our business for any reason." (ANI)

Speed of your smile can influence people's first impressions of you --- Courtesy: ANI

Mon, May 31 11:10 AM

 

London, May 31 (ANI): The speed of your smile can shape the first impressions others have of you, according to a new research.

Smiling too quickly can lead others to think that you are insincere, while slow grins appear more genuine.

As part of the research, a team of business advisors examined how smiling can give clients a positive impression.

They discovered that a smile, which appears too swiftly and does not extend to the eyes can sends signals that you lack sincerity.

They found that people should avoid three types of grin:

The Enthusiast - A huge smile showing all of your teeth and wide eyes can be overbearing.

The Big Freeze - A constant, practiced smile that lacks sincerity.

The Robot - A tiny, polite smile that doesn't display warmth.

"Studies show people perceive a slower, natural smile which floods the entire face to be more genuine," the Sun quoted Lesley Meechan of the Glasgow-based Go Group as saying.

Psychologist Bridget Hanna added: "Smiling all the time appears over-pleasing and lowers your status."

26/11: Indian investigators in US to question Headley ---- Courtesy: PTI

Tue, Jun 1 09:26 AM

 

A team of Indian investigators arrived in the US on Tuesday to interrogate for the first time David Coleman Headley, accused of helping Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists carry out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

The team comprises officers of the National Investigation Agency and a law officer. This will be for the first time that 49-year-old Pakistani-American Headley will be facing direct questions from Indian investigators since his arrest in October last year.

Besides the Indian team, those expected to be present during the questioning would be Headley's lawyer and an officer of the FBI.

The questioning of Headley, currently being held in the federal lock-up Metropolitan Correctional Centre in Chicago, is going to revolve around the places he had visited after the Mumbai terror attacks and the people he had remained in touch with during his stay in India.

Sources in India said the four-member team has prepared questions about his stay in the country especially during March 2009, his last visit to India.

The travel details of Headley, the globe-trotting prized asset of the LeT, are being sought mainly as investigators believe that this visit may have been to finalise the synchronised terror strikes on Jewish houses located in five cities, the sources said.

They said the government has kept 'backup staff' in readiness if the team needed any assistance.

The statement of Headley would be recorded by the Special Law Officer of India after which the NIA, which has registered a case against Headley and Pakistani-Canadian national Tahawwur Rana for waging war against the country and Unlawful Activities Prevention (Act), may file a chargesheet against him.

Headley, a Chicago-based American with roots in Pakistan, has already confessed to have conducted several reccees as part of the planning for the ghastly attacks that killed 166 people in the country's financial capital in November 2008.

After being arrested in October last year, the 49-year old entered into a plea bargain with the US government in March this year, wherein he offered to be available to foreign investigators through deposition, video conferencing or letters rogatory.

However, further details like for how many hours or days the Indian team would get access to Headley, were not yet given.

Headley's lawyer John Theis said last week he would not comment on any specific details of such an access and "would not be able to share specific information at this point" as to when and for how long the team from India can question Headley.

The team has been sent following a communication from the US Justice Department that all concerned officials and the lawyer of Headley will be available during their visit to facilitate their access to Headley.