Master Of The Game by Sidney Sheldon-Review

A truely very interesting and spellbounding novel. To say the truth the title of the novel describes the author better, rather than the characters. Indeed it is Sidney Sheldon who is the real MASTER OF THE GAME. I've read many works of his like "Best Laid Plans", "Are You Afraid Of the Dark", "A Stranger in the Mirror" etc but this particular novel really had the plot very well built.
I feel that this is one novel you will not want to put down. Once you start reading , you are hooked into getting nothing else accomplished in your life except completing this amazing book. It can be well said that Sidney Sheldon is one writer who excells in capturing romance, twisting plots, greed, intrigue, and a furthering menu of exciting characters...

A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE STORY (source: bukisa.com)

KATE BLACKWELL matriarch of the family flashes back to her ancestors starting with Jamie and his unlikely union with her mother MARGARET VAN DER MERWE.....
The story begins in 1883 with JAMIE MCGREGOR leaving his homeland of Scotland in pursuit of a fortune in the diamond mines of South Africa...After a lot of struggle Jamie eventually becomes successful and rich, but not without consequences.... He goes through an unwanted marriage ,eventually has a daughter named KATE who takes over the business her father had started..... Kate marries into the company and makes running it the primary focus of her life. However her son, TONY BLACKWELL is less enchanted with the business world and wishes to be a painter.... which dissappoints Kate enormously....
Kate is in desperate need for someone to take over the business before she dies. Tony married ,has twin daughters, Eve and Alexandra. The two look exactly the same, but are actually as different as night and day. ...Kate has the enormous task of testing the two before coming to any decision....
The story spans over a few generations..the underlying theme of struggling to survive/get ahead despite shady folks with shady deals is what makes the story interesting...
I feel that this is one novel you will not want to put down. Once the you start reading , you are hooked into getting nothing else accomplished in your life except completing this amazing book..
It is known that Sheldon likes to write stories about strong women. ..no doubt that many of the female characters in this story are strong, but most of them don't fare particularly well...
Kate is a strong woman no doubt, always knowing what she wanted and would stop at practically nothing to get it, but she is also ruthless and not too concerned with what the others might want of their life. Margaret is a doormat, who allows Jamie to treat her in a shabby manner... Alexandra is naive.... and Eve simply isn't human at all...No doubt that the writer needs to sketch different personalities, and not everybody cares too much about these minor flaws...
But somewhere at the end , I think Kate realizes that no matter how much money and recognition one gets, it can't buy you everything in life....namely Happiness..
However the book takes the reader through an amazing saga from the roots of severe poverty to the height of wealth. Sheldon takes us on an amazing journey with the twists and turns of each character and how one is connected to the other by improbable forces ......creates a book that is not only entertaining but spellbinding.

BREAK OVER!!

Hi everyone ! Great to be back on blogging after a long break of three months ufff!. I am so glad that most of my final year tensions in college which include main sem papers, project selection reviews etc etc are all over. Now i'm back again with a lighter head all set to resume my blogging skills:). Coming ahead are some interesting ones based on a few movies, tv shows, books, articles and facts etc which really inspired me a lot! Do read and enjoy:)

Totally Confused

Being in the verge of completing my under graduate course in IT, I am now totally confused as to wat to do next. Placements have become a big question due to the recession. CAT examinations for MBA in India is an open option but the college that we study matters a lot and am sure IAM's and IIT's are out of hand. Getting through GMAT and GRE might be a good option too. I really want to do an MBA outside India but most universities need atleast two years of experienced candidates. What should I do?? Work for two years then go for an MBA or Drop of job for now and do an MS.. I'm so confused****. If anyone has any good suggestions please help!!!!

HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally my exams are over. i have done them pretty well.. Now my holidays have begun and i have loads of plans.... :) Happy Holidays every one...

COUNT DOWN ON FOR MY SEMESTERS!!!

With only a couple of days to go for the exams semester fever has caught on to me... Somebody having medication for this PLZZ HELLLLLPPP!!!!

MY COLLEGE ROCKS

GOOD NEWS!!!! for all SRMists...our college has been short listed from the various engineering colleges of India to hold the eighth position in the top ten list of

"BEST ENGINEERING COLLEGES IN INDIA". Its proud to be student of one of the top ten colleges.. THREE CHEERS FOR SRM.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

MY college,department and classroom

Creating and maintaining a positive learning environment in a classroom is most essential for the success of a student and I think the IT department of SRM engineering college has done a wonderful job in building up this unique platform for us. Being a third year student of this department I sincerely feel that the classroom environment and the kind of training given to us has really helped us to improve our self confidence towards facing the real world. We are provided with a true perspective view of how to practically implement our skills in reality. Apart from interesting lectures and interactive classroom sessions, with the joint efforts of our Head of Department and staffs, we get to attend an informative seminar or workshop by a renowned person, almost every week. Some of the topics which I would like to mention are the latest technologies in IT, Cyber crimes, Networking, Enterprise etc. This has indeed provided us with good exposure towards the corporate field and helped us to gain a good amount of knowledge.

One main advantage in the pattern of coaching which we students really appreciate is that, we are given a large amount of extra information out of our books but then a bit more of practical exposure and experience in what we learn might help to improve our stream of knowledge and course of thinking. It may be either through individual mini projects or hands on experience etc.

Coming into the main picture of a classroom, we are provided with the best staffs, who not only strain to instill some kind of stuff into us but care for us as an individual. They look into our personal well-being and give us full freedom to approach them not as lecturers but as good friends in times of need. All teachers have rules and procedures but effective classroom managers decide in advance how they want their students to behave. Be a motivator! Yes that’s exactly what our staffs try to incorporate in us. It’s some kind of magic that they bestow on us. They ensure full discipline and as well make the class interesting. After all, sharing space with a friend or stranger is a new experience for most students. In addition, college is a stressful time, and the stress of final exams, homesickness, financial problems, all those other issues can exacerbate problems, considering that most of the students here are from other states. But then these indifferences have not stayed long as the track of our thoughts has been paved into a beautiful lane of innovations. I would proudly say that our classroom is the one where we people have really found out our true potential. It has indeed been a vital phase in kindling every individual’s personality as a whole.

THE INDIAN JOURNEY

With the upcoming of the 60th Republic day of India, Wishing all Indians a VERY HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY, I would like to dedicate my next new blog (THE INDIAN JOURNEY) towards bringing out the lively and unique history, culture and heritage of this country that has made me proud to be an Indian and influenced me in every way.

I would first like to start off with a few words about the marvel of the country..

Standing prestigious and tall with a marvelous untold glory India's history began with one of the most ancient civilizations, the Indus Valley civilization. Moving into the land ruled by the Cholas, the Mughal emperors, the Rajputs etc this country has yielded right from the past, some of the world's best rulers. Booming with a variety of religions, languages, cultures, geographic features etc. it is apt that India is called "UNITY IN DIVERSITY". According to me it’s the whole world in a single country. It is a unique place where either extremes, be it the deserts or the dense forests, the plains or the high mountains they’re all there in one, not to mention the rich flora and fauna. The places, the people, the food, the monuments, the architectural artifacts, the heritage, all of them provide a real treat.
Click on THE INDIAN JOURNEY to unveil the essence of this country.

MY TO_DO LIST

A few things I would like to do in my life
(Do read and provide some information on some of the places and to-do stuff so that it would be helpful for me)
--Travel the Amazon forests.

--Stand atop the Eiffel tower.

--Touch and cuddle a tiger cub.

--Fly or have a ride on a small plane.

--Write a novel.

--Learn at least seven to eight languages.

--Live in a tree house for a few days.

--Go sea and sky diving.

--Learn horse riding.

--Visit china and see a real Kungfu fight (live).

--Travel to any one of the poles.

--Go on a cruise.

--See a whale.

--To relish all the variety cuisines.

--See a shooting star.

--Grow a beautiful garden.

--Witness an erupting volcano.

--Visit Seal Island that lies near the Cape town in South Africa.

--Visit Egypt-Pyramids and The Great Sphinx of Giza and if luck permits to see a mummy at an excavation.

--Visit all the major places in India ( I’ve already visited Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Haridwar,Rishikesh,Varanasi,Shimla,Darjeeling,Kerala,Goa,Bangalore,Coimbatur,Andhra Pradesh).

PONGALO! PONGAL!

Thai Pongal is a harvest festival equivalent to a thanks giving event celebrated by Tamils across the world. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The act of boiling over of milk in the clay pot is considered to denote future prosperity for the family.

On January 2008, the Tamilnadu Government anounced that Pongal will be celebrated as 'Tamil New Year' from 2009 CE (Declaration Bill 2008).

Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it's a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the rain, sun and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. In villages, new clothes are worn and people owning cows find this festival important. Pongal is celebrated by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as Tamils worldwide, including those in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa, USA, Canada and Singapore. The festival is at least 1000 years old although some believe that the festival is more than 2000 years old.
Usually, the festival takes place January 12 — 15 (on the Gregorian calendar).

The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December — January) to the third day of Thai (January — February).
The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials, by setting them on fire, marking the end of the old Thai and the emergence of the new Thai.

The second day, Pongal, is the main day, falling on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 — 15). Also known as Sarkarai Pongal or Veetu Pongal, it is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel.
For Tamils, it is considered a good sign to watch it boil over, since it means that good luck and prosperity is forthcoming. Then New boiled rice is offered to the Nature during sunrise, a gesture which symbolises thanks to the sun and nature for providing prosperity. It is later served to the people present in the house for the ceremony.

The third day, Maattu Pongal, is for offering thanks to cattle, as they help farmer in different ways for agriculture. On this day the cattle are decorated with paint, flowers and bells. They are allowed to roam free and fed sweet rice and sugar cane.

During the final day, Kaanum Pongal (the word kaanum means "to view") people visit their relatives, friends to enjoy the festive season, but in the cities this day is synonymous with people flocking to beaches and theme parks to have a day out with their families

(wikipedia)

WISH U ALL A VERY HAPPY PONGAL AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR AHEAD!!!

GRAVE ECONOMIC CRISIS(How did it all start?)

Around the globe today, world banks are closing down, Industrial organizations are being shutdown and millions are losing jobs. People are being flooded into a state of desperation and fear. Where did this financial torment suddenly start from?
It all began when the newspapers flashed with the tragic news that the 4th largest investment bank in the US "LEHMANN BROTHERS" has been filed for bankruptcy. People from India who then had honorable jobs there have returned home.

Even though revenues (almost $7 trillion) had been flushed out in the US to bring up the financial sector, still it did little to improve the situation I guess. To improve the distribution of loans for student, credit card, auto and small business which had become hard to obtain, Fed had announced a package of $200 billion. But the downfall proved to be too big to be solved and the financial crisis is now taking its toll in the other countries as well. And India, even though it has been given repeated assurances of the strength of the economy, is no exception. The share market ‘sensex’ has nosed down to 8,500 points from the highest 21,000. The first 10 top giant industries have lost Rs 30,000 crores in a week's span from Nov 17-23, 2008.
The foreign Institutional Investors have withdrawn almost around Rs 45,000 crores resulting in the exchange value of Rs 50 or more against a dollar!! It is said that there are likely to be 25% to 30% job cuts in Iron, Cement, Construction, Real Estate, Aviation, It, BPO and Finance sectors. 60% of the IT, BPO sector dependent on America is in danger.

Well this shows the clear fact and we have to accept it. In the globalized world most national economies will collapse with America's downfall. No wonder if the situation becomes grave for India in the coming days... But lets all hope it doesn’t get too bad!! Hope all ends well...

-info source- SUCI(Socialist Unity Centre Of India)

The hard truth..

I sometimes start wondering.. What is the true meaning of life? Is it just that we are born, we grow up, we study, get into a good job, make a family, spend lavishly, save something, grow old and die!! Is that all?? What have we achieved from this? Where have we made a mark beyond our loved ones? How will the world know that we ever existed? It’s hard but the naked truth is that none of us has ever taken this issue seriously in our heads.

The Indian brain even though comparably more efficient is always set to a narrow path and doesn't think otherwise. With this mechanical set up we have gradually lost our self interests, forgotten our true selves, confused to follow a rare dream fearing the social consequences. Take the media for example every channel is set up with a commercial purpose. Why can't we think new? Is it an offence? Or is it the fear that people will start calling us crazy, just as they call the guy running behind snakes in the dangerous Amazon jungle in NGC.. So be it? Why fear? after all you are running after your dreams right.. What I feel is that most people in India respect revenue more than themselves. Well its not their fault. Our society is as such. It honors only those who have pride money and power. But it should change. Take our great heroes like Sania Mirza, Kalpana Chawla, Vishwanath Anand etc. Many would have thought it to be insane to run behind a ball or to dedicate your whole life towards a board and a set of coins. They would have probably been laughed at, at the beginning. But today none of the gossips remain. Only the achievements stand still. So when there are a few who can break the chains, why not everyone? After all we’re Indians too having the same blood flowing through us.
So many opportunities are now being provided without discrimination in India so I recommend grab it when it is still near. Innovate your ideas in a wider range touching every nook and corner of this world. Indians must be praised not only for their engineering and medical skills but also in the fields of oceanology, nanology, robotics, geology, archeology, paleontology etc where we have only a hand full of known faces.
We have the maximum of youth population with fresh ideas, but with a little bit of a twist in thoughts India can reach mighty heights.. Cheerio!!

Oh!! Wat a drag...

I have been on semester holidays for the past 1½ months now but believe me… I haven’t till now got the slightest feeling of a vacation. NAH AH!! Not even one bit. Guess why? Even though it’s a big break after a long semester, how could I possibly be happy when two of my most important semester papers are still NOT OVER!! Thanks to the heavy rains in Chennai during the last few weeks of December last year, the exams got postponed. I was extremely happy at that time, but dear god why should it have to be postponed to the NEXT SEMESTER! And with only about 10 days to go.. oh god I’m breeding butterflies in my stomach. I agree I had a full 1½ month to study, but honestly speaking who really does even want to touch a book when you still have so many days to go by.. There always has been a lame reason like “its just one day of rest no harm”, “oh chuck it!! just one more day” so on.. and so more.. Well, I did do some justice by practicing my aptitude skills in the MBA CAT classes but that itself I felt was too much consider it being a vacation. When else would we get to enjoy?? In the next one year or so I’ll be into a company breaking my head in front of a lappy which would follow me even during a break, hope not into my dreams..

I have so like forgotten what I had studied two months back, completely out of focus and in no mood to study anything and coming to think of studying everything from the beginning its definitely going to be a nightmare. Oh god! You helped me once with this by bringing down the rains, help me once again by tuning my brains.. I wonder what my other buddies are up to. Good Luck fellows!! Happy studying and don’t get weird ideas I’ve not yet started studying anything. This is just a pre-post. Cheerio!!!!

THAKA THIMI THA

Bharatanatyam is a divine form of art which according to me brings out and builds the entire personality of a person. It is the most ancient of all classical dances which is mainly practiced in Tamilnadu. It was nurtured in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times. Later it was codified and documented as a performing art in the 19th century by four brothers known as the Tanjore Quartet whose musical compositions for dance form the bulk of the Bharata Natyam repertoire even today.

Due to its wide range of movements and postures and the balanced mélange of the rhythmic and mimetic aspects lends itself well to experimental and fusion choreography.
This dance form is a 20th century reconstruction of Cathir, the art of temple dancers. Cathir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms. Bharatanatyam is usually accompanied by the classical Carnatic music. Bharatanatyam is considered to be a fire-dance — the mystic manifestation of the metaphysical element of fire in the human body. An authentic Baratanatyam dancer’s movements resemble that of a dancing fire. It is one of the five major styles (one for each element) that include Odissi (element of water), and Mohiniattam (element of air).

I being a holder of DIPLOMA in BHARATANATYAM from ILAKYA BHARATANATYALAYA, started learning this divine art right from childhood. It has given me a power to control my thoughts and maintain good physical health. It allows one to experience the maximum of expressions that the face muscles can render and thereby exercising them. This results in a natural glow of the face and purifies the mind.

THE MODERN FORM
Click to watch a video

The present social status of Bharatanatyam can be vowed to E.Krishna Iyer. While the Pandanallur style, Tanjore or Thanjavur, Vazhuvoor, Mysore, Kancheepuram were based on the art of rajadasis and are exoteric in nature, some others, like the Melattur style and Balasaraswati's style grew out of the devadasis' distinctly different esoteric art. In the ancient days this form of art was mainly practised by devadasis’ but today it is practised even by people of all gender and religion.

AN AUTHENTIC DANCER

A good dancer must be elegant, having the sense of thalam(beat) and music, expressive eyes, slender and flexible body, confident and pleasing. A male or a female who has practiced the art of dance is said to have qualities which both physically and physiologically far outweigh those of a normal person.

Long Term Investments

To make it all clear we will first have to understand what long term investments are and why they are essential?

Long term investment in general, is an investment instrument that matures over a long period of time i.e. a period of may be 10 years or so. It may be in the form of a bond, a debenture, or preferred stock/preference shares.

Now, what is the need for such long term investments where one has to wait for such a long time for good returns? Well, the answer lies in you. How long can an average man keep working? May be, until around 50 or at most till the age of 60. And after that??? What will you do for an income? Where will you go for money to sustain yourself after retirement?
Do you think that the Medicare and Social Security will look after your problems? If so, consider rethinking it!!!. Studies say that in a couple of years the social security could be bankrupt and the least of its worries will be to take note of your retirement. So hurry!! and start investing while you still have the time. Here are some useful tips and strategies for Long term Investing.

FIND YOUR REQUIREMENTS TO SET YOURSELF A GOAL

It has been said a billion times and now for the billion and one’th time-“ Proper goals must be set in order to make a proper investment”. Find out as to..
• How much returns you need and at what particular time of your life you need them?
• How much you can invest monthly?
• Can you do the investing by yourself or do you need someone’s guide?
Jot them down.

GET INTO THE RIGHT BAG!!

The second most vital thing to do is to choose the right company or firm. The firm you choose must adhere to your investment goals. You must hold the reigns even in their support. Most importantly look for businesses with the following traits:
1. Solid financials
2. Strong competitive position
3. At least 30% undervalued

The idea is to invest in trends that you believe to be true. Real trends that will shape your future life. You can then obviously mix it with trying to find trends that are not really visible yet or possibly trying to find small under covered companies that will grow with this trend. Buying established growth companies - dominant, hugely profitable firms with significant competitive advantages might be beneficial. These businesses grow for years and are unlikely to be displaced by anyone. But they're more likely to show 10% to 25% annual growth than 50% to 100% growth. You're probably not going to get a 10-bagger in a year with one of these companies, but 100% returns are possible.
One can consider investing in balanced funds too as it would help it to take advantage of both equity and debt markets over a cyclical period while for a medium term horizon equity fund with an SIP option is prudent decision.

KEEP YOUR INVESTMENT INTERVALS SHORT AND REGULAR

Try investing small amounts every month instead of bulky amounts. This might be helpful for you to invest on cheaper shares for the same stock pertaining to the dollar rate fluctuation. It would be best to invest around about 15% of your monthly income. But make sure that it does not interrupt your other essential expenses.

TRY TO GET SOME EXTRA MONEY

Efforts must be made to get as much extra money as possible for better investments. Figure out how to cut down your tax returns as close to zero as possible. You can try by claiming some more deductions on your W-4. Make better use of the tax refunds that are provided.

INVEST CLEVERLY

Make wise investments. Make the right choice of funds that are profit consistent. Do not take much of a risk but make sure your money is safe and investments are earning interest. Make frequent reviews of your investment portfolio.

ADVANTAGES OF LONG TERM INVESTMENTS
Even though long term investments do have some cons they are quite negligible when the positives are taken into consideration. This kind of investment gives you a security for your future and ensures that your money is growing to help you when you need it. So go for it!

And yes, it is quite important to note that if you are not very good at deciding where exactly to put your money into or how to find out what’s best for long time investing, better find yourself a trust worthy broker or a person who can be trusted to guide you through the process. Get suggestions from people who have invested before doing anything.