Note: this is an open letter I spontanelusly wrote to a Muslim Friend on facebook. I felt it was pertinent to replicate the letter on my Blog 'cause of the revevance of the matter and President Obama is also equivocating on the matter. Although in my opinion, I believe he aught to have taken an emphatic and firm stand as a Ruler of the Free World.
Dear Khurshid (an open letter to you and all others who ardently support the Islamic Center near Ground Zero, NY)
Assalamu alaikum.
I presume You & many a peace loving Muslim in the US and abroad embrace Islam via the Sufi Sect. Its very well known that these are non-violent groups and that is historically and factually substantiated.
You cannot speak that about Wahhabi and the Osama Bin Ladin and the Taliban types who are also Muslim.
The Sufi like the Aga Khan-is are peaceful Muslims and I know many and I have friends among many of them.
Radical Muslims do not agree with Sufi and Aga Khan-is any way.
Radical Islam is a genuine fear in the hearts and minds of people any where. Its not just Christians. Even Hindus and other religions fear them.
When you talk about Islam and pro Mosque at Ground Zero, the larger mass or the people you propose to reach with one line pro mosque and right wing hatred you are playing a part in racing up a ruckus quiet unnecessarily as well and its not becoming of a Sufi or Aga Khans Muslim to do that. Yes Right Wingers have an agenda and so do radicals from any Faith. I for one am very against mixing Politics and Religion. Right-wingers are a non issue any way when it comes to Politics. Proof: guys like Pat Robertson, Late Jerry Falwell or the like do not count even among the larger Christian Community, even if they have the money to hold TV programs et al and wield some influence. So do not use that as a fetish to support the Mosque.
More than any thing else its peoples sensitivities that have been hurt on 9/11 and from then on. The larger Radical Sunni group caused that.
If it was not them then it could have been the Radical Shia.
You cannot deny the fact that people in general have that ingrained and have left an indelible mark on them.
YES, people in America are ignorant on many matters and goading them into submission via one line matters about right wing agenda and such matters are not helpful.
Please understand how hurt people are about how much has been seared across the face of this most tolerant of Nations in the entire world other than India and some west European Nations. The Islamization of Europe has not gone well and you know that.
I respect you as a Sufi or Aga Khani Islamist but if you are a Radical on the types of the Taliban and Al Qaida Wahhabi then what you are proscribing is a slow end to the Western Freedom and fundamental rights of an Individual.
That is plain wrong, after the Western Education you have acquired and all else that comes with it.
I ask you this as an American and not as a person with a religious interest.
Far be that from me to do so. Thank you for perusing this matter and I have no malice towards you are any Muslim be it Sufi, AgaKhani, Sunni or Shia types. BUT I love FREEDOM and surely do not want to see the Islamization of the United States Of America. America is a Secular Nation and not a Christian Nation any way. On 9/11 that Secular Innocence was violated and people are distraught 'cause of that. So please cease from blaming every ill on the Republican Party.
Howard Dean a respected Doctor /Politician and the former DEM Party chair has also joined the matter about opposing the building of a Mosque at Ground Zero.
He is not a Republican. I appeal to you with folded hands to be aware of peoples feelings and that cuts across religions here in the US.
Here is an example of a British Citizen on You Tube and what he has to say about the matter. Again its just an opinion but he raises poignant questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjS0Novt3X4
I would also like to ask:
What is the guarantee that in your lofty and idealistic desire to see an Islamic Center and Mosque built near Ground Zero does not have Wahhabi and other Radicals piggy back riding on your innocent desires and to later pose a security threat to the United States? That may be too late.
Surely that is the case in Europe and the bombings and the chaos that abounds there due to attempted Islamization. Please answer. Do not skittle this matter or delete it.
Of course you have the freedom to delete and avoid answering.
I ask the above out of a clear conscience. There is no deviousness or guile in my mind to ask this openly. Majority of the people in the US are nice folks and they just gloss over matters cause they do not understand subtle nuances of issues out there. But deep down they want to know. Just consider I am asking on their behalf too.
There may be spelling and grammar errors in this letter. I wrote spontaneously as feelings came to mind and from other gleanings on a matter that is dear to every freedom loving person across Religions. No right thinking person will want to experience the Islamization of the United States. I have respect for all Religions and by Faith I am a Christian and not a Right Wing agenda guy. The LORD of my life never meddled with Politics. HE said render unto Caesar what belongs to him and render to GOD what belongs to GOD. Its a quote taken from the Bible>Mark 12:17. He accepted human government and gave himself up to human authorities to die as a human 'cause HE loves mankind. That was HIS message while on earth. Whether one chooses to believe in HIM or ignore him or call him what ever. He did his part. This whole letter has been framed without any malice towards any one or any religion. I love and respect all religions.
I was taught to do so in my formative years growing up in India and I value that teaching to me and my siblings by my earthly parents. I am proud to bring that heritage and values with me here in the US, as an American Citizen.
Thanks Khurshid,
With regards & affection,
Koshy
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
This Tax Season: You have choices. Which way will you swing?
Dear Friend,
With every passing year the Tax Rules & Laws get more complex here in the US. Which in turn means more hours spent on figuring out matters that concern you, in order to get your taxes e-filed/filed. This is more so challenging if you are into doing it all yourself.
There are some pertinent questions you need to ask yourself as the Tax Payer.
Before I blog further on that specifically, let me share something from the heart, that concerns all of us including yours truly.
We live in a nation called United States, that is essentially Free, in every which way you look at it. Great! and I love it as much as we all do.
Along with that comes the sincere need to be aware of every nitty gritty choice we make based on sound bytes that influence us via ads etc. Infact it better be well informed choices otherwise we are called and challenged to reconsider every now and then. Be it, simple matters of decision making or complex decisions of life in general. We are forced to reckon with them all the time, with every passing year.
The pertinent question you need to ask your self concerning your tax filing is what I am attempting to narrow down the focus to, via this blog:
In my humble opinion and in my Practice of the Profession, I find US Individual Tax Payers fall under three buckets:
1. Those who like their independence and like to do it all themselves and do not mind long hours figuring out the language and explanations on their respective market tax soft ware. Be it on a CD or web based.
Of course, all this at the cost of precious quality family time or other more useful engaging pursuits and still not necessarily get it all right or risk getting a notice from the IRS for a wrong deduction, credit or exemption claimed!
Trust me, I have seen many such instances last year. Which is also one of the reasons I am blogging.
I also want to direct you to a Yelp Comment by one of my clients. This was a "do it your self die-hard individual for years" !
http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=0E73ciiT020UtAvJtIg-OA#
or,
2. Those who prrefer to do it themselves and then have a Professional review their work on taxes before e-filing themselves! These folks are wiser than category # 1 above.
or,
3. This category sincerely believe that they will, have a Licensed Tax Professional take care of the entire matter, who will ensure their interests foremost in mind, at reasonable fees. This option frees them up and trust me you will live a longer and better quality Life in every other way you choose to make it happen.
I have many confessions and instances to share of people experiencing that truth just because they have a reliable Licensed Tax Professional taking care of their taxes.
This Tax Season: If you find yourself in the 2nd or 3rd bucket of People's mindsets you are welcome to contact me or I would encourage you to see another Licensed Professional of your choice. I am not trying to wean you away from your favorite Tax Professional: who ever he or she may be. Perish that Thought! We live in a land of choices and I am the first to honor and respect that freedom, we all cherish.
My purpose is not to wean you away from your pet pursuit of doing your taxes your self, either: Manually or with Market Tax Software. If you know what you are doing, then sure why not?
However, if you find it an increasing pain with every passing year, then ponder on the matters I have attempted to share and tried, to reach out to you: my friend.
The same arguments I shared above hold good for those who run small business entities or run Non Profit Entities and like to do their taxes themselves. Please consider visiting a Licensed Tax Professional to get such work done, for your own good. I mean it with all my heart out of genuineness and sincerity.
The choice you make is yours and I respect that at all times!
Best wishes to you with your Taxes for 2009. Paying taxes is an onerous task of every Citizen and Resident of the US or any other Democratic Nation in the World. Its part of Nation Building Activity to pay taxes to the Nation that helps us to live in Freedom and Liberty with progressive thinking. However you owe it to yourself to ensure that you pay as much taxes as you necessarily need to pay to the Government and make use of valid savings, exemptions, credits & deductions made available to you by the Tax Rules, and avail them rightfully every year! The Government encourages people to save through such measures and does believe that more Money in your hands is good for you.
Though every government has varying perceptions about who to tax etc, in general, the fact of the matter is Good Governments every where do encourage its Tax Paying citizens and residents to save money in their respective attempts to advance Society.
I hope this blog was useful to you. Thanks for taking time to read and ponder.
Your friendly CPA @
http://www.kpgcpa.net/
Koshy
With every passing year the Tax Rules & Laws get more complex here in the US. Which in turn means more hours spent on figuring out matters that concern you, in order to get your taxes e-filed/filed. This is more so challenging if you are into doing it all yourself.
There are some pertinent questions you need to ask yourself as the Tax Payer.
Before I blog further on that specifically, let me share something from the heart, that concerns all of us including yours truly.
We live in a nation called United States, that is essentially Free, in every which way you look at it. Great! and I love it as much as we all do.
Along with that comes the sincere need to be aware of every nitty gritty choice we make based on sound bytes that influence us via ads etc. Infact it better be well informed choices otherwise we are called and challenged to reconsider every now and then. Be it, simple matters of decision making or complex decisions of life in general. We are forced to reckon with them all the time, with every passing year.
The pertinent question you need to ask your self concerning your tax filing is what I am attempting to narrow down the focus to, via this blog:
In my humble opinion and in my Practice of the Profession, I find US Individual Tax Payers fall under three buckets:
1. Those who like their independence and like to do it all themselves and do not mind long hours figuring out the language and explanations on their respective market tax soft ware. Be it on a CD or web based.
Of course, all this at the cost of precious quality family time or other more useful engaging pursuits and still not necessarily get it all right or risk getting a notice from the IRS for a wrong deduction, credit or exemption claimed!
Trust me, I have seen many such instances last year. Which is also one of the reasons I am blogging.
I also want to direct you to a Yelp Comment by one of my clients. This was a "do it your self die-hard individual for years" !
http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=0E73ciiT020UtAvJtIg-OA#
or,
2. Those who prrefer to do it themselves and then have a Professional review their work on taxes before e-filing themselves! These folks are wiser than category # 1 above.
or,
3. This category sincerely believe that they will, have a Licensed Tax Professional take care of the entire matter, who will ensure their interests foremost in mind, at reasonable fees. This option frees them up and trust me you will live a longer and better quality Life in every other way you choose to make it happen.
I have many confessions and instances to share of people experiencing that truth just because they have a reliable Licensed Tax Professional taking care of their taxes.
This Tax Season: If you find yourself in the 2nd or 3rd bucket of People's mindsets you are welcome to contact me or I would encourage you to see another Licensed Professional of your choice. I am not trying to wean you away from your favorite Tax Professional: who ever he or she may be. Perish that Thought! We live in a land of choices and I am the first to honor and respect that freedom, we all cherish.
My purpose is not to wean you away from your pet pursuit of doing your taxes your self, either: Manually or with Market Tax Software. If you know what you are doing, then sure why not?
However, if you find it an increasing pain with every passing year, then ponder on the matters I have attempted to share and tried, to reach out to you: my friend.
The same arguments I shared above hold good for those who run small business entities or run Non Profit Entities and like to do their taxes themselves. Please consider visiting a Licensed Tax Professional to get such work done, for your own good. I mean it with all my heart out of genuineness and sincerity.
The choice you make is yours and I respect that at all times!
Best wishes to you with your Taxes for 2009. Paying taxes is an onerous task of every Citizen and Resident of the US or any other Democratic Nation in the World. Its part of Nation Building Activity to pay taxes to the Nation that helps us to live in Freedom and Liberty with progressive thinking. However you owe it to yourself to ensure that you pay as much taxes as you necessarily need to pay to the Government and make use of valid savings, exemptions, credits & deductions made available to you by the Tax Rules, and avail them rightfully every year! The Government encourages people to save through such measures and does believe that more Money in your hands is good for you.
Though every government has varying perceptions about who to tax etc, in general, the fact of the matter is Good Governments every where do encourage its Tax Paying citizens and residents to save money in their respective attempts to advance Society.
I hope this blog was useful to you. Thanks for taking time to read and ponder.
Your friendly CPA @
http://www.kpgcpa.net/
Koshy
Monday, January 11, 2010
With every new tweet from Shashi say: "All is well with Shashi Tharoor"
People in India need to grow up! They need to shed the namby pamby attitude they show at every tweet from Shashi.
Shashi is a world class statesman who takes on the role of a Politician in India and with his feet on the ground is ploughing away at age old withered ideas with a smile on his face, even through all the brick bats being hurled at him for many a silly reason.
I admire him for his tenacity and keeping at it and not letting 'it' get to him even if there is an occasional faux paus.
Why is the Indian Government trying to curb his Rights to Freedom Of Speech and chastize him for a frivilous thing such as a tweet???? The right of speech is granted to him by the very constitution of India as a Birth Right and there is nothing unconstitutional about what he says on his tweets. There have been famous non conformists in the past.....such as George Fernandes and others who were never censured for stirrign up a rukus in the past anals of Indian Politics.....then why this gentleman needs to be censured ......I pray can any one lend credence to this argument .....please......
He seems to have adopted the "All is well" mantra of the run away hit: 3 Idiots! Gr8! Good for him. He is indeed ahead of the times and with every passing day is getting to be more endearing with the young masses of India under 40. Who do constitute the back bone of the future Indian Polity.
He is made of steel and he is demonstrating it well....I just hope he does not get fed up and decides to call it a day.
Shashi, please stay on and continue to battle the "Hum Nahin Sudherenge" attitude that is continuously being showered on you and they are trying to make you compliant.
Please continue to be a non-conformist. Your methods are Gandhian and Nehruvian, I should like to think.
Its a good ploy to defeat sycophancy that abounds in Indian Politics and a clinging on to the British Raj mentality. Hopefully it all works out well for you in the end....Jai Hind!
Shashi is a world class statesman who takes on the role of a Politician in India and with his feet on the ground is ploughing away at age old withered ideas with a smile on his face, even through all the brick bats being hurled at him for many a silly reason.
I admire him for his tenacity and keeping at it and not letting 'it' get to him even if there is an occasional faux paus.
Why is the Indian Government trying to curb his Rights to Freedom Of Speech and chastize him for a frivilous thing such as a tweet???? The right of speech is granted to him by the very constitution of India as a Birth Right and there is nothing unconstitutional about what he says on his tweets. There have been famous non conformists in the past.....such as George Fernandes and others who were never censured for stirrign up a rukus in the past anals of Indian Politics.....then why this gentleman needs to be censured ......I pray can any one lend credence to this argument .....please......
He seems to have adopted the "All is well" mantra of the run away hit: 3 Idiots! Gr8! Good for him. He is indeed ahead of the times and with every passing day is getting to be more endearing with the young masses of India under 40. Who do constitute the back bone of the future Indian Polity.
He is made of steel and he is demonstrating it well....I just hope he does not get fed up and decides to call it a day.
Shashi, please stay on and continue to battle the "Hum Nahin Sudherenge" attitude that is continuously being showered on you and they are trying to make you compliant.
Please continue to be a non-conformist. Your methods are Gandhian and Nehruvian, I should like to think.
Its a good ploy to defeat sycophancy that abounds in Indian Politics and a clinging on to the British Raj mentality. Hopefully it all works out well for you in the end....Jai Hind!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Dicing & Splitting India further & the resulting catastrophe!
I am a big fan of Dr. Singh and Chiddu but the crass mind of many a silly politician in India knows no diplomacy or decency. We all know that our parliament has an almost 70% of such jokers. Who sadly do wield tremendous vote banks of ignorant and poor masses that can steer up a real ruckus that no decent Indian in public life can easily handle BUT cave in to the hysteria?
Venom # 1: Ajit Singh (former Charan Sing's son), who wants Harit Pradesh carved out of UP
Venom # 2: The Haryana gang of Chautala & Sons may need another
Venom # 3: The North Eastern States low lying despots
Venom # 4: Other UP, MP and Bihar despots
Venom # 5: Mulyam and Laloo may also want their share of the pie for them and their sons and progeny.
If hunger strike until death works for a "K. Chandrashekar Rao from AP & in the bargain can reap Telengana for himself" then it will work for us too, they are likely to think and rally a band to sit at the gates of Parliament and hunger away.....NO matter what ever justifications may be righfully advanced for this new State of Being and its coming into existence! Its a signal that will launch countless more demands on similar lines and newer justifications still!
Please pause for a moment and think about the fissures and fractures this can cause to the unity of India.
Some fools say: USA has 50 States lets have 50 too! How idiotic to think like that! What do the people who say this know any thing beyond the 25 to 30 miles of the radius of their peanut brains???
Forming a State is that easy right? All it takes is a hunger strike by a prominent leader and the Nation's government will come on its knees!!!
Growing up in India, even though I am from Kerala, my parents ALWAYS told me and taught me and my sisters that: "YOU ARE FIRST AN INDIAN before you are a malayalee. NEVER have parochial tendencies as an Indian. Respect every language, every religion and every culture and its people within India."
Venom # 6: Worst of all do you think others of AP will yield to giving away Hyderabad that easily to Telengana???.....the list of madness and its resulting calamities& how it can keep India down could go on ad-infinitum! The founding fathers saw this and that's the reason Indian States were largely carved out on linguistic lines.
What really has gone wrong is: Corrupt minded and self seeking politicians and their money power over ignorant masses coupled with a wacko Indian bureaucracy that needs uprooting and revamping and an archaic system called Parliamentary democracy (that when misused & hijacked) always fails and can fracture development. Which as you and I will agree is most important in India. DEVELOPMENT at various levels.
SO BE AFRAID! INFACT you and I and all of right thinking Indians and Indians worldwide need to be very afraid of what a bunch of fools can do to paralyze India by way of agitations, mass hysteria and passions running wild. Can you imagine the calamities.......and financial costs.....I do not want to go there.
YES none of it has happened so far. But it could....that's what I wrote about and it’s just a serious opinion.
So do not "pooh, pooh" the matter that simply, my friend.
I know my blog is hard hitting, but analyze it carefully and you will realize it’s not "jumping to conclusions".
The potential to foment trouble of the proportions I am talking about: within the Indian Union is scary, no matter how much it may be down played. What also happens is that decent politicians such as Dr. Singh and Chiddu ….like minded folks like us who may not be used to hard bargaining tactics of the crass politician can easily cave in... ...You need a Late Sardar Patel kind of dynamic or a politically savvy mind of the former Sir Chetpat Pattabhirama Ramaswami Iyer, KCSI, KCIE (Tamil: சேத்துப்பட்டு பட்டாபிராம ராமசவாமி அய்யர், Malayalam: ചേത്തുപ്പട്ടു പട്ടാഭിരാമ രാമസ്വാമി അയ്യര്) (b. November 12, 1879–September 26, 1966), also called "C. P."
NO, I am not calling for the separation of Former Travancore in Kerala as another State....please do not get me wrong. All I am saying is we need a person or persons with the iron will to catch the "Bull by the horn, quell violence and any nonsense" and deal with real issues confronting India......Possible???...... Then I am relieved!
No more Splits and Dicing of India please.
We are a people group and we should think INDIA and Development on all fronts and not let some foolish politicians resort to the easy route of abusing the Father of the Nation by subtle misuse of Gandhigiri, to suit their selfish ends!
Please Bureaucrats and right thinking Politicians of India rally around and STOP the menace of "Indian Batwara"!
We are now becoming a laughing stock on the world arena too!
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1947392,00.html
Is'nt that SAD!
Venom # 1: Ajit Singh (former Charan Sing's son), who wants Harit Pradesh carved out of UP
Venom # 2: The Haryana gang of Chautala & Sons may need another
Venom # 3: The North Eastern States low lying despots
Venom # 4: Other UP, MP and Bihar despots
Venom # 5: Mulyam and Laloo may also want their share of the pie for them and their sons and progeny.
If hunger strike until death works for a "K. Chandrashekar Rao from AP & in the bargain can reap Telengana for himself" then it will work for us too, they are likely to think and rally a band to sit at the gates of Parliament and hunger away.....NO matter what ever justifications may be righfully advanced for this new State of Being and its coming into existence! Its a signal that will launch countless more demands on similar lines and newer justifications still!
Please pause for a moment and think about the fissures and fractures this can cause to the unity of India.
Some fools say: USA has 50 States lets have 50 too! How idiotic to think like that! What do the people who say this know any thing beyond the 25 to 30 miles of the radius of their peanut brains???
Forming a State is that easy right? All it takes is a hunger strike by a prominent leader and the Nation's government will come on its knees!!!
Growing up in India, even though I am from Kerala, my parents ALWAYS told me and taught me and my sisters that: "YOU ARE FIRST AN INDIAN before you are a malayalee. NEVER have parochial tendencies as an Indian. Respect every language, every religion and every culture and its people within India."
Venom # 6: Worst of all do you think others of AP will yield to giving away Hyderabad that easily to Telengana???.....the list of madness and its resulting calamities& how it can keep India down could go on ad-infinitum! The founding fathers saw this and that's the reason Indian States were largely carved out on linguistic lines.
What really has gone wrong is: Corrupt minded and self seeking politicians and their money power over ignorant masses coupled with a wacko Indian bureaucracy that needs uprooting and revamping and an archaic system called Parliamentary democracy (that when misused & hijacked) always fails and can fracture development. Which as you and I will agree is most important in India. DEVELOPMENT at various levels.
SO BE AFRAID! INFACT you and I and all of right thinking Indians and Indians worldwide need to be very afraid of what a bunch of fools can do to paralyze India by way of agitations, mass hysteria and passions running wild. Can you imagine the calamities.......and financial costs.....I do not want to go there.
YES none of it has happened so far. But it could....that's what I wrote about and it’s just a serious opinion.
So do not "pooh, pooh" the matter that simply, my friend.
I know my blog is hard hitting, but analyze it carefully and you will realize it’s not "jumping to conclusions".
The potential to foment trouble of the proportions I am talking about: within the Indian Union is scary, no matter how much it may be down played. What also happens is that decent politicians such as Dr. Singh and Chiddu ….like minded folks like us who may not be used to hard bargaining tactics of the crass politician can easily cave in... ...You need a Late Sardar Patel kind of dynamic or a politically savvy mind of the former Sir Chetpat Pattabhirama Ramaswami Iyer, KCSI, KCIE (Tamil: சேத்துப்பட்டு பட்டாபிராம ராமசவாமி அய்யர், Malayalam: ചേത്തുപ്പട്ടു പട്ടാഭിരാമ രാമസ്വാമി അയ്യര്) (b. November 12, 1879–September 26, 1966), also called "C. P."
NO, I am not calling for the separation of Former Travancore in Kerala as another State....please do not get me wrong. All I am saying is we need a person or persons with the iron will to catch the "Bull by the horn, quell violence and any nonsense" and deal with real issues confronting India......Possible???...... Then I am relieved!
No more Splits and Dicing of India please.
We are a people group and we should think INDIA and Development on all fronts and not let some foolish politicians resort to the easy route of abusing the Father of the Nation by subtle misuse of Gandhigiri, to suit their selfish ends!
Please Bureaucrats and right thinking Politicians of India rally around and STOP the menace of "Indian Batwara"!
We are now becoming a laughing stock on the world arena too!
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1947392,00.html
Is'nt that SAD!
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Pulverization & Decimation of India: not from outside BUT sadly from within!
A mad bull has been let loose on Indian terra firma, that's what I infer from the recent demands for new Statehoods growing like a can of worms. Foolishness knows no end!
Self seeking politicians, no good politicians who wield fiefdoms almost like Maharajahs see their great chance to become “Chief Ministers” and a weak central government of Coalitions is confabulated and finds its self increasingly on a sticky wicket.
Will this be the beginning of the end just when India seemed to be a powerful Union and a force in the Sub continent & the world.
Will there ever be a moment when the Nation's people groups collectively resolve to say: “We will never again say “Hum Nahin Sudherenge” ever again???? We need to change and change for the better of man kind and the world!”
SO LETS STOP PLAYING PAROCHIAL, OTHERWISE INDIA WILL BE DECIMATED AND THE WORLD'S FOREMOST BANANA REPUBLIC WOULD BE INDIA AND NOT THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA (AS IS OFTEN REFERRED TO WHEN THE ISSUE OF BANANA REPUBLICS IS DISCUSSED ON FORUMS).
Mahatma Gandhi and India's founding fathers died in vain for India's freedom from the British Raj and what Winston Churchill opposed all along i.e. Indian Independence, seems to be staring at us like a ghost in the wake of seeking deliberate rampant pulverization & decimation by India by its own people some 60+ years after Independence. Where once they shed their blood for the unity of India, some 60 some years later we are watching a spectacle unfold that seems to suggest that India is breaking up????
The neighboring nations are watching, the world is watching and now India looks very vulnerable.
The greatest enemy of India is not a neighboring nation: be it China or Pakistan or a militant Nepal or Sri Lanka. Its its own foolish self seeking politicians and the lack of political will to change the stupid parliamentary Form Of Democracy that Indian politicians continue to enjoy as this present system keeps their coffers full and overflowing. An empty mind is the Devil's workshop. That empty mind is that of the reckless & insipid politician of India. The rotten lot!
The best way out for India is an imposition of a Temporary form of Emergency and then revamp the whole system to a Presidential Form Of Government and rapid development to quell the madness of newer state hoods by resortin to "fast until death" scenarios. In a land where self imolition is not uncommon (very similar to the Jihadists) this madness will only snowball into a major storm in time to come, if not seriously addressed through an Emergency or another drastic measure by the Legislative Arm of Indian Democracy!
I see this Telengana Virus becoming an epidemic and it has the potential to paralyze India or Bharat or Hindustan as its know.
God save India! Stop the menace of new state hood demands and instead kill ancient archaic bureaucracy and illiteracy and catch the bull by the horn and develop rapidly to change the tide!
DEVELOPMENT with a Capital D of India's infra structure, education, health reforms, annihilation of dying British Raj Style Bureaucracy is the only hope for India and not every day new demands for state hoods by a bunch of bandicoots and irrational politicians!
Wake Up India and Indians and let saner council prevail! The world needs a United India and not a fractured India or an India that washes its dirty linen in public in the full glare of the world media! Jai Hind!
Note: I was spurred to write this blog after watching the recent spate of political violence in India, for new statehoods.
Case in point: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/centres-nod-to-telangana-spurs-demand-for-9-new-states/106852-37.html
I love India too much to ever want the title of my blog to ever come true! May that never be the case!
Thanks for reading folk! As always your comments are very welcome!
Self seeking politicians, no good politicians who wield fiefdoms almost like Maharajahs see their great chance to become “Chief Ministers” and a weak central government of Coalitions is confabulated and finds its self increasingly on a sticky wicket.
Will this be the beginning of the end just when India seemed to be a powerful Union and a force in the Sub continent & the world.
Will there ever be a moment when the Nation's people groups collectively resolve to say: “We will never again say “Hum Nahin Sudherenge” ever again???? We need to change and change for the better of man kind and the world!”
SO LETS STOP PLAYING PAROCHIAL, OTHERWISE INDIA WILL BE DECIMATED AND THE WORLD'S FOREMOST BANANA REPUBLIC WOULD BE INDIA AND NOT THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA (AS IS OFTEN REFERRED TO WHEN THE ISSUE OF BANANA REPUBLICS IS DISCUSSED ON FORUMS).
Mahatma Gandhi and India's founding fathers died in vain for India's freedom from the British Raj and what Winston Churchill opposed all along i.e. Indian Independence, seems to be staring at us like a ghost in the wake of seeking deliberate rampant pulverization & decimation by India by its own people some 60+ years after Independence. Where once they shed their blood for the unity of India, some 60 some years later we are watching a spectacle unfold that seems to suggest that India is breaking up????
The neighboring nations are watching, the world is watching and now India looks very vulnerable.
The greatest enemy of India is not a neighboring nation: be it China or Pakistan or a militant Nepal or Sri Lanka. Its its own foolish self seeking politicians and the lack of political will to change the stupid parliamentary Form Of Democracy that Indian politicians continue to enjoy as this present system keeps their coffers full and overflowing. An empty mind is the Devil's workshop. That empty mind is that of the reckless & insipid politician of India. The rotten lot!
The best way out for India is an imposition of a Temporary form of Emergency and then revamp the whole system to a Presidential Form Of Government and rapid development to quell the madness of newer state hoods by resortin to "fast until death" scenarios. In a land where self imolition is not uncommon (very similar to the Jihadists) this madness will only snowball into a major storm in time to come, if not seriously addressed through an Emergency or another drastic measure by the Legislative Arm of Indian Democracy!
I see this Telengana Virus becoming an epidemic and it has the potential to paralyze India or Bharat or Hindustan as its know.
God save India! Stop the menace of new state hood demands and instead kill ancient archaic bureaucracy and illiteracy and catch the bull by the horn and develop rapidly to change the tide!
DEVELOPMENT with a Capital D of India's infra structure, education, health reforms, annihilation of dying British Raj Style Bureaucracy is the only hope for India and not every day new demands for state hoods by a bunch of bandicoots and irrational politicians!
Wake Up India and Indians and let saner council prevail! The world needs a United India and not a fractured India or an India that washes its dirty linen in public in the full glare of the world media! Jai Hind!
Note: I was spurred to write this blog after watching the recent spate of political violence in India, for new statehoods.
Case in point: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/centres-nod-to-telangana-spurs-demand-for-9-new-states/106852-37.html
I love India too much to ever want the title of my blog to ever come true! May that never be the case!
Thanks for reading folk! As always your comments are very welcome!
Friday, November 27, 2009
All that glitters is not Gold!
"All that glitters is not Gold!", we know that from Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'. Its an ancient proverb too! I was reminded of it from recent events over shadowing the world.....Friend, you are welcome to read more in my latest blog below!
Tremors of rampant, mindless distorted Capitalism is leading us into the pitfall of this new vortex & deep abyss springing from the "Affluent Middle Eastern Emirate, which I have termed 'Dubai, LLC'"!
Tremors of rampant, mindless distorted Capitalism is leading us into the pitfall of this new vortex & deep abyss springing from the "Affluent Middle Eastern Emirate, which I have termed 'Dubai, LLC'"!
Once again vicariously Capitalism will be faulted though in reality what surfaces is the fact that proprietary questions were never asked or even if they were: by the Lending Institutions and Governements that participated in 'Dubai LLC', the illusions & Blind Faith held precedence over rational thinking on investment policies in this Sheikhdom.....how much more will the mints print.....and to what avail as the blame game does its rounds in the minions of power in 'so called Affluent Capitals"!
This fall out will reveal many matters as plastic smiles will wear thin with the cascading effects of this fall.
It could even shake citadels of power in the Emirate itself as the real loss of wealth will be experienced in this once "Camel to Cadillac" world of illusions and make believe, is forced to come to terms with harsh realities that there is no quick and easy way to Democracy and Institutions and you cannot surely splurge your way to it. It does call for a fair share of blood, sweat and tears. One only needs to look at the democratic values establised in India and in the West to guage that truth.
To my mind (even though I lived in this emirate for 5.5 years of my life in the 90's and benefited from its good times: being an ardent student of Economics, Finance & Auditing, I could not help wondering then and now) will all that Glitters be Gold ??? .....and if it does perenially then its not in Las Vegas but its in Dubai. Las Vegas is what it is. There is no pretence about it. But Dubai is almost a nation in itself even though its really one of the Seven Emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Well those words which I thought in the innards of my mind are coming true and establishing what the original ancient maxim always stated: "All that glitters is not gold".
Some of you may read my blog and think I am a sadist. NO! I do feel for many friends who are living there and are enduring all this innocently. My heart goes out to them just the same way I am experiencing here in the US with the recession and its own rigmarole.
Dubai does not have the safety net the Institutions of the US offer its residents and Citizens.
Its a giant LLC (Limited Liability Company) and what an LLC is. I would not call it "Dubai Incorporated" or Dubai, Inc. Its Dubai, LLC and the months and years to follow may perhaps justify that reality. Unless some friendly emirate or Nation comes to its rescue.
Then again in these times even Nations have only fair weather friends......I sincerely hope that is not the case, 'cause the risk and stakes are very high and the touted 59 billion soverign debt is not likely to be the actual ipso facto of the whole real story either!
From today I believe the blog site that I named "We are 'Like this only'" extends not just to India and the SAARC region but to the World as well. Especially in the light of this new blog posting. Accordingly I changed the general note to all my blogs to say "my spontaneous world views..."
Thanks for taking time to peruse this blog. As always, please feel welcome to comment. Irrespective of whether you agree or disagree with my views.
The above blog was prompted by the article in the link below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/business/global/28dubai.html
The above blog was prompted by the article in the link below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/business/global/28dubai.html
XXX-XXX
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Significance of an Entity's Name
Note: Some of my clients have been laboring over their new Company Name. I always tell them to get their name right for many reasons. I am sharing below views expressed by other professionals too on the Significance of a Name and I have compiled this material from segments of articles authored by others for the benefit of my clients and also to help me conserve energy as I can just point them to my blog instead and hope they get it right! :-)
Significance of the Name of any Business!
(be it a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Non Profit or an Incorporated Entity)
Considering the importance of a good business name, it is amazing how little
time and effort many business people put into choosing their company’s name. This lack
of forethought and planning in choosing a business identity is akin to building a home
before checking to see if it is in a flood zone: At least, with the home, local governments
have developed laws to protect homeowners from this foolishness. Spending a little time
and thought about your business name BEFORE building your business may save you a
great expense later on.
time and effort many business people put into choosing their company’s name. This lack
of forethought and planning in choosing a business identity is akin to building a home
before checking to see if it is in a flood zone: At least, with the home, local governments
have developed laws to protect homeowners from this foolishness. Spending a little time
and thought about your business name BEFORE building your business may save you a
great expense later on.
Why is Your Name So Important?
Your business name is the first image that your business projects. It is what customers
will remember (good or bad) about your business that will either draw them to it or
send them to a competitors’ business. Assuming your business lasts for many years,
you will have invested a lot of time and money building it. Part of the value of your
business is the name. If you have branded the name, your brand alone might be worth
more than the assets of the business itself. How much are the names: Harley Davidson,
Star Wars, or McDonald’s worth? If McDonald's decided to change its name to Fred's
Burgers, it is obvious that the company would be worth far less than it is now. Why?
Because, McDonald's spent a lot of time and money branding their business name on the
public’s mind. Further, just opening up a McDonald’s restaurant guarantees the
company a minimum amount of revenue because of its name.
What You Should Look For In a Name
So, what should you look for when choosing your business name? Ask yourself the
following 10 questions about your business name:
1.) Is it easy to remember?
2.) Does it tell people what your business does?
3.) Is the meaning confusing?
4.) Is it unique?
5.) Will your business or your market outgrow the business name?
6.) Can it be branded?
7.) Is anyone else using this name?
8.) Is it trademarked?
9.) Can you trademark it?
10.) Can you protect it in other ways?
An effective branding system starts with a great name. Unless you can put a name to
your company that will distinguish it, you cannot proceed with creating a brand. It is
similar to a newborn child, who must first be named before he or she can create their
unique identity. Only then can you proceed with succeeding methods that are aimed at
creating your mark in the market and enabling your business growth.
Creating a Name: Naming a company or brand is not as easy as naming a newborn child.
Indeed, multiple factors come into play such as producing a name with a good recall on
the consumers, the type of product you have in your business, its features and usage, and
other benefits that consumers can experience from using it. That is just one aspect of
what you need to consider when naming your product or brand.
The other end of the formula requires you to envision yourself in the mindset of the
consumers. How is the product useful to me? And what benefits can I get from using it?
Add to that all other competing businesses that offer the same product as you do. These
are all pointers you need to look into if you want to get a share of the market and increase
sales production.
your company that will distinguish it, you cannot proceed with creating a brand. It is
similar to a newborn child, who must first be named before he or she can create their
unique identity. Only then can you proceed with succeeding methods that are aimed at
creating your mark in the market and enabling your business growth.
Creating a Name: Naming a company or brand is not as easy as naming a newborn child.
Indeed, multiple factors come into play such as producing a name with a good recall on
the consumers, the type of product you have in your business, its features and usage, and
other benefits that consumers can experience from using it. That is just one aspect of
what you need to consider when naming your product or brand.
The other end of the formula requires you to envision yourself in the mindset of the
consumers. How is the product useful to me? And what benefits can I get from using it?
Add to that all other competing businesses that offer the same product as you do. These
are all pointers you need to look into if you want to get a share of the market and increase
sales production.
Do's and Don’ts: Creating a business name can be confusing sometimes, either for lack or
excess of ideas that make it difficult filtering them out. Below are a few tips you should
consider when naming a business:
· Opt for memorable and catchy names instead of generic ones that are difficult to
register in the minds of the consumers.
· Never use names that literally describe the product. Go for creative ones.
· If possible, do not use geographical names because it limits the scope of your
business. However, this is an advantage if your product is associated with a given
locale or affinity.
· Refrain from restrictive names to save you from trouble in the future in case you
want to expand your line of business.
· Keep them short so as to produce memorable names.
Name as Part of Branding Strategy: A business name is not just a name; it represents your
business identity. And in the business community, the way you represent and project your
image is crucial in determining success. This is because perceptions, more than the actual
value of the product or services, is essential in helping consumers decide on whether to
buy that product or not. On top of the brand itself, it makes association with the company
and its reputation. That is why most businesses spend and invest most of their efforts on
building a trusted business reputation that will strengthen the trust of consumers on their
company.
Your business name essentially determines how far your company will go in this
endeavor. When people encounter your business or brand, you have only a meager
amount of time to catch their attention. If you fail to do so, then you would have lost a
potential customer. More than just intriguing, a good business name is one that compels
your target market. If you can produce one, then it will surely catapult your business to
your desired commercial success.
A good business name is not just a superficial aspect involved in branding but rather a
legitimate business factor that must be taken into consideration.
As can be envisaged a name is very Significant for a Business. More so in today's realm than ever before!
Thanks for taking time to read and be informed about this important topic and piece of information when you are about to embark on an exciting new business venture. If you are so inclined please also feel welcome to comment on this compilation and the blog!
All the very best in your exciting new and bold venture!
XXX-XXX
Compiled by Koshy P.George, CPA resident of Silicon Valley, CA and includes his own views along with views of other professionals included in other published articles.
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