Tips for problem Free Shopping

The sale of Goods Act ,1930 provides consumers with rights as a buyer.

Redressal

Decide what redress you want. You can ask for:
A refund of the total amount;
A cash refund for the difference what has been paid by you and the reduced value of the faulty item;
If you and seller agree can go in for a replacement or free repair.

What you will be entitiled to will depend on how serious the fault is , how soon you bring it to the seller’s notice and the terms of sale written on the seller’s letterhead or as stated on the cash memo issued.

In case the salesman is adamant then approach the store manager or the store owner. Don’t accept the credit note . In case you do you cannot buy anything else, it will be difficult for you to get your money back later.

Always be fair in all your dealings. You are not entitled to nothing if you have examined the item when you bought but have overlooked the defects.

If your complaint to shopkeeper is unsatisfactorily attended to, your second line of defence is the manufacturer. He should be sent the complaint through registered AD post. In case the complaint is still unattended take the matter through the consumer redressal agencies such as the National Commission , the State commission and the District Forums set up under the Consumer Protection Act., 1986.

Claims:

If you order goods which are not in stock , you can give a date by which they should be delivered to you. If it does not arrive on time can refuse to accept it.

Sometimes consumers are victims of untrue claims – for example: your drycleaners promised you same day service but took a week. If you have been seriously misled, approach the district Forum . The shop owner may be convicted and you maybe awarded a compensation.

Sometimes one pays a deposit for a thing to be delivered subsequently. If while paying the deposit , the seller agrees to return it, ask him to write it on your receipt. Also ask him to write “ Deposit will be returned if the goods are unsatisfactory “, and get signed along with the date. Follow this rule for any offer of after sales service too.

When you order something , both you and seller agree to a fixed price – but you will have to pay any increase in sales tax. If you have agreed not to pay a higher price at the time of delivery due to inflation , put it in writing.

PRANAYAM

Pranayam or breath control is link between mind and body. Prana means life force and anayama means control .By focusing on the breath , the mind becomes calm and balanced. Pranayama implies mastering the life force within. By controlling the motion of the lungs or respiratory organs, we can control the Prana that is vibrating inside. Everything we do uses life forces or Prana. For most of us this vital energy is constantly depleted and never recharged. Pranayama also helps to connect the body to its battery, the solar plexus where tremendous potential energy is stored. When tapped this vital energy or prana is released for physical , mental , spiritual rejuvenation.

Inhalation supplies abundant oxygen to the body. Exhalation expels waste products and toxins from the body. Retention is holding of breath to gain control and prevent dissipation of energy.

Pollution , bad posture like hunching and slouching , stress and faulty living habits allows us to use only a fraction of our potential respiratory capacity.In shallow breathing or incomplete exhalation not all the toxic and waste carbon dioxide is emitted , hence , it continues to recycle in the respiratory system thereby reducing the amount of new oxygen available for avioli. All this results in fatigue caused by improper blood circulation and insufficient supply of oxygen to blood cells.

The longevity of the body increases as the rate of breathing reduces. In the animal world , there’s a strong correlation between the number of breaths and life span. For eg. The tortoise takes 3 breaths a minute lives about 180 years while monkey which takes 30 breath a minute, may live about 20-30years.

One should not practice pranayam after a heavy meal because it reduces concentration as food causes some blood and oxygen supply to be diverted into the stomach for digestion.

MARRIAGE QUOTES

I first learned the concepts of non-violence in my marriage.

Mohandas K. Gandhi

It is not a lack of love , but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriage

Friedrich Nietzche

Love is blind, but marriage restores its sight.

George C. Lichtenberg

All weddings are similar , but every marriage is different.

John Berger

If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married.

Katherine Hepburn.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times , always with the same person.

Mignan Mclaughlin

A good marriage is at least 80% good luck in finding the right person at the right time. The rest is trust.

Nanette Newman

Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

Oscar Wilde

A good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude.

Rainer Maria Rilke

I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They have experienced pain and bought jewellery

Rita Rudner

The goal in marriage is not to think alike , but to think together.

Robert C. Dodds

My advice to you is to get married . If you find a good wife , you will be happy , if not you will become a philosopher.

Socrates

Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love , and they blossom when we love the ones we marry.

Tom Mullen

MARRIAGE FACTS

India is a country known for its diverse culture and religion. Hence, each region follows its own rituals and customs of celebrating marriage. All of these rituals have some significance. The most common ones have been discussed below:

Mehndi :
During an Indian wedding both the bride and bridegroom put mehndi which symbolizes love. It is also a symbol of love between husband and wife. The bride has the name of the groom carved into the mehndi pattern.The groom is expected to find his name in the pattern. If he cannot do so, it is said that, the bride will control the marriage.

Jaimaal :
In Jaimal both the bride and groom exchange garland of fresh flowers in presence of everyone. It symbolizes that by mutual consent of parents, both boy and girl accept each other as husband and wife.

Tie Kangan :
In hands of both boy and girl kangan is tied because both are considered as Vishnu and Laxmi. Kangan consists of kaudi, moti, panna, loha ka chakra and pila sarson.

Saat Fere :
Agni is considered most pious in shastra, hence, the couples take seven circle around it. First the right foot is taken forward and then the left foot amidst chanting of pious Vedic mantras.
Four is Vishnu fere and three is shiva fere. Every phera or circle around the fire has got a specific meaning attached to it and denotes a solemn vow taken which needs to be followed through out the life.It means Dharma, Arth and Kaam achieved by female and Moksha by male. After this they become husband and wife for seven birth. .

Throw filled lota:
After marriage when the girl arrives at her new home she is welcomed by her mother-in-law with Aarti. On the main door she hits with her right leg a lota filled with rice. It conveys that she brings wealth and fertility along with her and that now she is the head of the house , food and wealth and therefore, the family responsibility is on her.

BREATHE RIGHT

We generally breathe only 1/5 th of our natural breathing capacities.Breathing wrong makes us vulnerable to illness both mental and physical such as allergies, coughing, shortness of breath etc. Breathing diet is as important for health as nutritious diet and exercise.

"The right way of breathing is to inhale gently and exhale a little longer than we inhale.Only when exhalation is deep that you throw out dirty air , increase the lung volume and create the right suction effect to draw in clean , oxygenerated air",says yoga acharya Shameem Akhtar.

Right Way: Breathe in deeply so that abdomen bulges when inhale and sucked in when you exhale. Use your abdomen rather than your chest. Regular practice of Pranayam enables body to get back into natural form when panicky. It also enhances will power and concentration.

Benefits of breathing right:

• Overall good health as it removes pressure from heart and let the maximum amount of oxygen into the body.
• Better metabolism hence effective in weight loss.
• Better mental focus because brain needs constant oxygen supply to remain fresh.
• Increases life span due to enhanced lung volume and less pressure on heart.
• More both mental and physical stamina.

Gym do's and don'ts:

• One should do cardio exercises like treadmill and swimming which maintains normal breathing.
• While doing weights never hold breath for long as it may increase blood pressure suddently.
• While doing bending exercise never hold breath.

Ideal Diet:

• Protein
• Iron: very good for lungs as it helps them to expand.
• Vit.C,Calcium,Magnesium and Phosphorus: good for respiratory system.
• Omega 3: lot of colour on the plate ( a rainbow diet ) is good.

Big Indian Fat Wedding

Welcome to the world of exotic and exclusive Indian glitterati Weddings.Today , weddings are becoming more fashionable and exotic . Rich Indians are splurging big on such special events .Special cities as venue are selected , palaces are booked , theme parties are organized and expensive gifts are given. Not only this such marriages are breaking all the physical boundaries to present the very best of global experiences to their guests. For example A Gujrati Merchant imported five tonnes of Tulips costing 2.5 euro each for the venue from Holland . Likewise for another wedding 50 kgs of special handmade Lebanese chocolates were imported. For another held at J W Marriot a special handmade wicker basket costing Rs. 3,000/- per piece were flown from south Korea to be used as welcome kit. For the same wedding cashews and pistachios were imported from Afganistan . Even as per kg costed $ 85 some 125 kg were imported .
To give a typical regional touch to the wedding lassi from Mathura , sweets from Calcutta or Paan from Benaras are not just ordered , but tailor made to give authentic touch .

Classic Definitions & Cool Meanings

1. Cigarette : A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end & a fool at the other.

2. Love affairs : Something like cricket where one-day internationals are more popular than a five day test.

3. Marriage : It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her master

4. Divorce : Future tense of marriage

5. Lecture : An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the mindsof either".

6. Conference : The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

7. Compromise : The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

8. Tears : The hydraulic force by which masculine will-power is defeatedby feminine water-power ..

9. Dictionary : A place where divorce comes before marriage.

10. Conference Room : A place where everybody talks, nobody listens & everybody disagrees later on.

11. Ecstasy : A feeling when you feel you are going to feel a feeling you have never felt before.

12. Classic : A book which people praise, but do not read.

13. Smile : A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

14. Office : A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

15. Yawn : The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

16. Etc. : A sign to make others believe that you know more than youactually do.

17. Committee: Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit todecide that nothing can be done together.

18. Experience : The name men give to their mistakes.

19. Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions.

20. Philosopher : A fool who torments himself during life, to be spokenof when dead.

21. Diplomat : A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way thatyou actually look forward to the trip.

22. Opportunist : A person who starts taking bath if he accidentallyfalls into a river.

23. Optimist : A person who while falling from Eiffel Tower says inmidway "See I am not injured yet."

24. Pessimist :- A person who says that O is the last letter in ZERO,Instead of the first letter in word OPPORTUNITY.

25. Miser : A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.

26. Father : A banker provided by nature.

27. Criminal : A guy no different from the rest... except that he got caught.

28. Boss : Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

29. Politician : One who shakes your hand before elections and yourConfidence after.

30. Doctor : A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills.

31. Computer Engineer : One who gets paid for reading such mails

DEADLY E-MAIL

A man checked into a hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an e-mail to his wife. However, he accidentally typed wrong e-mail address, and without realizing his error, he sent the e-mail.

Meanwhile.....somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. The widow decided to check her e-mail, expecting messages from relatives and friends.

After reading the first message, she fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computerscreen which read:

To: My Loving Wife

Subject: I've Reached

Date: 16 Oct 2006

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers herenow, and you are allowed to send e-mails to your loved ones.

I've just reached and have checked in.

I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing you then!

Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

BRAINY STUFF

A television advertisement rightly comments on today's lifestyle " Thakna ManaHai ".We need almost supernatural power to handle effectively all professional,social and personal life .We make lots of efforts to keep ourselves physically active though we achieve most through mental application.Hence, few mental tips to live life full(king) size.
1.BrainVita,Do mental exercise: similar to physical exercises even our brain needs some fitness regime. Solving crosswords, puzzles or sudoku are some mental strengtheners.
2.Move your Body: Physical exercise enhances the blood flow and hence a good oxygen supply to brain tissues. A person gains mental alacrity.
3.Creating association: good memory reflects sharp brain.Try to associate things to remember names, events or figures.
4.Eat right: Indeed,food has a direct impact on brain .Fish, nuts, olive oil contains omega3 fatty acid which slows down brain ageing.Antioxidants found in brightly coloured fruits & vegetables and green tea also protects the brain cells.

Bringing F1 To India

The king of good times Vijay Mallya and Indian Olympic Association ( IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi are gungho about bringing the motor sport F1 to India as soon as 2009-2010. Announcement by the IOA about Delhi being allotted an F1 Grand Prix schedule for 2009 have been made.

India needs to develop the infrastructure with the combined effort of the government and the private sector.The work has to start from the basic need to identify a site in the capital where the racing tracks could be laid. There's a huge shipping involved .9-10 jumbo jets for the cargo part have to be shipped. The roads , airports needs much improvement. Delhi will need to make provision of some 7000 hotel rooms.

Once successful , India will be able to make a place on the tourism map for one of the priveledged countries to host the Grand Prix. The sport has huge viewership next only to football world cup and Olympics. Moreover, its hold on an annual basis rather than every four years.

But there are quite many who are skeptical about this ambitious plan given the investments and logistics involved. The Motor Sports Association Of India ( MAI ) feels that the announcement is too premature . Nazir Hoosein , President, MAI , is of the view that F1 circuits don't make money until they are established. They will have to conduct bike racing etc. to keep utilising the track. Apart from the infrastruture there is expense on training. Moreover, its more of a five star event with elite people involved in it. Hence, similar facilities needs to be made available.

Will Kalmadi and Mallya be able to get India on the F1 track? It remains to be seen , but the announcement has certainly brought lots of cheers to the F1 enthusiasts.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

We often think that it’s the ‘meek ‘ or ‘subservient’ females who cannot stand for themselves are usually the victims of domestic abuse. Contrarily it can happen to one of the most bold ,smart and fun loving person maybe to you and me. Statistics show that one-third of women experience domestic violence at sometime in their life. It can happen to our relatives, neighbours, friends or someone we see in the theatre, malls, offices etc. Its difficult to identify such situation because usually females are quite uncomfortable to confide in their family or friends or are scared that their partner would come to know.
Domestic violence can involve threats, pushing, beating, choking, sexual assault or hit with a weapon. It doesn’t happen once a while but becomes a common affair. It shows as bruises or injuries or sometimes might result in serious accidents. The abuser on the other hand might appear to be quite well behaved and lovable publicly, but can display extreme violence in the privacy at home.
In India it’s even more prominent because of religion, culture, and family pressures which teach women to keep the relationship going at all cost. Besides, most of the women are financially dependent on their husband.
Domestic violence needs to be treated as crime .The females should stand up against it fearlessly and all the citizens should consider it their moral responsibility to inform the concerned authority if they witness any.

SPECIAL HUB FOR DESIGNERS

Indian fashion industry is witnessing a paradigm shift. Top Hollywood actors are flaunting our designer’s clothes at events like Oscars and Cannes .Our designers are getting an opportunity to participate in international fashion shows and compete with the likes of Armani and Versace. Giving it further boost, the urban development minister of Delhi Ajay Maken has made the announcement of special designer hub to come up in Dwarka , West Delhi. The proposed 7 acre hub is to have state of the art convention centre to hold fashion weeks, seminars and conferences, a five star boutique hotel, a textile related craft village, and a boutique of member designers. Besides FDCI's corporate office there would be a textile museum, a resource centre for fashion and textiles and a fashion library.

The annoncement has come as a relief to the designers when just few months back some of the prominent designers had their showrooms demolished on account of encroachment. A special hub for them will make them more secure and closely knit. Moreover, the international buyers would have an easy access to them.

Though the project has one small constraint:
As part of the plan a five star hotel have to be constructed as an integral component of the fashion hub to accomodate the increasing number of foreign buyers , fashionistas and journalists attending the fashion week held in the capital. Though the hotel would be assured of fairly decent occupancy rates for about 20 days a year ( 5 days of fashion week plus a few days before and after the event ) the question is whether they can stay out of the red for the rest of the year.

But despite the constraint Indian fashion industry would get a major boost and it would be interesting to watch it grow in the years ahead.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger is a human emotion faced when he comes across an unwanted event , behaviour or when things doesn't happen as per his wishes. An angry person may become quite aggressive and may vent it out on other person/things or might become depressed and take it out on himself. Anger in whatever form is devastating. The frequent outbursts results in high blood pressure, disrupts digestive system , causes migraine apart from varied psychological problems.

Following are few tips to control anger gradually:
1. Introspection: Its best to identify what triggers anger. Avoid such person or circumstances. If avoidance is not possible then handle in a firm and assertive manner.

2. Relaxation : Breathe deeply from diaphragm repeating the phrase which is effective on you like " cool down" , " i'm calm ", " don't get angry " , " take it easy " etc.
Imagine a happy moment or a beautiful place you last visited.

3. Meditate : even for 10 min. everyday as it helps in attaining inner peace.

4. Plan : The thing that irritates us most is when things don't happen as per our wishes.Hence, its better to be planned. It will give better control on situation.

5. Organise : Keep yourself as much organised as possible.

However, show your anger and frustration at times. Mild flare ups sometimes helps in getting things done or expressing things that remains submerged in you since long. But this shouldn't become a common affair.

INTERESTING OXYMORONS

Oxymoron is a combination of words which are completely opposite in meaning:

Act Naturally
Advanced Basic
Awfully Good
Almost Exactly
Alone Together
Bad Luck
Bitter Sweet
Business Ethics
Butt Head
Clearly Misunderstood
Climb Down
Constant Change
Current History
Deliberate Mistake
Doing Nothing
Found Missing
Front End
Genuine Imitation
Good Grief
Government Organisation
Inside Out
Limited Freedom
Living Dead
Mercy Killing
Natural Makeup
Negative Growth
Once Again
Original Copy
Passive Aggression
Plastic Glasses
Pretty Ugly
Random Order
Real Fantasy
Same Difference
Small Crowd
Sit Up
Soft Rock
Software Documentation
True Story
Virtual Reality

SHORT SELLING

Short selling is a process where investor sells shares without owning it at the time of selling. Normally , an investor buys shares at a certain price to sell it later at a higher price. Coversely, in short sell its assumed by the investor that prices will decline in future. After shortselling , investor waits for the prices to correct and covers the short position by buying back the shares already sold. If the buyback price of the shares is lower then its profit else loss.

Short seller has the option to square off ( by buying the same number of shares as sold) on the same day or carry forward his short position in case the share price rises immediately after the short sell but the investor is convinced that the price will decline over the next few days. In such a situation he'll have to borrow the share from an entity or investor who's willing to lend for a charge. Later on he'll have to buyback shares from the market and return it to lender.

In India the intra day short sell had been the prerogative of individuals only. Institutions were not allowed to short sell because they have huge stakes in companies and hence can influence its share price to their advantage.

Short sell creates more liquidity in the market. Illiquid stocks which would otherwise would have been lying idle finds its way to the market and contibutes to liquidity.

BODY LANGUAGE

• Arms crossed on chest : Defensiveness
• Open palm : Sincerity
• Closed palms, clenched fist : negative vibes
• Rubbing hands : Anticipation
• Resting your cheek on your palm: Thoughtfulness and Evaluation
• Tapping your fingers : Impatience
• Shaking legs or body: Nervous and Uncomfortable.
• Crossed arms and legs : Reserved and Suspicious
• Tilted head : Interest
• Sitting with body and feet pointing towards door : Want to end the conversation and leave the room.

ARAB PROVERB

He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. Shun him.

He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is simple. Teach him.

He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep. Wake him.

He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise. Follow him.

INCREASE IN CRR

CRR stands for cash reserve ratio. Its a specific amount of deposit that banks have to maintain with Reserve Bank of India. An increase in CRR means banks will have to keep more proportion of lending in the form of deposit which is an opportunity loss for them and thereby decrease in earnings.Banks on their part will have to pay more to depositors to attract them to keep their funds with banks.It will push up the cost of funds for banks and to meet this increased cost and margin pressure ,the banks will have to raise the lending rate.

An increased lending rate will mean an increased cost of capital for the corporate sector.This will lead to contraction in activities and a lower demand in various sectors. For instance: the main reason for skyrocketing real estate prices is availability of easy and cheap funds from banks.But if the bank faces fund crunch , they will first cut back on loans to risky sector like real estate.It will dampen demand to a certain extent.

Some banks on the other hand might face the risk of defaulting in compliance to higher CRR rate. An increased lending rate will hurt the borrowers and hence an accumulation of non permorming loans.

To combat the situation the banks might enter into bilateral deals and ask corporate borrowers to seek refinance from other banks. Another option is to raise funds through External Commercial Borrowings (ECB).

RISING RUPEE

Rupee has been touching its peak against dollar since the last few months. Boosted by high interest rate and caused by the tightening of the money market, its posing a threat to the very existence of small exporters. Some of the exporters have started postponing their receivables and are choosing to park funds in the Exchange Earners Foreign Currency(EEFC) accounts. They will convert those funds into rupee once the rupee will stabilise.

Banks too have become cautious while lending to small and mid sized enterprises (SMEs) in export oriented sectors because the result could be an accumulation of non performing assets as they don't use much of hedging instruments.

Exporters on the other hand are seeking concessions in the form of subsidies from the central govt. Few SMEs are trying to renegotiate contracts with buyers in the overseas market.Some large corporates have cut down their export operations and instead are diverting their focus on the domestic market or cutting the production itself.

Stronger rupee has only benefitted the foreign institutional investor.

ACE ACID

Folic Acid is vital in the metabolism of fatty acids in the brain.It helps control genetic disorder.Pregnant women should take a note that deficiency of Folic Acid can increase the risk of neutral defects in newborns. Fruits like bananas,oranges,lemons,strawberries and cantaloupes are a good source.

HEALTH

Don't overcook the Food

If the food is cooked on low flame for long time, most of it's vital nutrients ( including phytonutrients) are lost. Its advisable to steam, boil or microwave the food to retain its nutrients. Remember, more the cooked food resembles its ingredients , most nutritious it is.

Quotable Quotes

Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.

Only a life lived for others is worth living.

Lack of willpower has caused more failure than lack of intelligence or ability.

Whoever does not try does not learn.

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you don't know you left open.

One today is worth two tommorrows.

That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.

The shell must break before the bird can fly.

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

Our greatest glory consists not in never falling , but in rising everytime we fall.

Weakness of Attitude becomes weakness of Character.

Three things in life are most valuable: Love , Selfconfidence and Friend.

He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals.

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Recognition is the greatest motivator.

Three things in life once gone can never come back are: Words, Opportunity and Time.

Enjoy Life. There's plenty of time to be dead.