Fired Today

65,500 jobs lost between August-October in India

Playboy lays off 14%

Gone in 60 Seconds

Can you believe that on an average six people have lost thier job in every 60 seconds in December so far?

Read the story here.

Pretty scary statistics, eh?

Fired Today

1. Bank of America to cut up to 35000 jobs

2. HSBC lays off 193 staff in India

3. ArcelorMittal plans to cut 650 jobs in Belgium

4. Santander to cut 1,900 jobs at its UK bank

Great Depression - A sequel?

Are we getting into another Great Depression era?

As per Wikipedia

Irving Fisher, an american economist, argued (about Great Depression) that the predominant factor leading to the Great Depression was overindebtedness and deflation. Fisher tied loose credit to over-indebtedness, which fueled speculation and asset bubbles. He then outlined 9 factors interacting with one another under conditions of debt and deflation to create the mechanics of boom to bust. The chain of events proceeded as follows:
1. Debt liquidation and distress selling
2. Contraction of the money supply as bank loans are paid off
3. A fall in the level of asset prices
4. A still greater fall in the net worths of business, precipitating bankruptcies
5. A fall in profits
6. A reduction in output, in trade and in employment.
7. Pessimism and loss of confidence
8. Hoarding of money
9. A fall in nominal interest rates and a rise in deflation adjusted interest rates

I see that the chain of events happening now, in this economic downturn. It's a bit scary...are we getting into another era of great depression?

Fired Today

With more companies firing employees everyday I thought 'why not track it'. This is just what I come across today. (There may be plethora of companies firing. I didn't go in search of this news. This is just what my eyes caught).

1. Yahoo India - to lay off 3% of India workforce

2. Rio Tito - Sydney - cuts global headcount by 14000

Certainly Uncertainty...

Certainly Uncertainty sucks.

Believe me you wouldn't understand unless you are/were in such situations. I am so used to be on the other end of the 'uncertainty' spectrum. My friend Arasan who was leading a life with full of uncertainties used to crib me a lot about it. Though I used to empathize him I couldn't fully understand his situation until I was pushed to his side of the spectrum.

Thanks to the goof-ups by banks and the global economic slowdown. Being part of an IT project in a bank, which is struggling with credit crisis in a western country is not really a good situation to be in. With lot of economic challenges there is this big uncertainty monster sitting in front of me blocking the view of my future.

Of course I am in a better position than the people who are expecting pink slips at anytime. But still my pain is painful to me.

Certainly Uncertainty sucks.

Poor Americans

Looks like poverty line in America starts at the level of upper middle class in India. Read this to learn about the conditions of Americans who are classified as Poors.

The Nine Year Itch

It's been thirteen years since my first on-stage appearance. It was during the first year of my college. After that there was no stopping. Made on-stage appearances for either to act or to sing around half a century times (no exaggeration, honestly!) during my four years of college life. After the college life there was a drought of such opportunities or I was too busy concentrating on the so-called career(!). Except for that one time Elvis act in Minneapolis there was nothing, literally.

Nine years after (my college final year) had an excellent opportunity to flaunt my acting skills. This time it was a bit different. I had on-stage for little time but almost three hours of off-stage but on-street facing the crowd performance.

Scottish Indian Art society celebrates important Indian festivals in Edinburgh. When they celebrated Dusshera this year I had the opportunity to perform the Ravan role from Ramayan. I had to undergo an hour and a half of make up to make me up as Ravan. Then I had to ride on a charriote from Edinburgh castle to Calton hill, an easy 2 miles distance via Royal Mile, acting Ravan, posing for the photos with strangers, followed by a small on-stage performance of Ravan's crucification at Calton Hill, 'I simply enjoyed it' would be too short a sentence to describe how much I enjoyed doing it.

Well, I must say that I had the medication for my nine years itch.

Click here to view more photos from the Dusshera parade published in local news paper Evening News.

Has this happened to you - Part 2

Is it happening only to me or to most of all who use toilet during long flight? I always end up not able to flush out properly at the end of ... you know what I mean. I would try flushing out about ten times with a bit of embarrassing thought of people waiting outside might hear me fighting with the flush. After a number of unsuccessful tries I would end up using the cup with water or tissue to clean up the residual ... you know what I mean.

Has this happened to you?

Tick Tick Tick

Dermatologist suggests a sugar test to diagnose the week-long itching in the hand. That tiny monster 'sugar tester' reveals above normal level of sugar. A blood test aftermath reveals high cholestral. Physician threatens with the fact about the high probability of getting heart attack even at early thirties. Is that the noise of biological clock ticking? That's loud and scary.