According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! あけましておめでとうございます。
Labels: chinese new year, japanese new year, year of the rat
Posted by Sanjay Kalra at 1/12/2008 0 comments
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Pros and Cons of Coffee Drinking
I like this article - a very balanced view of coffee's health benefits or otherwise.
Couldn't agree more with the conclusion - "So, what is the key? The old principle - "everything in moderation" - holds true for coffee. It is not bad unless you abuse it. Coffee has its downsides, but offers enough good points to make it a worthwhile drink. For moderate coffee drinkers (3-4 cups/day providing 300-400 mg/day of caffeine), there is little evidence of health risks and some evidence of health benefits. And for sure you can enjoy your coffee as part of a healthy diet."
Click here for the complete post.
Labels: caffeine, coffee, healthcare, starbucks
Posted by Sanjay Kalra at 1/07/2008 0 comments
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Sign of things to come - Dollars no longer accepted at Taj Mahal
India's tourism minister said Thursday that the dollar will no longer be accepted at the Taj Mahal and other national tourist sites. For years tourists visiting most sites in India were charged either $5, or 250 rupees. After falling 11 percent in 2007, hitting nine-year lows to hoover around 39 rupees, the dollar is out. Charging only rupees now seems more practical and will save tourists money because "the dollar was weaker against the rupee," Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told the CNN-IBN news channel. "Before the dollar lost its value, there was a demand to have (admission tickets) just in rupees," he added. The Taj Mahal, India's famed white marble monument to love, began refusing dollars in November. It means just one more place where American tourists will have to shell out more money—now nearly $20. And it's likely to get worse in booming India. "We expect a slight appreciation of the rupee to continue, although it won't be as dramatic as last year," said Agam Gupta, head of foreign exchange trading at Standard Chartered Bank in India. The dollar has fallen against most major currencies, and it has lost ground against the rupee due to an influx of foreign capital, said Gupta. The dollar hit record lows of $1.4967 against the euro on Nov. 23, the weakest since that currency began trading in 1999, and was down against almost every major currency Thursday.
Labels: Devalue, Dollar, economy, Indian Rupee, USA
Posted by Sanjay Kalra at 1/06/2008 0 comments
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Outsourced Wombs
This is troubling in a general sense - although I can't lay my finger on one specific thing that's troubling about this. I guess the question is how far are we willing to beyond the natural order of things because technology now enables us. And the answer is not simple; also it's often selfish.
Anyway, check out Judith Warner's piece on NYTimes http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/outsourced-wombs/
and the program from NPR here:
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/12/27/surrogate_mothers/
Labels: judith warner, medical ethics, medical tourism, new york times, outsourced wombs, Outsourcing, surrogate mothers, women health
Posted by Sanjay Kalra at 1/05/2008 0 comments