The under-confusion wannabe economist

Read in the Washington Post that The Treasury auctioned inflation-protected bonds at a negative 0.55 percent Monday, the first time the government has sold bonds at a negative yield.

Here -> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102504347.html


I am no economist so this doesn't make sense to me.


Does this really mean that people buy bonds which will promise something less than the face amount? Is it like taking a loan of 100,000 guaranteeing that repayment would be something less than that?


Hope Tim Hartford or Steven Levitt can explain to lay people like me. Or can you, please?

Oct 27, 2010 - An Update

On a whim, I had mailed Steven Levitt. And got a prompt reply:

"These bonds are inflation adjusted. So if inflation is 10% and you have a $100 bond, then you get back $109.45. still better than having pure cash. If,on the other hand, inflation is zero, then you wish you had cash."

Service for free!

A few months ago my hotmail account was hacked. I found so many spam in my sent box (apart from the spam, I send). I was embarrased at the content being sent using my name but couldn't think of a way out. Then a month ago, I couldn't log-in to my mail. It looked like the spammer had changed the password. I resigned myself to losing that account.


Then on a lazy day, I went through the whole gamut of links strewn on the msn page. I found out that even if you have lost your password without any back-up mail ID & questions that only you would know the answer of, still you can get your account back.


I filled up a questionnaire on my account, the answers being proof of my ownership. A temporary link was given (like a blog) where interactive help was available, though not real time. My answers got verified by somebody in techsupport and they allowed me access to my hot mail account again after a couple of days.


I couldn't believe MS has techsupport to that extent, for Hotmail. After all, it's a free email service. Hotmail was my first email account. Those days, it came with a 2 MB free storage and you have to pay for anything extra. Before the days of Gmail! I am happy to get back my first mail ID.


Ofcourse, it's not all altruism on Microsoft's part. Still Big brother does some good things too!

A slice of life!

In life, one full of day to day routines, I often marvel at people who are adept at some small task. For example there is one road side eatery vendor in Bangalore who cuts onions at a frenetic pace, all into small pieces into a big pile without once adding a dash of his finger to it. Watching such activity is engrossing.

But the most impressive work in my opinion is the slicing of tomatoes. Not all tomatoes are firm and I have difficulty in even chopping them. I used to wonder how they make the tomato slices for the sandwiches.

I saw one road side sandwich vendor at Charni Road area in Mumbai. The way he sliced tomatoes was all grace. He held the tomato in his left hand and the knife in his right. He pushed the knife using his thumb into the tomato, slicing it straight and neat. I stood mesmerized by the verve and elan with which he went about creating slices uniformly thick, laying them onto the bread.

Keeping on to the task makes one proficient at that. But the beauty with which it is done makes it spell-binding.

Being watched from above......

My previous employer is also into hardware, FMCG and all things apart from being an IT services major.


So when at desk in my current workplace, if I just so look above and stretch, I find my previous employer's name staring at me from the light bulb.

It is as if my employer is watching me from above morosely. Maybe because it was a mutually enjoyable experience till it lasted. I atleast was happy and cherish the stint. It looks like now I am being haunted!
:-)

Avani Avittam – 2010 variable values

First day



vikrudhi naama samvathsarey dakshinayane varsha rudhow simma masey........bowma vaasarayukthayam sravishta nakshathrayukthayam.





Second Day




vikrudhi naama samvathsarey dakshinayane varsha rudhow simma masey........sowmya vasarayukthayam sadhabishak nakshathrayukthayam.

Long live Thamizh!! We're gonna murder it.

Heard the Thamizh Conference Theme Song.
ARR had done a decent job. Harini, Chinmayi do their bit. No complaints.


But what is with Blaaze & Shruti Haasan? Truly horrible pronounciation. One can play with enunciation but pronounciation is the life of language and has to be perfect.And both of them particularly Shruti, proceed to murder it.
Their section is grating on one's ears.

A legend of a father is no excuse to dish out mediocre stuff, but that's what makes it possible.

Meeting Mom

I am currently addicted to the series, "How I met your Mom". I have managed to finish only 2 seasons of it over the past 3 weeks, catching 1 or 2 episodes per day.
I am able to find similarities in this and other series like "Two and a Half Men" to some episode in "Friends". Many get inspired by the scripting and style of humour delivery  of "Friends".
Any other such series that I should be watching?

Am I hearing it right?

Army chief has gone partially deaf in left ear
Josy Joseph / DNATuesday, January 19, 2010 0:36 IST

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor suffered acute deafness in his left ear because of loud noises generated by booming guns when he visited the US last year.

As a result, the army chief has been placed in a lower medical category just four months before retirement. A lower medical category indicates partial disability and entitlement to higher pensions.

A normal army officer should be in SHAPE-1 — SHAPE is an acronym for psychological, hearing, appendages (limbs), physical and eyes. The H2 classification of the army chief means he is in a lower medical category. In fact, the military sources DNA spoke to couldn’t recall another chief in recent memory who would have retired in a low medical category. A low medical category entitles the army chief to about a 20% increase in monthly pension since it is a partial disability. Gen Kapoor retires on March 31.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_army-chief-has-gone-partially-deaf-in-left-ear_1336429


I thought everyone gets to make their bones and should've heard their share of guns before they move up the ladder. Either I am cynical or the way media presented this piece of news is skewed.


What's your take on this?

Shards of my soul

Mince me; million shards of my soul
what's in a fight? let the massacre start
You'd still be there; in every coal of my soul

Actions hollow that blast a hole
Through the happy, throbbing embers of the heart
Mince me; million shards of my soul

Saw the forest for the trees; the beauty over many a mole
Cruel fate wrought by costumed wart
You'd still be there; in every coal of my soul

Stranger to hurt; innocent streaked the foal;
Cut down to pieces by honey poisoned dart
Mince me; million shards of my soul

Say life is a stage, and you play a role
Unbridled trammels deeds on thoughts; So I do own the loser's part
You'd still be there; in every coal of my soul

The kill has flown; Still in chase. Really,is there a goal?
Prose turns verse. Futile and fatal, sweet dreams are thought
Mince me; million shards of my soul

Dylan would spin in his sleep; And even may wake up with a start
Desires sheathed, dodging stigma; Mute words warbled as a resort
Mince me; million shards of my soul
You'd still be there; in every coal of my soul

One in thousand!!

ஆயிரத்தில் ஒருவன் movie review


A movie of a genre different from run-of-the-mill tamil movies. A action packed fantasy movie.

First half zips along, a treasure hunt through the sea.

The second half is a thamizh movie with chaste thamizh dialogues. That majority of the audience would need sub-titles to understand is a drawback even though it is alluring, the sounds of words from yore.

Less of gore and lot more of editing would have done this film a world of good.

Reminds of Pirates of the Caribbean in that past & present mingle.

Seeing the movie(ahem..), we realise why director's marriage failed. :-)