10 Most Powerful People In The World

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Five Healthy Foods to Eat at your Workstation

We've all heard it times and again that sitting all day long at the desk isn't really good for the health. Sadly, there aren't any feasible alternatives to this mode of working. While you can't just leave your job, you can surely do something which is beneficial for your health. Eating the right kind of fruits can help you overcome the negative effects of sitting like a robot all day.
Here are five power foods you can enjoy while sitting at your desk. They can work wonders for your heart, blood pressure, and can even improve your memory and concentration.

Walnuts

Some new researches have pointed out that walnuts have more (and better quality) antioxidants than almonds, peanuts, pistachios and many other nuts. All nuts have been found to improve lipids and can reduce the risk of heart diseases. Walnuts have also been found to enhance cognitive and motor function in animals with Alzheimer's. Experts recommend seven walnuts a day.

Cup of Green Tea

Polyphenols, one of the major ingredients of green tea, is known to help repair the damaged DNA and stimulate the immune system. Besides, research shows that green tea also helps in reducing the risk of cancers, including skin cancer and prostate cancer.

Popcorn

If there ever was a list of healthy snacks, this is definitely going to be on the list. In fact, many say that popcorn is the healthiest snack available. It is 100 percent whole grain and is big on fiber and antioxidants. If you can air-pop your popcorn and add a minimal quantity of salt, you'd have the best popcorn, say experts. If your office has a microwave, just make sure you bring a pack of low sodium popcorn to work.

Dark Chocolate

This, too, contains those powerful antioxidants called Polyphenols which combat the risk factors (like oxidation of LDL cholesterol) for heart diseases and also inhibit clotting. Studies have also indicated that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate daily can reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. Caffeine, another active ingredient of dark chocolate, can give you that much-required kick and a boost in concentration levels.

Fruits

Not only they help you conquer that “false hunger”, they are also brimming with nutrients which are needed to keep you going all day. You can choose between apples, bananas, mangoes, oranges, papayas etc. but make sure you carry some fruits to the office on a daily basis.

Asia would be hit harder by a second global crisis

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A new global financial crisis would hit Asia harder than the last one, especially nations heavily exposed to offshore markets or still repairing budgets from the 2008-2009 crisis, credit ratings agency Standard and Poor's said on Monday.
The agency, which incurred Washington's wrath at the weekend by cutting its AAA rating by a notch to AA+, said it was not predicting a rerun of the credit crisis that crippled markets and tipped the world economy into recession three years ago.
But it warned of more sovereign downgrades in Asia next time around, if its assumptions turned out to be wrong.
"If a renewed slowdown comes, it would likely create a deeper and more prolonged impact than the last one," S&P said in a statement.
"The implications for sovereign creditworthiness in Asia-Pacific would likely be more negative than previously experienced, and a larger number of negative rating actions would follow. We wait to see."
S&P said it assumed Europe's debt crisis and Washington's debt problems were unlikely to lead to "abrupt dislocations" in the financial systems and economies of major developed nations.
On that basis, it added, its historic downgrade of the U.S. credit rating would have no immediate knock-on impact on sovereign borrowers in the Asia-Pacific.
It cited the Asia Pacific region's sound domestic demand, relatively healthy corporate and household sectors, plentiful external liquidity and high savings rates -- though it listed New Zealand, Japan and Vietnam as exceptions to this.
The S&P statement took on a much darker tone when considering the possibility that its assumptions were too rosy, noting that Asia still relied heavily on exports to the West.
"Given the interconnectivity of the global markets, an unexpectedly sharp disruption in developed-world financial markets could change the picture," it said, noting that the U.S. and European economies could again contract or stagnate.
"In this scenario, the experience of the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 shows that export-dependent economies with large exposures to the U.S. and/or Europe would feel the most pronounced economic impacts," S&P said.
"It's not likely things would be very different this time."
The agency listed those countries particularly vulnerable to disruptions in offshore capital markets as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Indonesia.
It also said several nations, again including New Zealand, were also still repairing their government finances and could be more constrained in responding to a fresh global crisis.
"The adverse impact on Asia Pacific in that scenario would likely require governments to use their balance sheets to support their economies and financial sectors once again," S&P said.
"And in our opinion, most governments would promptly oblige. But some of them continue to bear the scars of the recent downturn -- the fiscal capacities of Japan , India, Malaysia, Taiwan and New Zealand have shrunk relative to pre-2008 levels."

Related articles

• Asia-Pacific ratings safe, for now - S&P (news.theage.com.au)
• Asian Markets Tumble In Wake Of U.S. Credit Rating Downgrade (huffingtonpost.com)
• Asian Leaders Vow to Respond If Needed (online.wsj.com)

Investing your bonus money!

Sathya was sitting on the bench and staring at nowhere in particular. She seemed to be lost in thought. Roshni went over, "Hey gal, wassup? You're okay?" The staring at nowhere now turned to Roshni's face and continued.
This was weird. Last evening when she came out of the boss's cabin Sathya was walking as if she had springs fixed to her shoes. She could not stop laughing and joking. The news of her promotion and incentives was the talk of town. However, seems like, Sathya had just slept away all the happiness over night.
Over a cup of tea Sathya opened up to Roshni on what had happened at home the previous evening.
As she stepped into her home, Sathya had gone to her mother in law who was watching TV. "I got a bonus for my performance last year," she softly told her. Her mother in law was thrilled. She hugged Sathya and asked her what she planned to do with the money.
Sathya said, "Invest it somewhere safely. I am thinking of putting it in a bank deposit. Now interest rates have also gone up. I just met the bank manager on my way"
Her mother in law said, "Okay, but did you think about buying gold. The price of gold is going up and I was just seeing some channel where they say gold price will touch the 2000$ an ounce very soon. In my experience gold prices have never fallen. In any case, you have to buy gold for Nidhi (Sathya's daughter). You should buy that diamond necklace we saw last week".
Sathya thought about it, but was not convinced, "Yes mummy, but gold is just a dead investment. It does not earn any income or interest. In addition, what is the point in buying jewellery for Nidhi now? Fashion may change when she grows up".
"May be Sathya, but whenever you can, you should buy gold and safe keep, then you won't have to struggle when Nidhi is ready for marriage. Also what interest do these fixed deposits give? Inflation rates are even higher. Experts say that we are actually losing money investing in fixed deposit", she was speaking from her newly acquired knowledge from watching stock market based TV channels.
Oh! Sathya did not like the idea of safekeeping gold. It was a painful task going to the bank with a key and standing there in the queue to take out and keep your jewellery back in the locker. In addition, the locker costs money and the bank wants some deposit to allot you a locker. However, mom in law was right about inflation rate being almost same as bank interest rate. Sathya was getting confused.
Just then, Sathya's father in law came in overhearing their conversation. Sathya got up and shared with him the official letter. He was overjoyed and said, "Sathya this is great news. You should buy that piece of plot in the suburbs. There are some developers who are creating these land banks and if you invest in them they will give you amazing returns."
She did understand that land was a great investment. Nobody was producing land anymore so the demand is only likely to go up. It is a sure shot way to build wealth. However, she had heard from her friend about pieces of land in the suburbs being occupied by the locals who refuse to leave, of the government taking over the land for building road etc. She was getting really confused now.
Her father in law continued, "Beta, it was only lands that helped me send my son to college and get my daughter married off. Bought at cheap rates, they came in handy when I needed the money. However, you do what you think is the best. Good luck" and he walked off.
In some time, Sathya's husband Suraj walked in.  When she told him, he said, "Oh wow Sathya, I am so proud of you. You know what?  We should just invest the money. The stock markets have corrected and prices of most stocks in my target list are very attractive. We should invest the money in stocks. We did open a demat account in your name, right? Is it still active?" Now, this was the last thing Sathya wanted to hear. One more suggestion for investments and she would start crying.
On the other hand, Sathya was paranoid about stocks. She had seen markets fall to half the previous levels. She has also heard many horror stories about people losing their hard-earned money. She did not intend to become part of those stories now. She said, "Suraj, but stock markets are risky. I could lose all my money and I don't understand it well".
"Baba that way, everything is risky. Can you say your fixed deposit is absolutely risk free? Banks / companies can also default and you are insured for only upto Rs.1 lac. Nothing fluctuates more than gold prices these days? How sure can you be about the land you buy, the credibility of the documents or the price that you pay? Every investment has some risk or the other", explained Suraj. "If you are so scared of the stock market, invest through mutual funds no. That way, it is easy and you can at least be assured that some expert is dealing with your money in the share market. You can earn tax-free dividends. Many people become rich because they invest in stocks", he added.
This was not helping Sathya at all. Her head was hurting. What did she do?
Now, this is what it was. Roshni gave her friend an understanding look and suggested they write down all that they knew and see if it made sense. So, they pulled out a napkin and wrote down...
FIXED DEPOSIT

Positives	Negatives
Safe	Interest rate only matches inflation rate
Will earn regular income	No real wealth creation
Can liquidate whenever needed without much loss

GOLD

Positives	Negatives
May earn high returns	Cost of safekeeping is high
Satisfaction of owning jewellery	Cannot sell, can only convert to another jewellery
Can pledge and borrow against it	No interest, dividend etc
	Making cost, wastage etc makes it expensive

REAL ESTATE

Positives	Negatives
Has the potential to create long term wealth	High investment value. Will be forced to take loans
May earn regular returns — rent	Maintenance costs can be high
	Cannot sell easily / cannot sell only small portions

STOCK MARKETS

Positives	Negatives
Has the potential to earn lot of returns	Very volatile market
May earn regular income - dividends	Very risky - can lose a lot of money
Tax-free
Can also buy through mutual funds easily
Small amounts also enough

Roshni went through it again and said, "Very good Sathya, we have done a great job in finding out that no investment is very good. All investments are good in some way, but are bad too in some other way. Just like all of us. You know what? You should just spend it, mast karo. Go on a holiday, buy new clothes, jewels, shoes. Enjoy it yaar, it is your hard earned money".
"Very funny", said Sathya "I know what to do. I am going to meet somebody who can help me". She remembered one her colleagues mention a financial planner. She fixed an appointment and met with the planner.
This planner explained that she need not really put all the money in any one of the above options. She can actually distribute her money in all the above options to get the benefit of all. That way she also does not have to suffer the drawbacks of any one investment option with all the money. She can "spread the risk". That is what the planner said.
Okay, but how do you decide how much in each investment option?
This was a good question.
The planner pulled out a paper and handed it over to Sathya. He said, "Take a few minutes, think about it and write "What is that you ultimately want to do with this money". I know you want to invest the money. Invest it now so that you can use it later right? So, what will you use it for later? Write down all things in your mind that you want to use this money for" and he left the room.
Sathya thought about it and wrote "I want to invest now so that we have enough money for Nidhi's education and marriage. Our parents are growing old. We want to have some money for any medical emergencies. When we retire, we want to have enough money to take care of ourselves."
The planner walked back into the room, sat down with Sathya and went through her "Want to" list.
He said, "Instead of looking at which investment is the best, which will give highest returns, which will help me save tax etc. look at investments from another point of view. Which investment will help me check off all the items on my "Want to" list. Which investment will help me reach my life goals? Which is the most suitable for me?"
Sathya seemed to be getting some clarity. The planner drew out a detailed plan to invest her money. He suggested that a portion of the money go into fixed deposits for parents' safety and emergency needs. Some money should go into mutual funds and some in gold for Nidhi's future. He also suggested that they set aside some money for down payment of their second home. He wanted them to also start a regular investment plan as this sum alone would not be sufficient. He drew out a goal based investment plan that will enable Sathya and Suraj actually do all that they "want to" do in their lifetime.

Related articles

• Korea's Buying Supports Gold Price (blogs.wsj.com)
• Gold: The New Superhero! (trak.in)
• ECB intervention brings early relief to European stock markets (guardian.co.uk)

Apple holding more cash than USA

Image by slasher-fun via Flickr

Apple holding more cash than USA

Latest figures from the US Treasury Department show that the country has an operating cash balance of $73.7bn (£45.3bn).
Apple's most recent financial results put its reserves at $76.4bn.
The US House of Representatives is due to vote on a bill to raise the country's debt ceiling, allowing it to borrow more money to cover spending commitments.
If it fails to extend the current limit of $14.3 trillion dollars, the federal government could find itself struggling to make payments, and risks the loss of its AAA credit rating.
The United States is currently spending around $200bn more than it collects in revenue every month.
Apple, on the other hand, is making money hand over fist, according to its financial results.
In the three months ending 25 June, net income was 125% higher than a year earlier at $7.31bn

Related articles

• Apple has more cash right now than the US Treasury (boingboing.net)

Stinking giant a hit in Basel

The rare blooming of a giant flower, taller than a man, that stinks of carrion, has been drawing thousands of visitors to Basel University’s botanical garden.

The only previous time a titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) produced a flower in Switzerland was 75 years ago. World-wide, there have only been 134 recorded instances of cultivated plants blooming.

The nearly two-metre tall flower opened on Friday evening. The flower started to poke out of the soil in March, and in the past few days it had been growing at the rate of about six centimetres a day. But before then it had taken 17 years for the corm to grow to 20kg and to reach the blossoming stage. It will start wilting on Saturday evening or Sunday. Its mother plant last bloomed in the Frankfurt Palm Garden in 1992.

The gardens expect some 10,000 people to come to see it and are remaining open for at least 24 hours while the flower lasts. The event is also being filmed on webcam. On Friday, the webcam site was viewed more than 100,000 times.

The titan arum’s distinctive smell, appreciated by the insects that pollinate it, has given it the colloquial name of “corpse flower”.

Native to Sumatra’s tropical rain forest, it requires a humid climate to grow and even in the wild blossoms very infrequently.

Huge though Basel’s flower is, the tallest specimen ever recorded was about three metres high.

Job interviews: Answer 10 tricky questions

Think carefully before responding to these commonly-asked but tricky questions, during jobs interviews

THE formula for success in job interviews is not written in stone, especially when it comes to tricky questions. For instance if you are being interviewed for a sales position, a potential employer may ask you, “What would you do if a clients hinted at kickbacks?”

How would you respond? Will you appear shocked or deliver your answer with poise? Here are some suggestions on how to answer 10 such questions. Being prepared will give an edge, and not to mention, boost your confidence.

1. Tell us about a difficult relationship in your personal life you have had to cope with?

Don’t go into too many details about what happened, when and where. Don’t condemn the other person or defend yourself. Talk about what you had learnt from the experience.


2. Your boss-to-be is short-tempered, impatient and abrasive. Can you work with someone, of such a temperament?

Working with a short-tempered and very abrasive boss is not easy. Stating that you can effectively work under each and every person, in any and every situation will make you seem over-confident, and unrealistic. Do you get upset if you’re shouted or screamed at? Does it leave you de-motivated or disillusioned for long? If your answer to the latter question is in the negative, let the panel know that unpleasant experiences don’t weigh you down for too long.

3. Since you are in sales, some clients may hint at getting kick-backs. How will you handle such situations, since as a policy we don’t offer bribes?

When asked awkward questions like this, it helps if you plead ignorance. It may be also a test to check your views on bribes. They may ask if you have bribed anyone or what you would do, if you witnessed a government employee accepting a bribe. Tell them your personal experiences or views. Companies always respect individuals who are truthful and who possess a clear (not rigid) opinion on most matters.

4. Why have you fared averagely in Academics?

Many interviewers pay importance to what you have scored in your board examinations. If you had fared averagely and are asked to explain the reason, there’s not much you can do. It would help if you honestly admit that you have only yourself to blame (if that is really the case) and in future you will be clear about your priorities and work hard to achieve your goals.

5. Our industry requires a lot of social interaction with clients - over drinks and at parties. Are you comfortable with smoking and drinking?

Smoking isn’t cool. And many corporate head-honchos are teetotallers. It may be okay to say that you are uncomfortable around smokers and don’t enjoy social drinking. And do you really need to explain why you would not like to smoke or drink? No, it’s a personal choice.

If you’re applying for a job in an advertising or marketing consulting firm you may be asked if you’re okay with working on a tobacco or liquor account. If you feel you can never perform your job well, if the job involves promoting these products, then mention that you want to work on brands, which you are passionate about, and since you are convinced that tobacco or alcohol is injurious to health you may not be the best person to work on an account that involves actively promoting related brands.

6. Since you are a lady, and most of our clients are males, it is highly likely that some clients will try to be over-friendly. How will you handle such situations?

Will you be upset by such behaviour? If you’re confident that you can deal with such clients, only then tell the interviewers how you think you can be professional, yet not interact with clients who you’re uncomfortable with. Honesty is the best policy.

7. Tell us about your weaknesses?

What do you say besides the stereotyed ‘good’ weaknesses – impatience, over-enthusiasm? All of us have weaknesses, but do we need to mention all? And do you weaknesses surface all the time, or on occasions? For instance, while talking about your own traits such as a short temper or abrasiveness you can indicate that you display such traits or behaviour at some times only.

If your weakness is lack of time management, you could say that you are working on it and hope to overcome it over a period of time. Think about this and answer accordingly.

8. You will be replacing a person who we are letting go of. In the few weeks that you spend with him, you have to learn as much about his job so that you can continue doing his work effectively. Do you feel you are okay with this arrangement?

Not an easy situation to be in. While you can try your best to learn as much as you can, what will you do in case your predecessor does not cooperate and tell you all that you need to know? You could point out that you may need your organisation’s support, cooperation and intervention, if need be, in such a circumstance.

9. What if we hired you for one job profile and then change it within weeks?

Your response will depend on your future plans. If you’re interested in a sales job, because you want to pursue a career in marketing, then you’d obviously not want to work in finance or accounts. However, if you’re unsure which area interests you, and would like to learn about the different functions in an organisation, this might be a good opportunity to explore. You should preferably talk about why you prefer some roles or jobs. At the same time try to avoid talking about why you don’t like particular roles.

10. What salary do you expect? What if we told you we cannot pay you for the first three months?

State that since it is the start of your career, learning and experience are more important than salary. If you’re still asked to quote a specific amount give them a general indication on what you would like to earn. Don’t over-quote. If a company states that for whatever reason they won’t pay a salary for the first few months, make sure they are not one of those outfits, which exploit those who need work experience. If the organisation offers a good learning environment, tell them you’re joining the organisation for the valuable experience and you’re confident you’ll soon receive a salary commensurate with your performance.

Cardinal rules

1. Arrive preferably 15 minutes early, so you can relax, freshen up

2. Gauge the company dress code, dress appropriately

3. No unclean hair, sweaty visage or dirty hands with pen marks

4. Keep two copies of your rèsumè, handy

5. Carry a notepad and pen

6. Be poised, confident, but not too relaxed or over-confident.

7. If you’re unsure about an answer and need time to think, request the interviewer if you can take a minute to think and respond

8. Be patient, be courteous

9. Never interrupt even if the interviewer is stating a wrong fact. Let him complete the sentence and then respond. Words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ also go a long way

10. If there are two or more interviewers, make eye contact with all

Supermoon on March 19th may cause natural disasters

On March 19th 2011, the moon will make its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years, possibly triggering earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other disasters.

The phenomenon, called lunar perigee or Supermoon, happens when the moon reaches its absolute closest point to Earth. On March 19, the natural satellite will be only 221,567 miles away from our planet.

There were Supermoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005, and these years had their share of extreme weather conditions, too. Although there are scientific laws that say the moon affects the Earth, it's still ambiguous whether the lunar perigee and natural disasters is coincidence or not.

Two days after online warnings that the Supermoon might trigger disasters, the devastating Japanese tsunami forced everyone to think - could the movement of the moon cause natural calamities?

"Supermoons have a historical association with strong storms, very high tides, extreme tides and also earthquakes," the Daily Mail quoted astrologer Richard Nolle, who first coined the term in 1979, as saying in an interview with ABC radio.

However, scientists dismiss this as utter nonsense.

Dr David Harland, space historian and author, said, "It's possible that the moon may be a kilometre or two closer to Earth than normal at a perigee, but it's an utterly insignificant event."

Professor George Helffrich, a seismologist at the University of Bristol was equally dismissive.

"Complete nonsense. The moon has no significant effect on earthquake triggering. If the moon triggers "big" earthquakes, it would trigger the many of millions of times more "small" earthquakes that happen daily. There is no time dependence of those; hence no moon effect," he said.

According to Dr Roger Musson, of the British Geological Survey (BGS), the devastating earthquake occurred because the Pacific Plate is plunging underneath Japan.

However, while hoping for a non-disastrous ‘moon giant’, point your eyes and camera lenses toward the night sky on 19th. If the sky is clear, you’re gonna get an exceptional celestial treat.