6 Books to learn the art of investing

We all think of famous investors, "How they pick stocks", "How they analyse a company" etc. We spend hours reading about them in hope to get some strategy(or more often shortcut) to earn money. But do you really know what is the difference between famous investors and average investors? Knowledge. Smart investor spends time in researching his/her stocks while average investor just follow stock prices and wait for prices to fall so that they can buy LOW (hahaha....!!!). Well here is a list of six book which will tell you about art of investment. It is not necessary to follow word by word what book says but these will surely add to your knowledge stock and in stock market knowledge is money. 

1. The Intelligent Investor (Benjamin Graham) - Provides a framework and aphilosophy of investing based on what level of risk you would like to take. A phenomenal read, and can get academic/slow at times, but worth it. Do not miss reading this.
2. The Single Best Investment (Lowell Miller) - This was recommended by my friend Ashish to me, and I have been a follower of this technique of investing (finding value stocks that have consistently given good dividends and keep growing their dividends over the years.. a fantastic investment philosophy, based on the premise that if the company doesn't truly earn cash, it can't give a dividend.. chances of fraud or loss in the long run are less and hence a less risky way to invest)
3. The Little Book that Beats the Market (Joel Greenblatt) - Provides a good set of basics on investing in many market conditions.
4. The Little Book that Builds Wealth (Pat Dorsey) - An excellent read on how to identify Moats, and how to understand the difference between popular idea of what Moats are, versus what are truly the right Moats to look for. Don't miss this one.
5. The 5 Rules for Successful Stock Investing (Pat Dorsey) - Currently reading this one. I like this book due to it's in depth discussion on Vauation Models and how to calculate Intrinsic Value.
6. The Dhandho Investor (Mohnish Pabrai) - This book was a simple read, but provided a great philosophy on how to approach investing for the long term. I liked it though it wasn't heavy on valuation models.

I didn't knew that about Holland (Netherlands)

• School finishes at midday on Wednesdays. This is so parents can spend more time with their kids, and many employers allow parents to go home at midday on Wednesdays.

• Amsterdam really could not be less about prostitution and marijuana. They are small parts of the city that some tourists (and few locals) enjoy, but there's so much more to Amsterdam than that!

• Riding a bike is the primary means of transport for most people in cities, regardless of the "event" - going to a wedding (bride included!), dressed up, dressed down, wearing a suit, going to the beach, taking kids to school, moving house, going to work, shopping, having breakfast, talking on the phone, putting on makeup at the lights. Any time a person in LA might consider using a car, Dutchies will ride a bike. No one wears helmets.

• On warm summer evenings, many people will eat on the street (or on their front steps), cos most homes do not have air-con, and the streets are generally lovely.

• Parties often happen on open boats that motor around the canals (as opposed to, at someone's home). They stop near public toilets every so often (and at bottle-shops, to stock up). I find it very weird seeing parties motor past our house, just like a party in someone's living room... but on the water.

• Many people leave their curtains open, so people walking down the street can see right into their home. It's not uncommon to see people going about their lives, including moments that others might consider private, when looking through windows. It's considered impolite to look through windows at these times, however.

Unknown facts about Switzerland

You have always viewed Switzerland as land of beautiful valleys and chocolates. But do you know following facts. It will blow your mind 

• Although it's a very wealthy nation, Switzerland is a country of renters. Home ownership in Switzerland is only about 30%. It's not that Swiss people don't want to own their own homes, but they aren't as willing as people in other countries to overextend themselves financially to do so. Renting is the norm and people seem to be quite happy with that generally.
• Only about 30%* or so of Swiss people go to university. Most people do a form of apprenticeship instead, to learn a specific profession. This is not just for the usual things you might associate with apprenticeship like plumbing or carpentry and so on. Even bankers usually go through a banking apprenticeship rather than a university. Universities are academic institutions, not job training grounds.
• In Switzerland, direct democracy is the norm. All kinds of single issues are put up to a referendum. People can vote directly on things ranging from "should we dig a tunnel through this mountain (and fund it)" to "do we continue to fund free drug rehabilitation programs" (both were voted yes) or "do we join the EU" (that has been voted down a couple of times I think.) Constitutional issues must be put up for referendum. Otherwise, to bring something up for referendum you just need to gather enough signatures supporting it. Referendums are both on the national and cantonal (state) level. For instance in the canton of Zürich, all road projects costing over a certain amount have to be put up for referendum. 
• Every household in Switzerland has a designated bomb shelter that they need to know about in order to take cover in case of attack. Sometimes the shelter is under the house itself, but more often it's somewhere in the neighborhood. Ours was an underground car park about 3 minutes away from our house.
• Switzerland has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the world. This is because the Swiss Army is a people's militia rather than a standing army. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun... ) However, the crime rate in general and gun crime rates are very low.

30 amazing facts that you won't like to miss about Guyana

Guyana is a beautiful country in South-America. Only a few people know about it and thus today we bring you 30 interesting facts that may make your mind about travelling to Guyana. 

• Guyana is actually in South America and not in Africa (though with it's name and its very colourful primary African coloured flag will let you believe otherwise.) (Eds. Fun Fact: Our flag, named the "Golden Arrowhead," was actually created by an American vexillologist, Whitney Smith)                  

People in Guyana speak English - in fact it is their first language and perhaps only language. Sure, they speak English with one of the most sing-song-y accent you've ever heard, but it's fun to listen to, even if you have no idea what we're saying. They also speak a bit of combination Hindi-English, and Native Amerindian languages.

They are the only English speaking country in South America, and they speak the Queen's English, so Colour, and Neighbourhood, will be some of the spellings you'll find.

most of their towns, cities and villages are French, Spanish or Dutch. This is because they were ruled by all of these countries once upon a time, only to be finally conquered by the English. This has influenced their architecture greatly.                                                                                                                  

Hey, Dutch people! Thanks! Because of you, Guyana, with 80% rainforest interior and a land below sea-level still stays afloat, because of an amazing Dutch drainage system. Now, if the government would just update that system, I believe they wouldn't flood so much.

Just like the British left India with an extensive railroad, they, too, had a railroad system. In fact, called the Demerara-Berbice railroad (I told you about those Dutch names!) it was the first railroad system of the South American continent. But this was soon dismantled, by the American-government elected, President Burnham. He had major post-colonial issues, or mommy issues with England, as I like to call it, at the time.

Because of their pickled history, their main and natural export is actually our people, we have the highest brain drain of 95% of higher educated people leaving the country. It is the highest in the world. But we also export rice, sugar, bauxite, rum.

Don't drink the koolaid! Seriously, don't drink it. Many Americans say that reference because it's a part of our American culture, however, Jonestown actually happened in the remote jungles of Guyana. Since, it was so remote, Guyanese people were not aware of it either.

They are actually more culturally Caribbean, i.e. West Indian than South American (due to the fact that they share similar colonization stories with countries like Trinidad and Jamaica - but we're working on feeling more South American-y, by having roads connect to Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil (our neighbours) I think, this will eventually change their culture again!

Their people are very diverse, because of colonization we have people with origins from Africa, India, China, Portuguese from Madeira Islands, Europeans, and Native South-American tribes, mostly Arawak and Caribs (the Caribbean was named after them!) Though, most of the population is divided between African Guyanese and Indian Guyanese. We only know the difference when there is an election, as people seem to vote along racial lines, which I'm pretty sure they know, is not cool.

With so many ethnic groups, their cuisine is very interesting - Roti and curries (Indian), pepperpot (Amerindian), Metemgie, a soup with ground provisions and dumplings (African), bread-pudding, cheese rolls, pinetarts (European), Cookup Rice (peas and rice), Lowmein and chowmein (Chinese). Culturally, we are food sharing people, so if you're ever over at one of our houses, we'll probably have to fight the urge to feed you, and to insist that you take left-overs for your family as well.

• They are a secular country and we celebrate all holidays from our major religion - Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. The Color Run is inspired by us, they call the Hindu festival (Holi) - Phagwah based on the month it normally falls.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

• They celebrate Easter not with the Easter Bunny but by flying kites. It's the resurrection of Christ, and the kite depicts his soul flying towards heaven.                                                                                                                                          

• They fish a lot, eh? Our country is 70% rivers. Hassa Fish a local delicacy. (It's curried here, with okra vegetables.) 
• They have a lot of fruits and vegetables that you've never heard of, and locals will either wait til they are ripe to eat them/ cook with them, or my favourite, eat them when they are so green that they are pale yellow.Pictured here is a fruit called, Sapodilla it tastes like a persimmon but sweeter, a bit grainer as if someone sprinkled brown sugar over a persimmon.                                                                                                                               
  
  
  
  
  
• Foods tend to be spicy.

• Politics is a past-time sport. Everyone bashes the government. But to be honest, they are justified.
• Their favourite sport is probably cricket, they play for the West Indian team and they wear our pride on our sleeves - Shivnarine Chandrapaul, Carl Hooper, Lance Gibbs, Colin Croft, and golden cricket legends such as Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharran are all Guyanese cricketers. 
• But we also excel at playing squash, and we are getting better at soccer as well.
• Guyana as a whole has neglected arts, and sports, parenting stresses more emphasis on being some variant of the following - doctor, lawyer, engineer, so every time I am made aware of a Guyanese sportsman and artist, I support!
• Rihanna and Leonna Lewis are of Guyanese heritage.                                                                                

• You must know of their sugar - Demerara sugar was the standard that was created when sugar was a major commodity.
• The most famous and one of the most expensive stamps in the world, is the British Guiana 1c Magenta. In the Guiana, they ran their of stamps and then used magenta paper, which was available as postage.
• They are also known for their rum - El Dorado Rum. It's an award winning rum. they like rum. 
• Why is their rum and almost everything named El Dorado? Because, geographically, Guyana is estimated to be El Dorado. Our country is high in gold (and gold mine) and has one of the richest golds in the world, mostly because it was left in the earth for so long. There are many TVs that seem to be fascinated by this - Discovery Channel's Gold Rush and Bamazon Boys. 
• Do you like to rock climb? Because, I want a buddy to rock climb this baby! The Disney movie, Up featured the mountain, Mount Roraima, it is the highest peak of a chain of tepui plateau in South America. Made of Precambrian rocks, it literally looks like a tabletop in the sky. It's the point where Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana meet and many waterfalls are associated with the mountain (Angel Falls on the Venezuelan side), and ours Kaieteur Falls, is the longest, single one drop water fall in the world.                                                          
  
  
  
  
  
• Every Guyanese is going to make me tell you about Kaieteur Falls. It's supposedly the highest single drop waterfall in the world.                                                                                                                                    

• They have Carnival, not as big as the Brazilians, or the Trinidadians, and they call it "Mashramani" or Mash for short. It's always in February, and most of the music will tell you to get something and wave, and really that's what you should do. 
• If you go to Guyana expect this                                                                                     

So what are you thinking, go to Guyana. 

New Rules for IPL 2014

IPL 2013 has been a disaster for BCCI. Players got caught for match fixing. Top officials,team owners are suspected of match fixing. A lot of damage has been done to BCCI's name. 

So to do damage control BCCI came with a new ideology - 'If you can't beat them, join them' . Thus IPL 2014 will see a lot of changes and certain 'wrong things' have been made legitimate so as to give even advantage to all teams. '100% transparent match fixing' is new motto of BCCI. 
So lets see what BCCI has in its bag for IPL 2014 - 

BCCI APPROVED BOOKIES -  Each team will be allowed to pick 5 bookies for season. Out of this 5 bookies, maximum 2 bookies can be from Pakistan or Dubai. 

Every team will be allowed to handle Rs.100 crores per game. A minimum of two bookies must be appointed before the game. Name of these bookies must be notified to BCCI before starting of the match. These bookies should not have tie-up with sponsors. If any team needs advice on bookies, they can take the help 'fixing committee'  . Notable cricketers like Prabhakar, Jadeja , Azharuddin are members of this committee.  

APPROVED LIST AND QUANTITY OF DRUGS
Teams can only serve drugs approved by BCCI in after-match parties. Quota of these drugs will be fixed by BCCI. No player is allowed to carry more that 10 gms of cocaine. Only 5 bottles of foreign liquor are allowed per player. However there is no limit on desi liquor. 

NEW RULES FOR SPOT FIXING SIGNALS
Each team can hold copyright for spot fixing signals. Cost of a spot fixing signal will be Rs.50 lakhs. Teams can get sponsors for the signals. For eg. Logo of sponsors can be shown on towel etc. These signals are transferable but  BCCI will take 5% of transfer money. For equal opportunity batsmen are also allowed to take part in spot-fixing. 

Only two overs per match will be fixed and if teams pay a designated amount then signal will be kept secret between player and bookies. 

ONLY 3 LADY ESCORTS ALLOWED PER TEAM 
Each team will get only 3 lady escorts per game. Also one of these escorts, one must be from home town of team to support local talent. 

These women will be given special card so that they gain entry to after match parties,spot fixing rooms and even rooms of players. 

Difference between Normal English and GRE English

A NORMAL PERSON : People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
GRE STUDENT : Individuals who make their abodes in vitreous edifices would be advised to refrain from catapulting perilous projectiles.



NORMAL PERSON : Twinkle, twinkle, little star
GRE STUDENT : Scintillate, scintillate, asteroid minim.


NORMAL PERSON : All that glitters is not gold.
GRE STUDENT : All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not truly auriferous.


NORMAL PERSON : Beggars are not choosers
GRE STUDENT : Sorting on the part of mendicants must be interdicted.



NORMAL PERSON : Dead men tell no tales
GRE STUDENT : Male cadavers are incapable of rendering any testimony.



NORMAL PERSON : Beginner's luck
GRE STUDENT : Neophyte's serendipity.



NORMAL PERSON : A rolling stone gathers no moss
GRE STUDENT : A revolving lithic conglomerate accumulates no congeries of small, green, biophytic plant.



NORMAL PERSON : Birds of a feather flock together
GRE STUDENT : Members of an avian species of identical plumage tend to congregate.



NORMAL PERSON : Beauty is only skin deep
GRE STUDENT : Pulchritude possesses solely cutaneous profundity.



NORMAL PERSON : Cleanliness is godliness
GRE STUDENT : Freedom from incrustations of grime is contiguous to rectitude.



NORMAL PERSON : There's no use crying over spill milk
GRE STUDENT : It is fruitless to become lachrymose of precipitately departed lactile fluid.


NORMAL PERSON : You can't try to teach an old dog new tricks
GRE STUDENT : It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a superannuated canine with innovative maneuvers.


NORMAL PERSON : Look before you leap
GRE STUDENT : Surveillance should precede saltation.


NORMAL PERSON : He who laughs last, laughs best
GRE STUDENT : The person presenting the ultimate cachinnation possesses thereby the optimal cachinnation.


NORMAL PERSON : All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
GRE STUDENT : Exclusive dedication to necessitous chores without interludes of hedonistic diversion renders Jack a hebetudinous fellow.


NORMAL PERSON : Where there's smoke, there's fire!
GRE STUDENT : Where there are visible vapours having their provenance in ignited carbonaceous materials, there is conflagration.

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