Do it yourself

Thought for the day " The same ambition can destroy or save, and make a patriot as it makes a knave." — Alexander Pope (English, 1688-1744) Word for the day Gale (n) A very strong wind. Malice towards none Heard an IT Commissioner issuing an open challenge - 'Those who have avoided paying 45% will definitely end up paying 60% (30% tax and penalty @100%, i.e., another 30%)! First random thought this morning Why Arvind Kejriwal is important to Indian media? He is obviously the least powerful, and therefore least important, of the 31 chief ministers in the country. Why is it so that the national media, especially electronics, considers it important and necessary to highlight whatever he says or does? In Delhi or Mumbai, did you bother to know what Pawan Chamling, Okram Ibobi Singh, Lal Thanhawla or Mukul Sangma have to say on the surgical strikes on Pakistan? Accommodation  is the word ...

Thought for the day " And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but the truth in a masquerade." — Alexander Pope (English, 1688-1744) Word for the day Knave (n) An unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest person. Malice towards none Is our fight with Pakistan or Pakistanis? And have we already defined who is a Pakistani? First random thought this morning I have not heard anyone who seriously believed that the latest Indo-Pak standoff could actually escalate into a full-fledged war. I am therefore totally unable to explain the losses in financial markets on last Thursday. I suspect it could either be a case of foul play or something serious taking shape in the womb of time that will be revealed in due course. Gather amunition before the war begins As the date for RBI's periodic policy review date draws closer the anticipation regarding the likely move on policy rate is rising. Like ...

Thought for the day "Lulled in the countless chambers of the brain, our thoughts are linked by many a hidden chain; awake but one, and in, what myriads rise!" — Alexander Pope (English, 1688-1744) Word for the day Sublime (adj) Complete; absolute; utter; supreme or outstanding. Elevated or lofty in thought, language, etc. e.g., Paradise Lost is sublime poetry. Malice towards none Have the surgical strikes in PoK by Indian Army taken the government beyond any criticism? First random thought this morning The farmers in the border areas of Punjab have been evacuated by the Indian Army for security reasons. Many of them have the crops standing ready for harvest. I am sure the State will compensate for them adequately for the financial loss. But the loss of precious food grain will not get compensated. Nifty: tighten your belt As pointed out last week, in September the divergence between the Mo...

Thought for the day " Gratitude is usually the secret hope of further favors." —Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613-1680) Word for the day Lodestone (n) Something that attracts strongly. Malice towards none Everyone gets to retreat back to barracks. Indian Army can claim "We did it". Twiterrati can finally rest claiming "we are great". Politicians can submit ATR. First random thought this morning None of the members of the family of Mr. Bansal were co-accused in CBI's case. Why even after 2days no process has been initiated against the CBI officers who allegedly drove them to death. Usually an FIR for abetment to suicide u/s 306 IPC is filed immediately on the basis of suicide note. Is morality again overriding the legality? Strategy Based on the assumptions highlighted yesterday ( see here ), other strategy inputs that I have been sharing with the reader...

Thought for the day " We have no patience with other people's vanity because it is offensive to our own." —Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613-1680) Word for the day Eristic (n) A person who engages in disputation; controversialist. Malice towards none How relevant are SAARC, NAM and Commonwealth in the present context? First random thought this morning Watched the video of presidential debate between Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump. Three observations: (1)    None of the two candidates appear worthy of becoming head of the most powerful state in the world. (2)    The degeneration in the quality of the leadership might be reflective of the general state of American society itself. (3)    Whosoever wins, it will not make any difference to my life. Assumptions for Strategy Continuing from yesterday ( see here ), I may share with my readers the latest assumptions that ...

Thought for the day " The surest way to be deceived is to consider oneself cleverer than others." —Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613-1680) Word for the day Bon mot (n) A witty remark or comment; clever saying; witticism Malice towards none War with Pakistan - Seriously! First random thought this morning If we go by the media perceptions - US citizens are faced with a dilemma of choosing the best from two worst presidential candidates. If I have any idea about the psychology of an average American, expect the voters' participation to be extremely low. Yes, avoiding tough decisions to the extent possible is a common American trait. Lower....sooner Some of my readers termed my yesterday post ( see here ) rather alarmist. I think, it needs some clarifications. If the contention is that I am hinting at a major correction (10% or more) in the benchmark indices in near term, I must say...

Thought for the day " A wise man thinks it more advantageous not to join the battle than to win." —Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613-1680) Word for the day Albatross (n) A seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility. Malice towards none Is India rushing too hurriedly into the Paris deal, or NOW is the time to do it? First random thought this morning A large majority of Indians seem unable to decide whether Indo-Pak rivalry is about religion (Hindu-Muslim) or about geo-politics. The perception about and the response to the conflict are therefore mostly confused. An occurrence of violence evokes extreme religious fervor. An initiative for peace evokes even stronger response from the people living on either side of the border! Let's first decide what we want - (a) Friendship (peaceful co-existence) ; (b) Enmity (perpetual war); (c) Reunion (Unification through ...

Thought for the day "Why can we remember the tiniest detail that has happened to us, and not remember how many times we have told it to the same person." —Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613-1680) Word for the day Eutaxy (n) Good order or management. Malice towards none Winter is certainly arriving early this year and promises to be harsh   First random thought this morning Take one common person from the streets of Lahore and Delhi. I will wholeheartedly support all war cries against Pakistani people, if any one of the studio experts, warmongers rallying at social media and feudal lords of Mumbai, could tell me any difference between these two persons. Nifty: Breakout in October? On past many occasions we have observed that the change in monthly average trading value is a useful leading indicator for Nifty movement in the coming month. Any divergence in the monthly movement of Nifty and monthly average traded value is usual...