Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Dollar’s descent vs rupee’s ascent

V. R. Vinod Kumar

Venkat, an investment banker, and Nikhil Akali, a senior executive in a captive BPO, both college mates, meet for dinner at one of their favourite restaurants. Nikhil doesn’t seem to be in his usual cheerful mood. Venkat enquires, “You appear bit dull today, what’s the matter?”
Nikhil speaks in a hazy voice, “It’s about the dollar-rupee thing again, with one going down and the other going up. Everybody in my industry is worried and all kinds of horror stories such as salary cuts and slow growth are floating around…I am not sure what’s happening.”
“I think this is something we must learn to live with. Today countries are so closely united and one man’s meat is becoming another man’s poison,” Venkat says philosophically.


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Monday, February 11, 2008

Love commercialised

N. Meera Raghavendra Rao

I wonder what gift Kareena will be giving Saif for Valentine’s Day? said my daughter Preethi.
Don’t you have anything better to think about? I asked.
Oh, mamma, I never thought you heard me. I must have been thinking aloud, she said embarrassed.
Okay. What do you think she would give him, any guesses? she asked.
Well, probably I could guess what Saif would be thinking of giving his girlfriend, I observed.
What is that? Preethi asked sounding extremely curious (I had never seen Preethi displaying curiosity in anything related to her field of study which was business management).

Monday, February 04, 2008

Ben raises interest in rate cuts

V. R. Vinod Kumar

Wiggins, Rogers, Prof Williams and Daisy are engaged in an animated conversation in their college corridor over US Fed Chief Ben Bernanke’s decision to lower interest rates for the second time in quick succession.

Wiggins begins the conversation inquiringly: “Why is there so much euphoria over Bernanke’s decision to lower interest rates? Why is everybody keenly watching what he is doing?”

Rogers answers nonchalantly: “It’s simple, he is trying to ward off recession.”

Daisy, a bit unsure about what the term means, asks: “First, tell me what is the difference between recession and depression?”

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